Having a clogged kitchen sink can be a huge hassle. For one thing, you can no longer cook your meals in a quick and easy manner since you can’t wash fruits, vegetables, and other ingredients without risking an overflowing sink. You also can’t wash your dishes, so you’ll have to put up with dirty plates, glasses, forks, and knives until you can remove the clog.
Fortunately, you don’t have to put up with a blocked kitchen sink for long since there are several ways to resolve it. Some of the most common (and most effective) solutions are outlined below:
1. Pouring Vinegar And Baking Soda Down The Drain
You probably clean your glass windows with vinegar and remove unpleasant odor from your clothes with baking soda. But did you know that these two materials can also be used to remove clogs from your sink? That’s right; they’re highly effective in cleaning pipes and removing most things that may be clogging them.
If you opt to use the vinegar-and-baking soda method, the first thing you should do is to remove any standing water (which will dilute the substances you’ll be using and make them less effective) in your sink. Make sure to wear a pair of rubber gloves when doing so. Once you’re done, pour a cup of baking soda down the drain; if the drain is too blocked, push the powder in with a wooden stick or a spatula. Follow it up with a cup of vinegar. Wait for ten minutes, then run hot water down the drain to see if the clog has disappeared.
2. Pumping a Plunger Over Your Drain
The best thing about using a plunger is that you no longer need to remove any standing water in your sink. This comes from the fact that plungers work best when they’re surrounded by water because it seals the rubber bell around the drain opening.
If your kitchen doesn’t have any standing water, fill it halfway with hot water. Once it’s filled, place the plunger directly above the drain and make sure that it completely covers the opening. When it’s in place, work the plunger up and down vigorously for twenty seconds or around six to ten times. Once you’re done, pull the plunger quickly to create additional pressure and remove the clog. See if the water swirls down the drain; if it doesn’t, repeat the steps above until the blockage has disappeared.
3. Working On Your Sink’s Trap And Drain Line
If you’ve tried the first and second solutions but to no avail, you probably need to reach deeper into your drain to remove the clog. You can do this by detaching the trap (the curved pipe that connects your vertical sink pipe with the horizontal pipe) using slip-joint pliers to unscrew the nut that keeps in place. Once you’ve detached the pipe, checked if it’s clogged and clean it if it is.
After cleaning the trap, take out the horizontal pipe to expose the pipe that’s set in the wall. Get your auger and push the cable tip in until it reaches an obstruction; when it does, turn the handle clockwise to ensure it catches on the blockage. Push and pull to break the clog apart, then reattach the pipes and run water to see if your sink now drains properly.
These DIY steps should only be a done as a first-aid solution. If you’ve done everything you could but your kitchen sink stays clogged, have it checked and repaired by an expert plumber.
