Not a light sprinkle—half a cup. Leo dumped it straight down the drain hole. It hissed softly, like a tiny white sand dune settling into the darkness. Some of it stuck to the wet sides of the pipe. That’s fine.
Leo slapped a small plate over the opening. Why? Because the reaction needs to be forced downward into the pipe, not just burping up into the sink. The plate traps the pressure. You want those fizzy little soldiers marching into the sludge. how to unclog a drain with baking soda
Five minutes. Ten if you’re patient. Leo set a timer on his phone and paced the kitchen, listening to the faint rumble from under the sink. It sounded like a distant ocean in a shell. Then, at minute seven, a glug-glug-glug —like something had just let go. Not a light sprinkle—half a cup
He pulled the box from the back of the pantry, a little crumpled at the corners. Next to it, a nearly forgotten jug of white vinegar. His grandmother’s voice surfaced from memory: “Leo, don’t call a plumber before you try the volcano. It’s not just for science fairs.” Some of it stuck to the wet sides of the pipe
“Okay,” he whispered to the empty apartment. “Baking soda. People swear by it.”