As hard as we may try to keep our sinks in perfect working condition, it may be impossible to avoid facing down a clogged drain every so often. While this can cause significant headaches in the short term, it doesn’t have to last too long if you have the right tools and a little bit of elbow grease. We’ve put together a couple of ways for you to tackle this problem on your own with items found around your house or at your local corner store.
Plunge the Drain
Tools you’ll need:
- 1 plunger
The simplest way to go after that clog in your drain is to break out your plunger. If you only keep one by your toilet, you may want to make a quick stop to pick up a clean one from the store in order to keep your sink from coming in contact with any unfavorable substances.
- First, partially fill your sink with hot water. Somewhere around halfway filled should be enough.
- If you have a double sink, cover it up with a rag or plug to keep the pressure focused on the clog. Now, position your plunger over the drain in question.
- Work the plunger at a relatively aggressive pace for anywhere from 5 to 10 seconds. Once you’re done, pull the plunger away and check to see if the water has started to drain.
- If this doesn’t work after your first try, give it a few more goes before giving up and moving on to the next method.
Vinnegar and Baking Soda
Tools you’ll need:
- 1 pair of rubber gloves
- 4 cups
- 1 cup of vinegar
- 1 cup of baking soda
- 1 bucket or container
- 1 spatula or similarly flat and wide object
- 1 sink stopper
While still relatively straightforward, this method requires a few more items and a bit more effort.
- If you so choose, put on your gloves to keep your hands protected. Use one of your cups to empty your sink of any standing water. Make sure you pour it into your bucket or other similar container.
- Now that your sink is empty, pour your cup of baking soda down your sink’s drain. Use or spatula or similar object to push any excess baking soda down the hole.
- Next, pour the cup of vinegar down your sink’s drain and plug up the hole with a sink stopper to force the bubbly reaction down towards the clogged section of your drain.
- Wait for about five minutes to allow the baking soda and vinegar to do its job.
- After waiting, pull off the sink stopper and run some warm water to see if the clog has disappeared.
- If your sink remains clogged, take four cups of boiling water and carefully pour them down the drain. If this still doesn’t work, run through these steps a second time.
If neither of these methods work, you may have to dismantle the pipes underneath your sink to directly go after the clog. If you feel comfortable with this, then by all means take a crack at it yourself. If you don’t feel like you can take care of the problem yourself, never fear. The professionals are only a phone call away.
At bluefrog Plumbing + Drain, our team of plumbers are ready to assist you with all of your plumbing needs. We’re available to lend a hand any time of the day and any day of the year, all you need to do is reach out to us by giving us a call at 888-794-0341 or by typing your address in our ‘Find My Location’ map to schedule a free home consultation today.
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