Do you have a clogged sink in your kitchen, your bathroom, your laundry room, or another area of your home? If so, you should figure out how to fix it as quickly as you can so that you can start using your sink again.
In most instances, you can fix a clogged sink drain in a matter of just minutes without putting in too much effort on your part. But in order to do it right, you need to know how to fix a clogged sink so that the clog doesn’t come right back.
Here are some of the simplest ways to clear a clogged drain and make it go away for good.
Begin by Trying to Use a Plunger
When you’re trying to figure out how to clear a clogged drain, the very first thing you should do is grab a plunger and go to town with it. Plungers are, after all, designed to stop a clogged sink from wreaking havoc on your plumbing system.
Plunging a sink is pretty much the simplest clogged drain fix around. The only thing you’ll need to do is place a plunger over your drain so that it forms a tight seal and then start plunging away.
Your plunger will push and pull water in the plumbing pipes connected to your sink, which will in turn help to loosen up whatever is causing your sink to be clogged. Within just 30 seconds or so, you should be able to make the clog a thing of the past and move on with your life.
You do want to be careful about plunging a clogged sink too many times. If you plunge a drain over and over and over again without any success, you could end up doing some damage to your plumbing pipes. It’s why you should move on to another option if you see that a plunger isn’t helping the situation much.
Give a Wet and Dry Vacuum a Try
Do you happen to have easy access to a wet and dry vacuum? If you do, it can come in handy when you’re attempting to figure out how to unclog a sink.
By following these simple steps, you may be able to get your sink working like normal again:
- Set your wet and dry vacuum to its “wet” setting
- Use your vacuum — and maybe something like an old plunger head — to form a very tight seal over your sink’s drain
- Start the vacuum on its highest possible suction setting
- See if your vacuum is able to pull whatever is clogging your sink up out of it and into your vacuum bag
Using a wet and dry vacuum to eliminate a clogged sink isn’t always going to work. But it couldn’t hurt to give it a try.
Break Out the Baking Soda and Vinegar
There are dozens of different drain cleaners out there that contain chemicals that can clear up a clogged sink. But many of these chemicals will also do damage to your plumbing pipes, so you should steer clear of using them.
Instead, you should use some good ole baking soda and vinegar to attack a clogged drain. You might be surprised by how powerful they can be when you use them.
Mix up 1/3 cup baking soda and 1/3 cup vinegar and pour it down your drain once it starts to fizz up. From there, leave the concoction in your drain for at least a few hours, if not overnight, and then dump hot water down the drain to clear it away.
Baking soda and vinegar can help to remove a lot of the nasty gunk that is known to build up in the drains in homes. And the hot water will help to push everything through your plumbing system so that it’s not able to cause plumbing problems anymore.
Send In a Plumbing Snake
If you have a clogged sink that just won’t clear up no matter how hard you try, it’s going to be time to bring in the big guns. You’re going to have a clog on your hands that will require the use of a plumbing snake.
A plumbing snake is a small auger that you can use to dislodge clogs that you can’t remove from your drain any other way. It has an end that’s sharp enough to cut right through clogs and loosen them up.
Most homeowners have plungers in their homes, but they don’t always keep plumbing snakes around. You should consider investing in one just in case you’re ever forced to deal with a clogged sink drain.
Give a Local Plumbing Company a Call
Have you tried to do everything else listed here to clear up a clogged sink and come up empty? You might be frustrated beyond belief and wondering if you’re ever going to be able to get rid of the clog.
You can fix the problem — but you’re going to need to call in a professional for help. Pick up the phone and call on a local plumbing company to come out to your home to assist you.
A plumber can find out what’s causing your clogged sink and then set out to make the necessary repairs. In some cases, that might mean trying a little harder than you did with a plumbing snake. In others, it might mean taking apart some of your plumbing pipes and potentially even replacing a few of them.
Whatever the case, a plumber won’t stop until they have your sink and drain all fixed up.
Keep Your Plumbing Pipes Clear to Prevent Another Clogged Sink
Once you fix a clogged sink in your home, you’ll be able to start using it as you usually do again. But while you’re in the process of using it, you should be very careful about what you put down the drain.
If you allow food particles, hair, and other debris to go down your drain, it could lead to another clog down the line. You’ll have to repeat this entire process again if you don’t take steps to avoid this scenario.
Want to get more great plumbing tips? Read the articles on our blog to find them.
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