Baking Soda and Vinegar

A funky smell has been coming from my apartment's sink lately. Luckily, help wasn't far off (the internet is great). After reading various sites and blogs, one person recommended pouring baking soda down the sink and rinsing it down with vinegar. Easy enough, right? Well... not exactly.

Sure, baking soda is relatively easy to find. The Arm and Hammer trademark is easy to spot. Vinegar, on the other hand, is a challenge. The first store I went to only had baking soda. When I asked the clerk if he had vinegar, he said he didn't know what vinegar is? I began gesturing with my hands: "When baking soda and vinegar come together, they bubble." No luck.

I went to a bigger store and had a look around. I found a large clear bottle. But, when I tilted the bottle, the contents were much too thick. A smaller bottle next to it with the same Korean text, had "Korean corn syrup" below it. Whew! Glad I didn't buy a few litres of corn syrup!

After consulting with my phrasebook, I discovered that vinegar is pronounced sheek-cho. And, to say, "Do you have...?" (or, literally, Is there...?) you say innayo. So, putting the two together I asked the clerk at a bigger store sheek-cho innayo? (object comes before verb in Korean) and was taken to a whole selection of vinegar bottles.

Note to those who seek vinegar: Vinegar comes in smaller bottles here that sort of look like canola oil bottles. And, to make the whole process even more confusing, vinegar can be found among an assortment of oils.

Baking Soda and Vinegar in Korea (Doesn't the vinegar bottle look like oil

I would love to report that the smell is completely gone. It's better but I'll try this a few more times.

**Please let me know if you have a technique that has worked for you.