# Oops, just poured Hydochloric Acid down the shower drain. What now? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 7, 2006, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-just-poured-hydochloric-acid-down-the-shower-drain-what-now/347331 "2006-03-07T01:33:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-just-poured-hydochloric-acid-down-the-shower-drain-what-now/347331/41 "2006-03-10T19:01:47Z")
> [@](#): > > Oh, and instead of pliers or hooks, try what I suggested here “For the shower, there is this neat little plastic thing that has backwards hooks on it that you can push down the drain, and on the way back it’ll clean out a lot of hair and gunk.” It looks like a strip of plastic about 2 or 3’ long. They sell them at hardware stores. Man, you get some serious “ewwww” with one of those things. Neat. In one of my frustrated McGyver moments I invented my own by cutting the end off a Cat 5 (just the right balance of stiffness and flexibility) and duct taping carefully bent paper clips. Worked pretty well too. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Stormyweathers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Stormyweathers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stormyweathers)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-just-poured-hydochloric-acid-down-the-shower-drain-what-now/347331/42 "2006-03-10T20:29:01Z")
> [@VCO3](#): > > So, uh, what do I do now? The drain is still clogged, though I’ve basically filled the tub with cold water, which will drain through slowly. Is there any worry about the effect of the HCL on the pipes (which are metal and old)? Keep adding water. However long you think it should take to reasonably clear out the fluid, and then double it for good measure. Are the pipes a concern? Yes. The more concentrated the acid, the more rapidly the acid will attack the pipes. More water = Less Problem Then call a plumber. ---
**Author:** ![Stormyweathers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Stormyweathers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stormyweathers)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-just-poured-hydochloric-acid-down-the-shower-drain-what-now/347331/43 "2006-03-10T20:35:33Z")
> [@Waterman](#): > > I don’t mean to be a smart ass, but acids do not oxidize the metals that they dissolve. Oxidation is exactly as you state, which is the reaction that produces a metal oxide (or hydrated form or intermediate) whereas the reaction of an acid and metal results in the formation of the salt of the anion from the acid and the metal. Acid corrosion of iron is an oxidation reaction (Fe -\> Fe3+). However, it’s not rust. Rust is a loose term referring to metal oxides. Hydrochloric acid will dissolve and remove “rust” actually. We use the word “oxidation” in scientific chemistry more loosely than when the term was first coined. In it’s original sense, water and oxygen often cause materials to corrode by “adding oxygen” to them. Now, we are more specific. ---
**Author:** ![Stormyweathers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Stormyweathers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stormyweathers)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-just-poured-hydochloric-acid-down-the-shower-drain-what-now/347331/44 "2006-03-10T20:40:25Z")
> [@Soylent Gene](#): > > uuh…yeah, except for the violent reaction where that equal sign is. Mixing acid and base produces heat. The “violence” is a consequence of the heat. As the concentrations are low, so will be the heat production. Neutralizing the acid as a tactic, however, will be of limited value as the chloride ion concentration is probably not much better for old metal pipes than dilute acid. ---
**Author:** ![Stormyweathers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Stormyweathers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stormyweathers)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-just-poured-hydochloric-acid-down-the-shower-drain-what-now/347331/45 "2006-03-10T20:43:59Z")
> [@appleciders](#): > > You should run lots of water, and maybe a weak base dissolved in the water; baking soda would be appropriate. If the acid is strong enough to require neutralization then choosing sodium bicarbonate as the base of choice will result in a hideous mess. But, on the plus side, it would be a hoot to watch, so by all means rent a video camera. ---
**Author:** ![Stormyweathers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Stormyweathers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stormyweathers)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-just-poured-hydochloric-acid-down-the-shower-drain-what-now/347331/46 "2006-03-10T20:52:37Z")
> [@Waterman](#): > > What, in your infinite knowledge and desire to offer helpful advice, will that accomplish? It will immediately precipiate silver chloride which is about as water soluble as granite. If he is lucky it will wash through and remove the chloride ions from the iron pipes. If he is unlucky, it will block the drain the rest of the way still leaving it exposed to the, acidic, solution. I don’t think I’d be willing to roll those dice on my own pipes, but I’d love to watch someone else try it. ---
**Author:** ![Stormyweathers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Stormyweathers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stormyweathers)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-just-poured-hydochloric-acid-down-the-shower-drain-what-now/347331/47 "2006-03-10T21:00:06Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > They work great for me. Every six months or so my tub drain gets so full of my thick, luscious hair and assorted gook that I have to whip out the old Drano bottle. After a couple treatments it’s back to its old self. > > You’re right about the nastiness, though. You have to be careful with that stuff. They work great for a while. As the original poster noted, Drano is caustic based. Each time you use this, most of the clog will wash down, and it will start working again. However, it is not 100% effective, and that which does not wash down will harden on the insides of the pipe. Over time, the layers that Drano leaves on the pipe will thicken and thicken. Acid cleaners are worse because of the aggressive attack on most pipe materials. But the important thing to remember is that just because it works right now does not mean it is a good long term solution. Drano is a short-sighted solution. Call a plumber. ---
**Author:** ![Stormyweathers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Stormyweathers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stormyweathers)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-just-poured-hydochloric-acid-down-the-shower-drain-what-now/347331/48 "2006-03-10T21:01:39Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > DO NOT MIX CHEMICALS EVER EVER EVER! Do not mix, dispose, or make use of chemicals IN IGNORANCE. Learn, then do. ---
