Clogged Drain Home Remedies. Submitted anonymously. If your drain backs up frequently, (we had a problem with our basement backing up) Boil water and mix in a lot of vinegar. Oily type buildups can be a problem, and vinegar is great for breaking up oily things, especially when mixed with boiling water. We use about 1/2 gallon of vinegar and 5 gallons of boiling/extra hot water about twice a year and haven't had a backup since!