Everything But The Kitchen Sink: 3 Surprising Solutions For Unclogging Sink Drains
Even if you have a garbage disposal, your kitchen sink may clog periodically. If not removed, these clogs can become dangerous over time. You may think pouring drain cleaners down the drain will remove the clogs, but the toxic chemicals used in these products are dangerous to your plumbing lines and hazardous to the environment and your health. Using one of more of these surprising options, you can remove clogs from your kitchen sink without the worry of toxic side effects.
Pot of Boiling Water
A small amount of grease and chunks of leftover food can quickly build up and clog your sink drain. Removing these clogs quickly is imperative for preventing more severe clogs and potential damage to your underlying plumbing. Thankfully, a simple pot of boiling water is usually sufficient for unclogging these minor drains.
Fill a large pot with water and place it on your stovetop. Set the control to high and allow the water to come to a boil. Once the water is boiling rapidly, carefully remove the pot from the stove and pour it directly into the sink drain.
Use caution when pouring the water, since excess forceful motion may cause the water to splash and burn your hands, arms, or face.
The boiling water should eat through the stubborn residue inside your drain, releasing the clog quickly.
Wire Hanger
In some instances, the boiling water may remove some residue while leaving behind the actual debris that is clogging the drain. Using a wire hanger to push or pull the debris out of the drain is beneficial.
Straighten out the triangular-shaped portion of the wire hanger, creating one long wire with a curved hook at the end. You may need to bend the curved hanger end to make it small enough to fit into the sink drain.
Move the hooked end of the hanger wire into the sink drain, pushing it down until you feel a clump of food or grease. Gently push the hanger down and then up again until you are able to pull the debris out of the drain.
Avoid using intense force, since hard pushing may cause the debris to move deeper into your sink drain. This will make the clog more difficult to remove.
After using the wire hanger, rinse the drain by pouring in a second pot of boiling water.
Pantry Ingredients
If you have baking soda and vinegar in your home, consider creating a solution that can effectively release drain clogs without harming your plumbing, the planet, or your family's health.
To get started, sprinkle ½ cup of baking soda into your drain. Then, pour ½ cup of vinegar into the drain. Use your sink stopper to cover the drain opening. As the baking soda reacts to the vinegar, it will begin to bubble and fizz in and outside the drain. This reaction will dissolve heavy debris, which will eventually unclog your sink drain.
After a few minutes, remove the sink stopper and rinse the drain with a pot of boiling water.
Unclogging your sink drain should not be a complicated process. If one of these methods does not work, contact professionals at a company like Mr Rooter for a detailed drain cleaning treatment.
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