Yeah, I've use that method for years; it is more for light clean/deodorizing than a really gunked drain. If I want to get it really clean, I throw in some old orange or lemon peels (or an old whole one that was headed for compost) and chucked a pile of ice cubes in the garbage disposal and turn it on with a little water after. Or I just do the cubes with the vinegar/soda foams off lots of crud and the cubes will knock lose lots of nasty stuff and it sounds like I threw a lawnmower down the drain. It's quite entertaining. :)
It's way less powerful than the caustic drain cleaners that people pour down their drains. I laugh at the idea that you can damage drains or pipes with boiled water tho... I dump boiled water from pasta and other stuff down the sink ALL THE TIME and have done so in every apartment and house I've ever lived in. If pipes can't handle a little boiled water, they're awfully delicate structures.
I use vinegar and baking soda to clean lots of things and people have done so for years and years. One of my favorite cleaning tools for lime/calcium buildup on shower heads is a plastic baggie with full strength vinegar rubber-banded to submerge the shower head... and then walk away for about 20 minutes. Take it off and re-use the vinegar to shine the rest of the tub fixtures and the water flows beautifully from the shower for months.
And it doesn't hurt your skin to come in contact with either, and it is better than using harsh chemicals for the environment as well.