Imagine losing the fight over cleaning the dishes and being met with a clogged kitchen sink! I don’t think there’s anything more frustrating than watching the water slowly trickle down the kitchen drain, or worse, not drain at all! It can feel like the universe is out to get you.
Despite best efforts to keep solid waste out of the sink, it’s inevitable to prevent food debris, grease, and soap buildup from entering the drain pipe. Over time, these can form blockages, preventing the free flow of water.
Swearing at the sink and your luck might get rid of the rage, but the grime in your sink needs a little more push to clear out. While the average person’s response in such a situation is to grab a strong chemical designed to unclog drains, it’s not the best solution. Not by far.
Chemical drain cleaners are effective but harmful. What they don’t advertise on the packaging is that they can slowly damage the plumbing system and release toxic chemicals into the environment. On the other hand, natural, eco-friendly alternatives made of kitchen supplies and ingredients are just as effective in breaking down clogs.
If you’re looking for ways to unclog your sink naturally, come check out these home remedies for clogged sinks.
1. Boiling Water
Yep, you read it right. The easiest solution for an unclogged kitchen drain is boiling water. It’s ideal for minor clogs caused by grease and soap buildup.
Steps:
- Boil a pan or kettle of water.
- Carefully pour the boiling water directly down the drain in two or three stages.
- Take a couple of minutes in between each pour.
- Repeat until the water starts to drain freely.
If your sink is clogged with too much debris, boiling water might not do the trick. You’ll need a little more help and effort. Also, if your sink is attached to PVC pipes that can melt from contact with hot water, maybe avoid this solution and directly move on to the next one.
2. Baking Soda and Vinegar
When you mix baking soda with vinegar, it reacts and leads to a fizzy bubbling. The fizz can help dislodge, break down, and loosen the dirt in your kitchen sink.
Steps:
- Remove standing water from the sink with the help of a mug.
- Pour about half a cup of baking soda into the drain, followed by a cup of white vinegar.
- Be careful not to mix both before pouring them into the drain. You want the ingredients to react inside the drainage pipe, not outside.
- Cover the drain until the fizzing stops. It might take about 30 minutes.
- Rinse with hot water (for best results) to flush out the dirt and grease.
3. Baking Soda and Salt Mixture
If you’re out of vinegar, you can replace it with salt. Baking soda and salt also react in a similar fashion in breaking down and loosening debris and grease. However, this can take a little longer.
Steps:
- Mix baking soda and salt in a cup in equal measure.
- Drop the mixture into the clogged drain.
- Let it sit for a few hours or overnight.
- Flush it with hot water.
4. Use a Plunger
Keeping a kitchen plunger can come in handy during times like these. A plunger creates pressure and suction to dislodge chunks of debris, unclogging the kitchen sink within minutes. A plunger is used with a sink full of water, so you don’t need to try to remove residual water before beginning.
Steps:
- Fill the sink with a few inches of warm water to create suction.
- Firmly push the plunger towards the bottom of the sink and completely cover the drain.
- Once you’ve secured the plunger, tightly sealing it to the base, gently pump up and down for 20–30 seconds.
- Remove the plunger and check if the water drains.
- Repeat if necessary.
5. Vacuum Clean
If the problem with your clogged drain is leftover food stuck in the pipe, then sucking out the trash could be a pretty clean and quick solution. You need a wet/dry vacuum for this.
Steps:
- Put the vacuum cleaner in liquid mode.
- Remove the drain stopper and put the vacuum hose in the drain.
- Make sure it is sealed.
- Turn on the vacuum. The suction should remove debris.
6. Dishwashing Soap
If the clogging was caused by grease, a plunger or vacuum may be ineffective. Just like your utensils, the best way to wash off stubborn grease is an even more stubborn dishwashing soap.
Steps:
- Pour copious amounts of dishwashing soap into the drain.
- Add a pot of hot water to help dissolve the grease.
- Repeat if necessary.
The best way to avoid major clogs is to dispose of solid food waste in the garbage, along with regularly cleaning with these natural drain cleaners for kitchen sinks.
A kitchen drain that has been neglected for a while may have bigger blockages. If none of the DIY kitchen sink unclogging methods work for you, it might be sinks to get your hands dirty or call for help.
At Fixlaa, our professional plumbers are available around the clock and are experts at drain cleaning and maintenance. They fix nasty kitchen pipes, overflowing P-traps, garbage disposal, or using a drain snake in minutes, restoring your kitchen sink to newness.
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