Posted by ServiceMaster YSI | February 11th, 2021 | No responses
The sink is an essential component of your kitchen. It provides water you can use for food preparation and to clean dirty dishes. But your kitchen sink can easily become clogged if you fail to use and take care of it properly.
While using your sink, you may find that bits of food and other debris go down the drain. If you have a garbage disposal, it can be especially tempting to just allow food pieces to fall into the sink instead of throwing them in the trash. But this is something you should avoid.
Should you find that you have a clogged kitchen sink, do not wait to resolve this issue. There are, of course, professional plumbers you can contact if you need help. But there are also numerous do-it-yourself methods you can use to unclog your sink.
Continue reading for some tips on how to unclog your kitchen sink and prevent clogged kitchen sinks in the future.
To start, try running the garbage disposal. This will help dislodge and shred food waste that is in the disposal, which might be what is causing the clog and resulting in a sink backup.
An easy and simple technique is to pour boiling water down the kitchen sink drain. You can either try boiling water on its own, or you can first pour a ½ cup of salt down the drain followed up by the boiling water. The heat will help loosen the clog, potentially dissolving some parts of what is making up the clog. This method may take a couple tries to result in a difference but remove any standing water before you try it again.
Another cheap and easy way to unclog a kitchen sink is to use baking soda.
Similar to the aforementioned method, combine baking soda with ½ cup of salt, and dump that down the drain. After a couple hours, flush it with boiling water. Repeat this process as needed but eliminate standing water first.
If you have vinegar — either apple cider or white — it can also be useful when unclogging the kitchen sink. Create a solution of equal parts vinegar and baking soda and pour it down the drain. It will bubble up but allow it to settle for around 15 minutes. Then, turn the hot water on to check if the clog has subsided. If not, remove the standing water and repeat.
As Dawn dish soap is fantastic for removing grease from dishes, the same goes for the inside of pipes. First fill up the sink with warm water, then add ¼ of a cup of Dawn dish soap. Mix the soap with the water, pull out the drain plug and allow the soapy water to run down the pipes. This helps to remove the built up grease from the inside of the drain.
If none of the previous techniques work for your clogged kitchen sink, then it is time try using tools. A plunger is an obvious choice, but to use it effectively, you need to fill the sink with enough water so that the plunger’s bell is submerged in it. This creates a tight seal. Once the clog clears, use warm water to flush out the drain.
A plumber’s snake, also known as an auger, can be useful for clogs that are further down the drain. However, using one will require disassembling the drainpipe and the P-trap, the curved part of the pipe. Place the snake into the part of the pipe that goes behind the wall, and use it to break the clog up.
Alternatively, a wire coat hanger can be used in a similar fashion and could be placed from atop the kitchen drain, but it likely will not reach as far.
Cleaning your kitchen sink drain can help prevent it from becoming clogged. Just take lemon juice or equal parts baking soda and vinegar, and then pour it down the drain. After a couple minutes, follow it up with warm water.
Try to avoid dumping food debris down the sink altogether. Instead, clear food from dirty dishes and throw the debris in the trash. Coffee grounds, oils, and grease, in particular, are items that should never be put down the drain. It can be especially helpful to have a kitchen sink strainer that can catch the food and debris that would otherwise go into the drain.
If you are going to feed food debris in the sink, then do it gradually. You do not want to overload your disposal. Additionally, take the time to run water through the drain afterwards to help clean it out.
If a clogged kitchen sink causes water damage to your property, do not hesitate to seek professional help from a water damage restoration company. Water damage will only become worse the longer it goes untreated. Furthermore, it will also encourage mold growth.
ServiceMaster Cleaning & Restoration provides 24/7 emergency water damage restoration services to homes and businesses in Quincy, IL, and the surrounding areas. Our water restoration professionals will arrive at your property promptly following your call to immediately begin the restoration process. Within our services, we perform water extraction, structural drying, cleaning, and restoration and repair work. Our help will ensure your property will be restored to its pre-water damage state.
Call (866) 801-2653 to reach ServiceMaster Cleaning & Restoration for our 24/7 emergency water damage restoration services in the Quincy, IL, area.
