I'm surprised at how amazing these are! (Dri-pak Soda Crystals)

Member Name: jennikitten

Product:	Dri-pak Soda Crystals
Date:	30/10/09 (54 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Versatile, more eco friendly, easy to use, cheap

Disadvantages: Packaging (though only a very small negative)

Recently I'd been hearing 'glug glug' noises for a while after using the bathroom sink, and so I decided to give it a good clean. For some reason I decided to scrape a cotton bud down the side of the drain, and was disgusted at all the gunk that I got out. My house was rented out to students last year and doesn't have the best drain system in the world anyway, so I'm not too surprised it was in that state! After I'd scraped for a bit, I noticed a distinct eggy smell and decided something else had to be done!

My first stop was (of course) dooyoo to check out the best drain cleaning solution. Though the ones I found such as Domestos and Buster had great reviews, I noticed a few comments on the sides of some of them saying 'I just use soda crystals and water!'. I thought it would be hassle trying to find them though, and went off to Asda to get a good, strong (expensive) drain cleaner.

Surprisingly, Asda had very little in the way of drain cleaners, although the couple I found were nearer £3 than the £5 suggested on dooyoo. Funnily enough, the packets of soda crystals caught my eye, and at only 70p for a kilo, seemed a much better deal than a one-use £3 bottle.

I was also impressed by the number of uses soda crystals have, not knowing anything about them. According to the packet you can use them with your washing to soften clothes, clean surfaces, clean dirty pans and similar. I figured that the crystals were a much more natural solution than the other cleaners I looked at if they can be used on clothes and cooking tools. There's no mention on the packaging of wearing gloves or being careful (unless you have sensitive skin) unlike the strong chemical cleaners.

The biggest advantage in my opinion was that the instructions for drain cleaning say to pour half a packet into the drain and sluice down with hot water. All of the other cleaners I came across required leaving the solution for anything from 15 minutes to overnight - a big hassle in my house with only one bathroom and three people generally operating in different time zones!

So I boiled the kettle, left it for a few minutes once boiled, and then poured the soda crystals down the drain. I only used about a third of the packet, especially as they seemed to sit in the sink for a while even after pouring half a litre of hot water down after them (I should probably have used more water). There were some little lumps, but they quickly dissolved.

A few minutes later, I rinsed the sink out and peered down the drain. Already the drain looked cleaner and I could see no remains of the bits of toothpaste and mouthwash (eww). I did the cotton bud test again - and though it didn't come out cleaner, it was far, far cleaner than before. I think they did an excellent job, and if I'd used half a packet, I bet the results would have been even better. The smell's gone, and so has the gurgle, which makes me feel reassured that the drain is now clear.

Okay, my drain wasn't thoroughly blocked in the first place, but it's peace of mind and avoiding potential plumbing costs. The packet advises to use once every two weeks or so, but at 35p a fortnight, it's far more affordable than the alternatives.

The only negative is that the packet has to be cut open and has no reseal option. But a clip or sandwich bag over the top soon sorts this out if you're bothered.

Overall, an excellent product and I'm going to stock up on packets in case I can't find them again.

Summary: Sure to come in handy for a variety of things