**Author:** ![Stormyweathers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Stormyweathers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stormyweathers)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-just-poured-hydochloric-acid-down-the-shower-drain-what-now/347331/49 "2006-03-10T21:05:16Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > About lye & grease making soap…If you have ever seen a plumber remove a section of pipe with nasty dark green soap in it, you would never use lye drain cleaner again. Lye is good at dissolving hair clogs. Hair is part of you, and lye is also good at dissolving other body parts, including skin. It’s just too risky. Gloves. ---
**Author:** ![ladybug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/46a35a/32.png) [@ladybug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladybug)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2006, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-just-poured-hydochloric-acid-down-the-shower-drain-what-now/347331/50 "2006-03-11T00:43:51Z")
> [@Queen Tonya](#): > > Oooh, yeah, usually I wind up in that transcendental place, shooting right past disgust into shock and awe. Like the zit threads, eh? Yep. For awhile I was so fascinated by the tribbles that I forgot to be grossed out. Then I started pulling up pieces of … I don’t know what it was. I’m hoping it was flecks of soap. But that snapped me back to reality pretty quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Kiminy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Kiminy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiminy)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2006, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-just-poured-hydochloric-acid-down-the-shower-drain-what-now/347331/51 "2006-03-11T01:27:52Z")
One of the appartments we lived in had a big problem with clogged drains, especially in the kitchen. However, since it was a rental, we generally opted to have the maintenance people unclog the drains–after all, maintenance was part of the contract for the appartment, and they were _their_ pipes, not ours. We also never put anything in a drain or disposal that shouldn’t have been there. We knew not to put chicken bones or artichoke leaves or celery into a disposal, for example. In this particular apartment, though, the maintenance guys typically used Draino (or Draino knockoffs). I remember one time when an employee who had been there a while was showing a new employee the ropes, the new guy said he thought Draino was bad for the pipes. The long-time guy told him that yeah, the stuff was bad for the pipes, but by the time the damage was done, the pipes would probably be old enough to need replacing anyway. When we bought our own house, we also bought a pipe snake, so that we could clear the pipes without resorting to chemicals that could potentially damage the pipes. ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2006, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-just-poured-hydochloric-acid-down-the-shower-drain-what-now/347331/52 "2006-03-11T02:23:20Z")
> [@Excalibre](#): > > That wasn’t a very bright idea. Nevertheless, if you know what chemicals you’re mixing and what they’ll do, mixing chemicals is fine. Not everyone is as ignorant as your friend. > > It’s not risky unless you can’t use it without spilling it on yourself, and even then the bigger risk is to your clothes since it takes quite awhile to do anything to your skin. In the few chemistry courses I took, I used sodium hydroxide all the time. In fact, I used the pure granules once when there was a beaker with stubborn crud on it. Just filled the thing about halfway up and topped it off with water. Sure got hot as it dissolved (I left it in the fume hood in case it spattered. Safety first.), but I didn’t lose any flesh in the process. Drano’s not a great idea for all sorts of reasons, but you don’t have to use fearmongering here - it’s not going to leap out of the bottle and rip the flesh off your bones. Besides, it takes awhile for it to eat through your skin. You’d notice concentrated sodium hydroxide on your skin - it has a distinctly slippery feel. (Once again, been there, done that.) It doesn’t turn your flesh into goo all that quickly. Thanks, **Excalibre** , for coming in, AGAIN, and answering things that I finally have some experience in before I have a chance to read it. Like he said, if you get any on your skin, you’ll feel the slipperiness on your skin (because it made soap of you!) and then it will start to itch a bit. You’ll notice, for sure, before it starts burning your skin. In the lab, we’re never like OMFG DON’T TOUCH THAT HCL IT’S 12M!!!. > [@Stormyweathers](#): > > I just quoted 10 people in 10 consecutive posts! An easy way to do this all in one post is open up another browser window (or tab, preferably, but I’m assuming IE like the majority of the world), and then copy/paste everything that you want to quote into one reply, it makes it easier for us to follow who’s replying. Or it makes it easier for me, but I approve of you doing either. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2006, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-just-poured-hydochloric-acid-down-the-shower-drain-what-now/347331/53 "2006-03-11T06:01:04Z")
> [@chaoticbear](#): > > An easy way to do this all in one post is open up another browser window (or tab, preferably, but I’m assuming IE like the majority of the world), and then copy/paste everything that you want to quote into one reply, it makes it easier for us to follow who’s replying. Or it makes it easier for me, but I approve of you doing either. I prefer replying to one post at a time. I seem to like it when someone bothers to reply to my post, so I figured others liked that also. But only for one or two posts, never for 10 in a row. That’s just a bit too much like post-count-padding. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2006, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-just-poured-hydochloric-acid-down-the-shower-drain-what-now/347331/54 "2006-03-12T06:34:33Z")
> [@Waterman](#): > > I don’t mean to be a smart ass, but acids do not oxidize the metals that they dissolve. Oxidation is exactly as you state, which is the reaction that produces a metal oxide (or hydrated form or intermediate) whereas the reaction of an acid and metal results in the formation of the salt of the anion from the acid and the metal. When an acid reacts with an elemental metal, it raises the oxidation number of the metal from zero to a positive number (the oxidation number of the cation in the salt). This is equivalent to the a loss of electrons by the metal, which is oxidation. Therefore, the metal is oxidized. Defining “oxidation” to be only a reaction that produces an oxide is a notion that is at least a century out of date. > [@appleciders](#): > > My use of “rust” and “oxidize” were probably not synonomous here. I threw in “rust” because most people wouldn’t understand “oxidize”. In retrospect, “dissolve” might have been a better choice than “rust”. You were right the first time. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-just-poured-hydochloric-acid-down-the-shower-drain-what-now/347331.md?page=2)