Everyday Cheapskate: How I inadvertently fixed the plumbing in an historic San Francisco hotel

In the three decades since Debt-Proof Living (formerly known as Cheapskate Monthly Newsletter) began, I’ve racked up more than 1.4 million air miles on book tours, speaking gigs and TV and radio appearances. It’s been a blast, and I’ve mostly loved every minute of it.

The year was 1998. I was in San Francisco, getting ready to appear on a local TV show. The producer had asked me to bring some props to demonstrate the tips I’d been sharing in my monthly newsletter. So I checked into one of those fancy historic downtown hotels and headed to a discount warehouse to pick up the biggest sizes of baking soda, white vinegar and several other needed items that I could find. I figured hauling those on a plane would be a nightmare, so it made sense to buy them locally.

Once back in my hotel room, I realized I only needed the products’ containers as props for the show. So, in a stroke of what I thought was genius, I decided to lighten my load by dumping the contents. I flushed the contents of the baking soda box down the toilet, waited a bit and followed it up with a gallon of white vinegar. It felt strangely satisfying. Next, I emptied the salt into a plastic bag and set it in the wastebasket, and poured a quart of rubbing alcohol down the sink. Done and done. Feeling pretty clever, I packed the now-empty props and headed out for dinner.

Hours later, I returned to my room, ready to unwind with some TV. Then, out of nowhere, I heard this terrifying rush of water. I ran to the bathroom just in time to see water shooting out of the toilet like a geyser, stopping just short of the ceiling. I stood there, frozen in horror. Once the water finally stopped, a horrendous odor began to fill the room. All the sewer gases from beneath San Francisco had decided to pay me a visit. Panicked, I dashed into the hallway, joining a crowd of fellow hotel guests, all in various states of nightwear, gasping for air and covering their faces.

The hotel engineer arrived, took one look and started laughing. Apparently, I had unclogged whatever had been blocking the hotel’s plumbing for ages. Despite the chaos, there was no lasting damage. In fact, I’d like to think I did them a huge favor. (You have no idea just how huge!)

So, here’s the moral of the story and a solid household tip: To clear a sluggish drain, or just keep a drain running clear, pour 1 cup of baking soda into the drain, followed by 1 cup of white vinegar. Watch the show as it bubbles and fizzes. Let it sit for a couple of hours or, even better, overnight. Then flush it with a large pot or bucket of hot water. Be careful with hot water in porcelain sinks; you don’t want to crack anything. For old pipes, cut the quantities in half.

And that, my friends, is how you keep your drains clear and your travels interesting.

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Mary invites you to visit her at EverydayCheapskate.com, where this column is archived complete with links and resources for all recommended products and services. Mary invites questions and comments at “Ask Mary.” This column will answer questions of general interest, but letters cannot be answered individually. Mary Hunt is the founder of EverydayCheapskate.com, a frugal living blog, and the author of the book “Debt-Proof Living.”