Recipe

• Baking soda
• White vinegar
• Boiling water

One of the things I hate the most about apartments are clogged drains. They always happen, no matter what you do. I also have no idea how so much two foot long hair gets down in the drains, mine certainly isn't that long.

There are many products, each more caustic than the other, that you can use to clean out these drains, and they can do wonders if your drains are first world high quality drains. Of course, not all drains in first world countries are high quality or first world level. I still remember pouring a bottle of Draino down a drain in a house in California, United States and having the pipes in the wall dissolve and leak. Since I started travelling the world, I have seen drains in even worse shape.

There is also a danger of the drain cleaner not working and leaving a sink or shower full of hazardous caustic chemicals. Most plumbers I've met will refuse to work on a drain if you've used drain cleaner.

There is a method to clean drains that is safer on pipes and doesn't have the dangers of caustic chemicals. I originally found it on some of those crunchy eco-hippy sites, but it does usually work (Bob Vila convinced me to try it). It's also good as a monthly maintenance clean.

• Baking soda
• White vinegar
• Boiling water

1. Pull out as much of the clog as you can.
2. Pour a generous amount of baking soda in the drain.
3. Pour a generous amount of white vinegar in the drain.
4. Block the drain with a rag so the bubbles don't get out.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until there is no baking soda left in the drain.
6. Pour a large pot of boiling water down the drain.

I have never been good at remembering to clean the shower every day let alone every week. Even when I had a shower that wasn't tile and could be squeegeed, it just never happened. I started using Tilex more or less when I still lived stateside; just spray the shower down and forget it. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find Tilex outside of the States. I have, however, found some recipes to make your own. Based on these recipes, I made my own recipe that can be adjusted for what you can find locally and how much things cost.

• Spray bottle
  
• 700ml (3c) water
• 118ml (1/2c) 3% hydrogen peroxide (oxygenating cleanser)
• 118ml (1/2c) alcohol or white vinegar (general purpose cleaner and disinfectant)
• 10ml (2t) dishwashing soap (degreaser and cleaner)
• 10ml (2t) dishwasher rinse such as JetDri (sheeting action helps water run off walls instead of sticking)
• 10ml (2t) dishwashing softener/anti-calcaire (to remove and prevent hard water deposits)

Put everything in the spray bottle and shake lightly.
Spray shower walls and doors after taking a shower and ignore.
Works best after a thorough cleaning but will slowly remove buildup if used regularly. Also makes periodic cleanings easier.

I included the reasons for each ingredient so informed decisions can be made. Leave out what you don't need (only need an anti-calcaire if you have hard water) and make substitutions based on what's available and what's affordable (hydrogen peroxide is ridiculously expensive where I live and alcohol is hard to find).

If you add something I don't list because of the characteristics of your water, let me know and I will add it to the recipe.