3 Techniques to Unclog Your Drain

A slow kitchen drain announces itself quickly. The sink holds water a little too long, a sour smell drifts up from the basin, and doing the dishes turns into a chore. Most of these clogs are grease, soap scum, and food bits that have built up on the pipe wall, and many of them respond to tools you probably have within reach. The three techniques below run from the gentlest to the most hands-on, so work through them in order.

Start with boiling water, vinegar, and baking soda

The easiest fix costs almost nothing. Allied's own advice is to pour boiling water, or vinegar and baking soda, or baking soda and salt down the drain. Try one, wait, and see whether the water starts to move. If it does not, try the next. Hot water loosens the grease that clings to the inside of the pipe, and the fizzing of baking soda and vinegar helps break up the softer buildup.

• Boiling water: pour a kettle's worth slowly straight down the drain, then run the hot tap for a minute.
• Vinegar and baking soda: pour about half a cup of baking soda down the drain, follow with an equal amount of vinegar, cover the drain for a few minutes, then flush with hot water.
• Baking soda and salt: pour in equal parts of each, let it sit for a while, then flush with hot water.

One caution matters here. If your sink is porcelain or your drain line is plastic, hot tap water is a gentler choice than a full kettle of boiling water. And stick to these household options one at a time. Do not follow them with a store-bought drain cleaner, because mixing different products in a drain can release harsh fumes.

Break out the plunger

If the water is still sitting, fill the sink with hot water until it is about halfway full, and plunge away. The water gives the plunger something to push against, which is what moves a stubborn clog. A cup plunger works best on a flat sink drain. Press it down so the rim seals against the basin, then work it with firm, steady strokes and pull up sharply at the end.

Double kitchen sinks have a second drain that can leak pressure away. Plug the other side with a stopper or a wet rag before you start. If you have a dishwasher hooked into the same drain, it may back up into the sink too, so it helps to keep it off while you work.

Use a plumber's snake or a coat hanger

Plunging and hot water work on clogs near the top of the pipe. For a clog that sits far down the line, a plumber's snake or a coat hanger is very beneficial. A drain snake is a flexible metal cable that you feed into the drain and turn as you go, and it either hooks the clog or breaks it apart so the water can carry it off.

If you go with a coat hanger, untwist it and straighten it out, then bend a small hook into one end. Feed it in slowly and never force it. A hanger can scratch the pipe or push the blockage deeper, so gentle, short movements are best. Wear gloves, pull out whatever you catch, and run hot water afterward to clear what is left behind. Many homes in Springdale, Rogers, and Fayetteville have older pipes with rough interiors, and rough pipe collects buildup faster, which is one reason a snake is worth keeping under the sink.

Keep the clog from coming back

Once the water is moving, a few small habits make the next clog less likely.

• Pour cooking grease into a can and toss it in the trash instead of down the drain.
• Use a mesh strainer in the sink to catch food scraps and coffee grounds.
• Scrape plates into the trash before rinsing them.
• Flush the drain with hot tap water after washing greasy dishes.

When the drain is still clogged

Sometimes the clog is farther down than a plunger or a hanger can reach, or it keeps returning after you clear it. A drain that backs up again and again, or more than one fixture that drains slowly at the same time, can point to a problem deeper in the line. That is a job for a plumber rather than another round of home remedies.

If a drain keeps coming back, or you would rather not mess with it in the first place, Allied's drain cleaning team in Springdale can take a look. Call (479) 278-4508.