With nothing to lose (except her security deposit), Lena scooped out half the box. She poured the fine, soft powder into the drain—a little white avalanche into the dark. It sat there like snow on a manhole. Then, with the recklessness of a woman who had already accepted defeat, she followed with a cup of white vinegar.
But they didn’t.
The next night, her book club read a chapter on pioneer remedies. Lena served brie and crackers, but she also set out a little bowl of baking soda on the coffee table with a note tucked underneath. baking soda for clogged drains
“Not tonight,” she whispered, clutching a bottle of chemical drain cleaner that smelled like a chemical weapon and probably had the same safety rating. She’d used it last week. The drain had coughed, groaned, and then gone right back to being a stubborn bottleneck for hair and soap-scum regrets. With nothing to lose (except her security deposit),