A situation we’ve probably all dealt with at least a few times: you’re finishing the dishes or brushing your teeth, and you notice the water just… staying there, filled with the murky remnants of whatever was just on your hands or plates. Not going down the drain like it’s supposed to. 

A clogged sink is a nuisance, but before you reach for a gallon-size bottle of harsh, caustic chemicals, try a few DIY methods. The chemicals in commercially available drain cleaners can often do more harm than good, eating away at your pipes and creating a toxic mess. 

We have a few tips for handling a clogged sink like a pro while keeping your plumbing intact.

Start with Boiling Water

If your clog is caused by grease, fat, or soap residue (the usual suspects in a clogged sink!) boiling water is your first and easiest line of defense. Over time, oils from cooking or fatty soaps can solidify on the walls of your pipes, catching hair, food particles, or other solids as they pass by. 

Boil a full kettle or a large stock pot of water. Slowly and carefully, to avoid splashing yourself, pour the water directly down the drain in two or three stages, letting the hot water work for a few seconds between pours.

The heat melts the solidified fats, allowing the blockage to break apart and wash away. If the water starts to swirl, that means you’ve won! Sink clog: 0, you: 1. 

Try a Plunger

Most people think plungers are just meant for toilets, but a dedicated sink plunger (the kind with the flat bottom) is an important tool for homeowners.

If you’re working on a bathroom sink, there’s usually an overflow hole near the top. Use a wet rag to seal this hole as tightly as possible. If you don’t, the air pressure you create will just escape through the overflow instead of pushing against the clog!

Make sure there’s enough water in the sink basin to cover the head of the plunger. Place the plunger over the drain, push down slowly to get the air out, and then use quick, rhythmic, controlled plunges. 

You’re trying to use physics (the pressure and suction caused by the plunger) to vibrate the clog loose. Often, after five or six good plunges, the blockage will dislodge and the sink will drain. But if it takes a little longer than that, don’t give up! Just make sure you’re not being too aggressive, since the goal here is protecting your plumbing.

Keep it DIY or Go Pro?

While these tricks can handle a bit of hair or grease buildup, they won’t fix deep line issues or mineral buildup. If you’ve tried the plunger and the boiling water and the clog won’t budge, it might be a sign that the problem is a little further down the line. At this stage, continuing to DIY can lead to cracked pipes or flooded cabinets.

This is exactly where you should consider professional drain cleaning services. Unlike store-bought chemicals, professional drain cleaning services use specialized tools like motorized augers or hydro-jetting to clear the entire diameter of the pipe, not just poke a hole through the clog. 

When to Call a Plumber Immediately

• Multiple drains are backing up (like your bathtub backs up when you run the sink).

• You hear gurgling sounds from the pipes or toilet while running water.

• Sewage odors are coming from your drains.

• Toilets won’t flush.

When DIY methods fail, it’s time to call a pro before things get messy. Because sometimes plumbing problems go from “no big deal” to “Aww… BUCK IT.” 🪣 
For some peace of mind, our expert drain cleaning services are designed to get your plumbing flowing the way it should again in no time. Give us a call!