Simple Ways to Clear a Clogged Kitchen Sink Drain

Causes of clogged kitchen sink drain

1. Grease or oil
Food grease, oil, and fat can cause serious problems in the drainage system. Fats and oils start as liquids but harden when it cools in your drain.

Solutions for Grease or Oil

i). Hot water
Hot water is the easiest and the cheapest solution of all. First of all, we would need to remove any stagnant water and food residue from the sink. After this, we would need to pour at least 1 litre of boiling water down the drain (can vary according to sink size).
The hot water loosens clogs, particularly the build-up grease and fat.

ii). Baking soda and salt
Baking Soda and salt can be a great help to unclog your sink. Make a solution of a cup of baking soda with a half cup of salt.
Pour it down the drain and leave it for a few hours. Flush the mixture with hot water. Repeat twice for the best results.

iii). Caustic soda and hot water
The next method you can use is by mixing ¼ cup of caustic soda and hot water.  Pour it down the drain, and then pour at least 1 litre of boiling water down the drain (can vary according to sink size).
This creates an exothermic reaction that can give off steam and bubbles. Leave it for 20 minutes and flush it with boiling water.

iv). Hot water and salt
Use hot water and salt to unclog the sink drain. First, clean the sink of any food residue or water. After that, pour about a half cup of table salt and boiling water down the drain and let it sit for a few minutes. Then flush it with boiling water to clear the mixture.

v). Baking soda and vinegar
Use the solution of baking soda and vinegar to unclog your kitchen drain. Pour about a cup of baking soda into the drain after clearing up standing water from the sink. Mix an equal amount of white and apple cider vinegar and pour it. Wait about 15 minutes and flush the hot water to see the result.

Solution for a Soap blockage

You should be wondering how soap can cause a blockage in your sink. But some people use traditional soap bars made with grease or fat to wash the dish. The fat in the soap combines with other dirt and minerals in water and leaves a hard residue known as soap scum that clogs the kitchen drain.

Solutions:
vi). Dishwashing liquid and hot water
Switching to dishwashing liquid to wash your dishes can reduce soap scum. It can eliminate large dirt build-up and has the power to dissolve grease and fat.
First, boil a liter of water mixed with dishwashing liquid. Pour it down the drain and wait for the solution to do its work. Flush the drain with a lot of hot water. Repeat it as many times as needed.

If Food Waste is the culprit

Food waste is the top culprit of a clogged kitchen sink drain. Rice, eggshells, tea leaves, and coffee grounds don’t dissolve easily and can lodge in the curved pipe beneath the sink (also known as the p-trap) and result in a clogged drain.

Solutions:
vii). Plunge
Pressure cleaning is the best way to remove soap buildup from pipes to fix this issue. First of all, open a tap and store a few inches of water into the sink aid suction. Then start plunging it with a plunge. Do it multiple times and flush the water into the sink to see the result.

viii).  Wire Coat Hanger
Use a wire coat hanger to unclog your kitchen sink drain. Take a coat hanger and straighten out it. Bend one end slightly to make a hook and insert it into the kitchen drain to pull out or push through to dislodge the clog. Run a liter of hot water from your sink and see if the water starts to drain.

Other Objects

There are plenty of other things that might have caused your kitchen sink to be clogged, such as napkins, food wrappers, hair, jewelry, paper towels, etc. Such residues accumulate in the garbage disposal and can cause blockage.

Solutions:
ix). Ice and Vinegar
Cleaning up the garbage disposal can be the next way to unclog your kitchen drain. First, make sure the disposal is completely removed and cleaned out everything from it. Fill the disposer with ice cubes. Then pour a cup of vinegar into it. Wait a few minutes and flush the disposal with hot water while running the garbage disposal. See if the water starts to drain and repeat it if needed.

Solutions for corrosion

Repairing or replacement of the kitchen drain is sometimes required when the above drain-clearing efforts don’t work. Older homes with aging concrete and rust pipes usually create this problem. So, repair and replacement from a professional plumber are needed to fix this issue.

Need professional help to unclog your kitchen?

Still, if the above-mentioned 9 solutions don’t work out, considering a professional plumber can be a great help. At Everest Drain & Plumbing, the plumbers are happy to help you out with this problem and are ready to share more tips with you on how you can fix it. Our plumbers are available 24/7 to provide you with full customer satisfaction on kitchen sink drain cleaning.  Do not hesitate to Call Us at 416-383-7378.