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.