Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½ (4.5/5)

Let’s be honest: few household sounds are as ominous as the gurgle-glug of a washing machine that refuses to drain. One minute you’re swapping a load, the next you’re standing in a half-inch of soapy water. If you’ve been there, you know the panic.

Every blog claims this works. It doesn’t. Not for laundry drains. The fizzing is fun for a science fair volcano, but it won’t dissolve a solid plug of cotton lint. I wasted two hours and half a box of baking soda for nothing. Save your ingredients for cleaning your coffee maker. Effectiveness: 3/5 (for soap scum only) | Effort: 1/5