Mr. Henley chuckled. “It dissolves hair, grease, and soap scum. But first, it demands respect. Now, listen carefully.”
Silence. Then, the happy, gentle drip… drip… of a perfectly clean pipe.
“Do not run the water yet,” Mr. Henley instructed. “You pour the granules first.”
Finally, her neighbor, old Mr. Henley, knocked on her door. “Marta,” he said, holding a small white bucket. “It’s time for the heavy artillery.”
He handed her a pair of rubber gloves that reached her elbows and safety goggles that made her look like a mad scientist. “Rule one,” he said. “Acid burns skin. Caustic soda melts it. You wear these.”