Can I use boiling water to help unplug my kitchen sink if I have PVC pipes? Just bring a pot of water to a boil, then carefully pour it down the drain of your kitchen sink. tb1234. Position the plunger over the drain. Have the necessary tools for this DIY project lined up before you start—you’ll save time and frustration. Disposing of turkey carcasses, gummy foods like pasta and fibrous items like banana peels in the sink is asking for trouble. Before you get started on any of our solutions, suck all the water out of the sink with a wet-dry shop vacuum or sponge it into a bucket. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. This type is much easier to use. Working with homeowners and businesses to get their small repairs done in a timely and efficient manner, Honest Lee Handyman Services provides gutter and dryer vent cleaning along with fixture, fence, drywall, and toilet repairs. Then bend the last few inches at about a 30-degree angle with a pliers. For a good seal with the right plunger, you’ll need at least three or four inches of water on the clogged side, so if necessary, run the sink until the water reaches that level. A clogged kitchen sink can disrupt your ability to use your kitchen. However, I have had plumbers tell me to never use a plunger on a bathroom sink (Method 1). Liquid-Plumr suggests using a kitchen plunger, which is not the same as the type of plunger used to unplug a toilet. A clogged kitchen sink can be a nightmare in the kitchen. And finally, since the drain is still fully assembled, you’ll be able to tell, by running water in the sink, whether you’ve unclogged the drain. Hopefully, by now you have successfully completed your journey of unclogging your kitchen sink! Dissolve Clog with a Baking Soda Mixture A baking soda mixture offers a way to unclog a sink naturally, as it proves gentler on your pipes compared to chemical drain openers. 1. What really worked for me is the waiting for 5 minutes for it, "Baking soda and vinegar works like a charm every time! I then ran hot water and the disposal. ", "It is nice and helpful for me. If you have a double sink, then stuff a cloth into the unclogged drain so that the plunger’s pressure is focussed on the clogged kitchen sink. Continue until you’ve pushed the exposed cable down the drain. This article was co-authored by Allen Lee. This just means it’s time to keep those home remedies to the side and bring out the special equipment! Then twist and pull until you feel it hook onto the baffle. How to Unclog Kitchen Sinks – Step by Step Guide. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. If you’re lucky, all you’ll need is a bent coat hanger. By using our site, you agree to our. There are 12 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. Thank you. Kitchen sink clogs—usually caused by grease or overworked garbage disposers can be easily removed in minutes with these simple tools and common-sense tips. What if you use Liquid Plumber and it still does not fix the clog? Thank you for your information! Allow it to sit for 5 to 10 minutes. Much better than Liquid Plumber. It was still clogged, so I pulled out the, "My bathroom sink has been draining very slowly. ", "Awesome. Sink Unclogger Recipe. Take off clog with baking soda, vinegar, and salt. Persistence, as recommended. We recommend our users to update the browser. Although using a plunger may appear to be self-explanatory, it is possible to use it incorrectly. Expert Interview. The most common ones are build-up in the pipes that can be caused by grease, coffee grounds, food scraps, soap scum residue and even hair. If the clog is in a bathroom sink, remove the drain stopper. Push the bent hanger down the drain. I suggest using a plunger as well. Run water in the clogged sink to tell if you’ve removed the obstruction. Will this work for my clogged bathroom sink? If the auger meets resistance again, continue pulling the cable out and cranking the handle clockwise until the cable catches on the clog. Vinegar (white or apple cider vinegar work) is the acidic base for creating the foaming reaction. Once you’ve boiled a large pot of water, you’ll want to pour it directly into the drain in a steady and consistent stream. (Believe me, this is a nice bonus!) The standing water in my kitchen sink was gone in minutes. Use the plunger up and down quickly until the clog is dislodged. Luckily, there are a lot of easy ways to unclog your drain! Method 4 … If you have a two-bowl sink and only one side is clogged, there’s a good chance this fix will work. Next, pour vinegar into the drain. Move on to the next step. To use boiling water to unclog your kitchen sink drain, you’ll first want to remove any