How to Unclog a Kitchen Sink

If the water runs slower than usual down your kitchen sink drain, then there might be a blockage. A clogged kitchen sink will disrupt your cooking and cause back odor in the kitchen. The blockage can be caused due to several factors, such as food debris, oil, soap scum, or foreign objects. Minor clogs can be cleared with the help of natural cleaning agents and handy tools at home. If the blockage is severe, you will need professional help. Follow this guide to learn more about the blockage and unclog your kitchen sink effectively.

Common Causes of a Clogged Kitchen Sink

It is essential to know what causes your Kitchen sink to be clogged to prevent recurring problems.

• Food Waste: Large bits of food that go down the sink pipe clog the pipe. Especially when it gets stuck on the P-trap.
• Foreign Objects: Accidentally, small items like bottle caps, tiny utensils, or debris can fall into the drain and block the pipe.
• Mineral Deposits: Minerals from the hard water can cause buildup in the pipe, restricting the water flow.
• Grease and Oil Buildup: Rarely will the cooking oil you pour down the drain solidify and lead to clogs in the pipe.
• Soap Scum: If you do not pour enough water down the drain, the soap scum may combine with the minerals from hard water and forms a solid mass. This will clog your kitchen sink, and do not let the water run fast down the drain.

Tools Required

• Hot Water
• Baking Soda
• Vinegar
• Plunger
• Drain Snake or Plumber’s Auger
• Rubber Gloves
• Wrench
• Bucket

How to Unclog a Kitchen Sink

Here are the possible ways to unclog your kitchen sink. Wear your hand gloves and ventilate your kitchen properly before beginning to clean your kitchen sink.

1. Pour Boiling Water

When your kitchen sink is blocked, the first thing you should do is pour down boiling water. This will help you unclog the minor blocks on your kitchen sink pipe. Boil a large pot of water.

Directions to use:

• Pour down the hot water in your kitchen sink drain in stages.
• Wait for a few minutes and see if your kitchen sink is unclogged.

2. Use Baking Soda and Vinegar

Baking soda and vinegar are a natural solution to unclog the blockage and clean a stinky drain. However, it will be effective only for minor clogs on your kitchen sink.

Directions to use:

• Add a cup of baking soda down your kitchen sink drain, and pour down a cup of vinegar.
• Cover your kitchen sinkhole for about 15 minutes for the mixture to react to the clog.
• Uncover your kitchen sink hole and pour boiling water down the drain to clear the clog.

3. Use Plunger

A plunger was the basic cleaning tool used to clean the clogged drains, sinks, and toilets. You can purchase this tool at a nearby supermarket or in an online store. The plunger tool contains a rubber suction cap that uses pressure to break down the clogs and allow the water to flow freely.

Directions to use:

• Pour down the hot water in your kitchen sink so it drains half and submerges the drain hole.
• Position the plunger’s head over the drain so that it sucks the air and seals the drain hole.
• Pull the plunger cup up and push it down. Repeat the pump for several times.
• Stop pumping and take out the plunger when you see the water drains fast down the sink pipe by unclogging the blockage.

4. Unclog using a Drain Snake or Plumber’s Auger

If the plunger does not help you clear the blockage on your kitchen sink, you can try using some professional plumbing tools such as Drain Snake or Plumber’s Auger. These tools will help you reach the blockage directly on the pipe and take it out.

A drain snake is a handy tool, while a Plumber’s Auger is an electronic tool. However, both these tools work in a similar way to clear the blockage in your sink pipe.

Directions to use:

• Insert the tip of the drain snake down the sink drain.
• Keep feeding it down until you can locate a blockage.
• Once you have located the blockage, rotate the handle of the drain snake or the Plumber’s Auger to break down the blockage.
• Now, twist the snake and slowly pull out the debris from your sink pipe.
• Repeat the process until every debris is removed and the blockage is cleared from your kitchen sink pipe.
• Run down hot water on your sink drain to wash away the remaining debris.

You may also unscrew the pipe down your sink and use the drain snake tool to remove the blockage easily.

5. Check the Garbage Disposal

When you hear a humming sound from your garbage disposal, it might have jammed or broken. So, turn off your garbage disposal by disconnecting it from the power and inspect for any damage. Never check the garbage disposal when it is turned on using your bare hand, as the blades can harm you accidentally. Clean and fix the garbage disposal and see if the water flows freely down your kitchen sink drain.

6. Clean the P-Trap

If you use P-Trap, the debris may have accumulated on the elbow-shaped pipe under the sink, causing blockage. To fix it, you need to disassemble the pipe and clean the blockage.

Directions to use:

• Use a bucket to collect the water and debris from the pipe.
• Disassemble the pipe carefully using the appropriate tools.
• Remove the blockage and clean the pipe.
• Reconnect the trap.
• Turn on the tap to see if the water flows down well.

7. Call a Professional Plumber

If none of the above solutions helped you unclog your kitchen sink, you can contact a professional plumber for help. They would find the right cause and remove the blockage immediately.

How to Prevent Blockage on Your Kitchen Sink Pipe

• Don’t put inorganic waste in your kitchen drain.
• Do not allow coffee grounds, egg shells, and other garbage to run down the drain, as they may clog the pipes.
• Run hot water down the drain occasionally to clean minor clogs and prevent them from developing into huge blockages.
• Avoid pouring the oil and grease down your kitchen sink drain.
• Wash your sink regularly and pour a sufficient amount of water.

Unclogging your kitchen sink isn’t an easy task and may cause a huge mess in your kitchen. By knowing the effective cleaning techniques and using the right tips, you can unclog your kitchen sink immediately without causing a huge mess. Maintain a clean kitchen sink to work peacefully in your kitchen.