How to Use Baking Soda to Clean Septic Lines

Regular septic tank treatments and cleanings keep a septic system in good shape and help the bacteria inside do their job of degrading household waste that enters the tank. If the waterline coming into your house doesn't have a meter, you use well water, which means you don't pay sewer charges because you have a septic system instead of a sewer system.

Experts recommend treating septic tanks once a month, and some homemade treatments will work. These same experts discourage the use of hydrogen peroxide, though. While it doesn't damage the tank or what is inside, it degrades soil content and can compromise the drain field's ability to absorb and filter wastewater.

As an alternative to hydrogen peroxide, you can use baking soda in septic tank treatments, and you can pour the mixture right into one of your home's toilets as a cleaner. Mix 1/4 cup of baking soda into 1/2 cup of vinegar and pour it in. Add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and you will see the mixture start to fizz. Not only does this clean your toilet but it is a septic-safe drain deodorizer that will also clean your septic lines. It is a natural cleaner and will not affect the healthy bacteria in your septic system.

For a natural septic tank treatment, boil 1/2 gallon of water in a large pot and add 2 cups of sugar. Allow the water to reach room temperature and then pour in 2 cups of cornmeal. This cornmeal will quickly get absorbed, and you can mix it. Now, add three packets of dry yeast and mix again.

Take this solution into your bathroom and flush it down the toilet. Wait until the water comes back into the bowl and flush the toilet a second time to push everything into the septic tank. Don't let anyone flush the toilet again for at least five hours and flush the toilet again to help mix it in the tank. You can do this every six months or so. This solution is also a septic-safe drain deodorizer and an efficient treatment.

Experts claim that biological additive treatments are the best way to encourage healthy and natural bacterial ecosystems, effective drain fields and better health for local groundwater. If you aren't comfortable using household products to treat your septic tank, there are some effective ones that you can buy and try. Choose size-appropriate ones for the septic tank you have, which is information that should be on the label.

Biological-additive septic tank treatment products come in liquid, pod, powder and tablet form. Just like the homemade treatments, you can flush them right down toilets. Some of the most highly recommended options include Cabin Obsession Septic Tank Treatment, Instant Power 1868 Septic Shock and Green Boggler SEPTIC SAVER Bacteria Enzyme Pacs. However, if none of these cleaning or treatment methods seem to be working and your system seems to be clogged or smells bad, the best thing to do is call a plumber.