Having a clogged sink is one experience that no one wishes to have. You can imagine getting home just to find your sink clogged. How do you unclog it? Sinks, especially kitchen and bathroom ones are always in use. Therefore, they are likely to accumulate debris due to this continuous use.
The debris collected will build up with time to a point where the sink cannot drain. This is quite a headache, isn’t it? Before calling a plumber to fix a clogged sink just know that you can do it by yourself. This article is going to guide you through the various methods you can use.
How to unclog a sink
Before working out your nerves due to this small issue, just know that you can unclog it with simple procedures.
There are many home remedies that can solve this issue. Most of the procedures we will cover are cheap and safe. You can rest assured that your sink will unclog within minutes if you apply them.
Whether we are talking of kitchen or bathroom sink, no one can stand the mess when it is not draining properly. It might be partly or completely clogged. When completely clogged we should be thinking of how to unclog a sink with standing water. If partly clogged, the water drains very slowly.
According to thespruce.com, some kitchen sinks clog past the trap. However, this is not a big issue. You can easily it with a plunger or without one.
Here are some of the most effective ways how your kitchen or bathroom sink can be unclogged:
If you have a sink at home, then you must be aware of what a plunger is. Whether it has standing water or partly drains, a plunger can be of great help. However, you must use the plunger in the right manner for it to clear the mess.
If you don’t know what a plunger is, then it is possible that your sink has never clogged. You can, in this case, visit the local hardware store and buy one. It is a cheap tool that goes for a few coins. Cheap as it may appear, it works perfectly well in unclogging sinks.
When buying a plunger, remember to specify that it is a sink one. This is since toilet plungers are different. Once you have a plunger, here is a procedure of using it:
If you use a plunger in the right way, your kitchen or bathroom sink will unclog within a few minutes. This is done by pressing hard while the cup is in contact with the sink then pulling out. This helps in creating a vacuum that sucks all material that is clogging it.
How do you go about unclogging sink without a plunger? This is one of such ways. All you need is baking soda and vinegar. Have you ever added baking soda into some water? Did you note the fizzling action? That fizzling is the one responsible for unclogging it.
Kitchen sinks are, in most cases, clogged by fat matter that sticks together. Therefore, all you need is a substance that will separate the clogged matter. Baking soda and vinegar are quite good at doing this.
To use baking soda to unclog a sink, you should follow the procedure below:
Actually, this mixture works where a plunger and other methods have failed. You can cheaply acquire baking soda and vinegar in the retail store near you.
Boiling water is one of the best home remedies for a clogged kitchen sink. Do you need to buy boiled water? This remedy will work for you if you don’t have a plunger or baking soda at hand. These drains are mainly clogged by fatty materials that clog together.
Just like the fizzling effect of baking soda, boiling water works perfectly well in separating such matter. The procedure is simple:
This method, however, cannot unclog one with standing water. The best way to unclog one with standing water is by use of a plunger or wire.
You all know what a hanger is. When straightened, it can help in unclogging a sink, especially when one doesn’t have a plunger. This is one of the best ways of unclogging sinks with standing water
It can also work well when it is clogged beyond the trap. After straightening the hanger, bend it on one end to create a hook. Push the bent wire hanger past the drain pipe. Push it in as you turn it in either clockwise or anticlockwise manner. As the hanger goes in, it will be able to remove any material clogging the drain.
Sometimes, the clogging material needs some lubricants and water to move down the drain. In this case, dish detergent may be of some help.
A small amount of dish detergent is added into the sink. It is left for about 30 minutes. Afterward, some hot water is added. It will surprise you how easy it will drain. This method will work well in unclogging a bathroom sink too.
Although this method is common in draining clogged toilets, you can also use it where they are clogged past the trap. It can also be used where they are clogged with standing water.
The drain snake is usually long and flexible. If your sink is blocked deep within the drain, plungers may not help. In such cases, the drain snake becomes the only option.
Before struggling to unclog a sink, think of how you can prevent the clogging from happening. Clogs can be very stressful at times. In some cases, it becomes very hard to unclog them. You might use a lot of money hiring a plumber to unclog it.
According to dummies.com, here are some tips that you can observe daily to prevent sinks from getting clogged:
By doing this, you can rest assured that you won’t have to deal with the menace of clogged sinks.
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