standing water in the sink. Sink Auger. Our latest shed is also a pavilion—and you can build it, too! Use Vinegar and Soda Method to Unclog Kitchen Sink Drain Vinegar and baking soda is very common method of unclogging a kitchen sink drain for those who do not want to do anything mechanical. If you can't unscrew the pipes by hand, then use a pipe wrench or channel locks to loosen the connections. I just used plunger and it worked. Remember to remove as much water from the sink as possible before you remove the trap. Here’s a home remedy for a clogged drain. Use large slip-joint pliers to loosen the slip-joint nuts on both ends of the trap. Follow that with 1 cup of vinegar. If you follow the steps of this article and still can’t clear the blockage, don’t hesitate to call in a plumber. The heat from the water should help break up the clog. You have to modify the end of the cable on your drain snake to use this method, however (photo below). Be careful not to scratch your sink with the wire. Now wiggle it up and down while twisting it to remove the clog. The only thing I added to the instruction was instead of warm water, I poured boiling hot water, "No money required for this home solution - baking powder and vinegar for 5 minutes, followed by a couple of pulls. First, pour 1 cup (180 g) of baking soda down the drain. If the previous two approaches didn’t work, remove the trap and waste arm to get to the clog. The first step to clearing a clogged kitchen sink is to use a plunger. You don’t have to remove all the stuff from under the sink, struggle to take apart and reassemble drains, or worry about spilling dirty drain water when you remove the trap. Here’s the first rule for avoiding clogs: Don’t use your garbage disposer like a trash can. Then, pour in 1 cup (235 mL) of white vinegar. The combination will create a fizzy reaction to help loosen the clog. Now wiggle it up and down while twisting it to remove the clog. Now feed the cable into the drain until you can’t push it any more. of cable. Finally, unwind the tip slightly to form a small hook. Do I pour in the soda and vinegar together or separately? Grease, even when run with hot water, will at some point stop and congeal. I would recommend calling a professional plumber or the customer service number on the bottle before trying anything else. To unclog a slow draining kitchen sink, before you go out and buy drain cleaner, try this first. If the sink still doesn’t drain, there’s a clog farther down and this kitchen drain cleaner won’t do the trick. Support wikiHow by If you can’t unclog the drain using one of the steps above, then it’s time to take off the trap and waste arm and feed the drain snake directly into the drainpipe. Garbage disposers and grease are the two biggest contributors to clogged sink drains. Thank you! If the bent coat hanger doesn’t get the clog, there’s a good chance you can clear it without taking your plumbing apart. I let it set. Having a clogged kitchen sink is not only frustrating, but it can also increase the risk of damage to your pipes and cause other problems like leakages. When you think you’ve unclogged the drain, withdraw the snake. ", actions. Thanks. When the water in your kitchen sink won’t drain or drains slowly, don’t reach for the chemical drain cleaner. and try again. When hair, grease, soap residue and other debris get stuck in your drain, boiling water may be all your pipes needs to loosen the blockage. Here’s a list. drain snake. If the clog is in a kitchen sink, lift out the removable basket strainer. The instructions on my Drano bottle say to never mix it with any other chemical. This article was co-authored by Allen Lee. If nothing is working, you may need to use a drain snake to reach further down into the drain. For … References Please consider making a contribution to wikiHow today. I used method 1 (pouring hot water in the sink and plunging), and, "I only knew of one of these methods before reading this article, but I forgot the order in which to perform set, "I've always used the vinegar and baking soda method. Also, pushing the cable down through the basket strainer allows you to clean the slime-covered cable as you withdraw it by running clean water down the drain. The baking soda and vinegar tip worked for me, and I found the step-by-step guide, "Drained out old water, put baking soda in, then vinegar. Baking soda and vinegar dissolve grease and oil. Peek under the sink to get a rough idea how far down the waste tee is from the basket strainer. That was not found on other sites. This article has been viewed 2,538,167 times. This makes lemon juice a good option for clearing out clogged kitchen sinks. Pour a half cup of baking soda down your drain followed by a half cup of white vinegar. If your drain setup looks something like the one shown here and the water is backing up on the side without the waste tee, you may be able to remove the clog with a bent coat hanger (opening photo). Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 2,538,167 times. Then repeat the process by loosening the setscrew and withdrawing another 8 in. Vinegar and Baking Soda Method This method is somewhat complicated but very effective in unclogging a double kitchen sink drain with standing water. A clogged kitchen sink is a nightmare that everyone has to deal with some day. If you find the clog in the trap, reattach the trap. With this method, the only way you’ll know if you’ve unclogged the drain is to reassemble the trap and run water down the drain. Can I use a plunger in a sink that has a garbage disposal? There’s an art to using a drain snake, and the more experience you have, the better you’ll be at it. I have one that I bought at Walmart for less than $20. If you don't have a flat-bottomed plunger, you can also try using a wire coat hanger to unclog your kitchen sink. To see if the problem is solved, fill up your sink with standing water by purposefully clogging the drain, and then let it drain to see if runs as it should. Then push the baking soda down the sink drain, using a spatula if necessary. My garbage disposal is working again! ", "Fantastic place to come for everything! Even if you keep your kitchen sink clean and tidy, believe me, or not, one day you are bound to encounter a clogged kitchen sink. If you’ve got a metal trap and drain arm, we recommend replacing them and the other metal drain parts with plastic. You’ll have two fewer bends to get around with the snake and have an easier time reaching deep clogs. The trick is to bend a hook on the end of a coat hanger wire and use it to dislodge the clog. Then place a bucket under the trap to catch any remaining water. You might push the clog to a point where the diameter of the pipes is larger and it can wash down the drain. Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer. Working with homeowners and businesses to get their small repairs done in a timely and efficient manner, Honest Lee Handyman Services provides gutter and dryer vent cleaning along with fixture, fence, drywall, and toilet repairs. Here’s how you do it. If you have a double sink, then stuff a washcloth into the unclogged drain to ensure that the plunger's pressure is focused on the clog. If you have a garbage disposal, fill the disposal sink with water. Approved. What can I pour down a drain to unclog it? What should I do? ", stopper, then turn on garbage disposal. Avoid drain cleaning chemicals. I used the baking soda, vinegar and hot water method (Method 2) on my bathroom sink which has seemingly fixed my issue. Scrape the big stuff into the garbage can and use the disposer for the small stuff. There are several ways you can clean as well as unclog your kitchen sinks. First, pour boiling water down the drain. Worked like a charm! This might clear your sink drain right away. By doing them in the order in which I read them in this article, I fixed my problem. Garbage disposers are notorious for causing clogs, especially at the baffle. You’ll be able to see what you’re doing, and if you do have to disassemble plumbing, it’ll be less messy. Pour 1/2 cup of baking soda into the clogged drain. Loosen the setscrew or chuck to allow the cable to come out of the drum freely. Start by unraveling the coat hanger and bending the end into a hook shape. % of people told us that this article helped them. It does a pretty good job removing sludge and other build up on the insides of your pipes. Push the bent hanger down the drain. Pour ½ cup salt and 1 cup baking soda down the sink drain. In this way of repairing a clogged sink, firstly, fill the sink partially with hot water. Withdraw the cable about an inch so that it’s free of the obstruction, and start turning the drum while you push it toward the drain. The same goes for heaping plates of leftovers. Turn on the hot water and see if the sink drains. Before you reach for the drain snake, look up into the baffle tee to make sure the baffle area is clear. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/b\/bc\/Unclog-a-Kitchen-Sink-Step-1-Version-8.jpg\/v4-460px-Unclog-a-Kitchen-Sink-Step-1-Version-8.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/b\/bc\/Unclog-a-Kitchen-Sink-Step-1-Version-8.jpg\/aid105170-v4-728px-Unclog-a-Kitchen-Sink-Step-1-Version-8.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":259,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":410,"licensing":"