The sink in your kitchen experiences a lot of use on a daily basis. Whether you’re preparing breakfast or cleaning dishes after a large dinner, the kitchen sink drain can only handle so much. Common food items — such as vegetables, grease, and coffee grounds — can create a nasty clog. You might also find yourself with hair or soap scum buildup, which can lead to blockages all their own.
Are you currently dealing with a frustrating blockage? Luckily, there are many easy ways to fix a clogged kitchen sink. These methods will help you remove the problem quickly and efficiently, so you can go back to enjoying your plumbing to the fullest.
Simply Use Boiling Water
When you encounter a blocked kitchen sink drain, you might think you must pull out all the stops. However, bigger isn’t always better. In fact, it can be just as useful to try the easiest drain cleaning methods first.
Pouring a pot of boiling water into the affected sink can help loosen up the clog. Of course, it’s worth mentioning that this solution won’t work in every situation or for every clog. You might need to repeat the entire procedure a few times to see the results. When learning how to clear a kitchen sink clog, remember that what works for one person might not work for you — and that’s okay!
Be Mindful of Your Pipes
Do you have PEX pipes or another type of plastic piping? If so, you’ll want to avoid using this drain cleaning method since boiling water can damage or melt the pipes. Luckily, there are many ways to fix a clogged kitchen sink. Keep reading to find a method that works for you and your specific situation.
Create a Homemade Drain Cleaner
Another clogged kitchen sink hack you can try is creating a DIY drain cleaner. One of the most common methods involves baking soda and vinegar.
As a first step, measure out one cup of baking soda and one cup of vinegar. Pour the baking soda down the affected drain, quickly followed by the vinegar. Place a stopper over the drain and let the mixture sit for anywhere from 15 minutes to a few hours. You might even want to let the ingredients sit in the drain overnight — but this isn’t always a practical option.
Once you’re done waiting, pour a pot of boiling water down the drain to flush it out. You might also want to repeat the process a few more times to ensure that the clog has been removed successfully.
When learning how to clear a kitchen sink clog, it never hurts to try convenient and simple methods such as these. If you have these ingredients in your pantry and have a few minutes to spare, this drain cleaning technique might come in handy (and be exactly what your drain needs)!
Plunge the Clog Away
Did you try one of the DIY drain cleaning methods above but didn’t see any results? Don’t worry — there are still many other tips you can try.
Do you currently have a plunger on hand? If not, it might be time to go out and purchase one of these tools. One of the easiest and most practical ways to fix a clogged kitchen sink is with a plunger. Cup plungers work best for sinks and other flat surfaces.
How to Plunge a Sink Drain
Since we’re discussing tips to unclog kitchen sinks, it’s only right to go over how to use a plunger properly. For starters, you should plug up one of the drains if you have a double sink. You’ll also want to fill the affected sink with a few inches of water. Having some water in the sink will allow the plunger head to form a tight seal around the drain.
Now that you have the plunger positioned over the sink drain, you can start plunging! First, ensure that the handle is in a straight, upward position. Next, move the plunger up and down in a rapid motion, but don’t apply too much force — doing so can lead to unwanted damage.
If you feel like you’ve loosened the clog, it’s time to check your work. Remove the plunger and watch to see if the water drains out of the sink. When there’s no more water in the sink, you’ll know your efforts were successful!
Invest in a Drain Snake
Drain snakes, which are sometimes referred to as “plumber’s snakes,” are excellent tools for removing drain clogs. These devices can be purchased at a home improvement store and are used to physically trap and remove the blockage.
This method can be safer and more effective than using a wire coat hanger and chemical drain cleaners. In fact — you should avoid using store-bought drain cleaners completely. These products can harm your pipes and cause more trouble in the long run.
Although it can be helpful to learn how to clear a kitchen sink clog, you don’t have to perform this task yourself if you don’t feel comfortable doing so. Don’t hesitate to call a plumber for a professional drain cleaning service instead.
Check the Garbage Disposal
Although we’re discussing how to clear a kitchen sink clog, the problem might not have to do with the drain at all. Instead, the issue might actually be with the garbage disposal.
It might come as a surprise that your garbage disposal can’t handle many types of food items. Fibrous vegetables, pasta, rice, eggshells, and many more particles can block up the disposal.
You can try turning on the garbage disposal for a few minutes with hot water running. This simple trick might help break up the clog. However, if your disposal isn’t working correctly, you’ll probably need to call a professional plumber for help.
Unable to Remove a Stubborn Clog? Call the Experts!
There are various ways to fix a clogged kitchen sink, and we hope that these tips come in handy. If you’re still struggling to remove the problem, the experts at Same Day Plumbing are here to help. We offer Toronto drain pipe cleaning services to fix the problem once and for all.
You can learn how to unclog a sink, but getting the job done isn’t always easy. Contact us today and let our plumbers handle the job for you!
