Here are seven simple methods to unclog your sink using household items, with step-by-step instructions.
1. Remove the clog by hand. If you can, use a flashlight to get a good look inside the drain. Sometimes, a clog is immediately visible near the surface and easily accessible. Put on a pair of rubber gloves and extract the clog as best you can.
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2. Use a plunger.
Step 1: If your kitchen has a double sink, use a rag to plug the drain that is not clogged.
Step 2: Place the plunger cup over the clogged drain and establish a strong seal. If there is no standing water in the sink, add some now. You want just enough to cover the plunger cup.
Step 3: Plunge the drain: Make 6 even, up-and-down thrusts, keeping the seal intact.
Step 4: Remove the plunger: If the water drains away, you’ve cleared the clog. If it doesn’t, repeat the process.
3. Use boiling water. Often, a clogged kitchen sink can be solved with one or two good blasts of very hot water. (This works best if the sink is not already full of standing water.)
Step 1: Boil water in a large pot on your stove.
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Step 2: Carefully pour water down the drain to loosen or break up the clog.
Step 3: Test the drain again, and repeat as necessary.
4. Use a natural drain cleaner. Conventional drain cleaners don’t usually work as well as they claim to, and they’re full of harmful chemicals. A natural remedy of vinegar and baking soda can be just as effective, depending on the state of the clog.
Step 1: Pour 1 cup of baking soda into the drain.
Step 2: Pour 1 cup of white distilled vinegar into the drain.
Step 3: Allow to sit for at least an hour, then rinse with boiling water. If there’s no change, the clog is likely further along in the pipe and will need to be broken up manually. (See the next two methods.)
Repeat as necessary.
5. Remove and clean the drain trap. Sometimes the clog will be located below the garbage disposal in the drain trap, also called a U-pipe or P-trap, which is located underneath the sink.
Step 1: Place a bucket underneath the U-pipe to catch any runoff.
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Step 2: Use a plumber’s wrench to loosen the nuts on either side of the pipe, holding it steady with the other hand.
Step 3: Empty the pipe into the bucket and inspect for clogs.
Step 4: Clean, and reattach the U-pipe when finished.
6. Use a drain snake. If you have a sink without a garbage disposal, you can also use the long cord of a drain snake to break up a clog. If you do have a garbage disposal, you won’t be able to access it through the top side of the drain, so you’ll need to work below.
Step 1: Place a bucket underneath the U-pipe to catch any runoff.
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Step 2: Use a plumber’s wrench to loosen the nuts on either side of the pipe, holding it steady with the other hand.
Step 2: Use the snake to send a metal wire or grooved plastic rod down into the pipe to either break up or pull out whatever is clogging it. You’ll know when you’ve reached it when you feel resistance. The end of the snake will catch the clog, and then you can either dislodge or capture and remove it. You may need to use a push and pull method to coax the clog out.
Step 3: Slowly pull in the line in a clockwise motion, so as not to lose the clog along the way. The bucket should catch the clog, and you can remove the snake through the drain.
Step 4: Reassemble the U-pipe and run hot water down the drain for a minute or two to clear of any remaining debris.
7. Call a plumber. If all of the above has had no effect on the speed of the drain, it’s time to call a professional.
Source: https://gardencourte.com
Categories: Kitchens
