The accumulation of dirt is a natural consequence of using a sink in every home. The kitchen sink is particularly prone to clogging, as food scraps and grease gather in it. However, this is not a cause for concern - regular cleaning will keep the sink in good condition and avoid a visit from the plumber. How to unclog the sink? Discover home remedies and specialized products.
Why does the sink trap get clogged?
A clogged drain is a natural phenomenon in every kitchen. After each washing, the sink is full of food scraps, coffee and tea grounds, grease, and other contaminants. When there is too much of them, the drainage opening cannot keep up with draining the water. Residuals that are regularly rinsed away can also settle in the drain pipes, creating a mass that can lead to a blockage. Another consequence of a clogged sink is an unpleasant smell from the pipes. To avoid this, one should try to keep the sink relatively clean as often as possible.
Clogged sink - what to clean it with?
You can deal with a clogged sink in several ways: using home remedies or chemical products. Among natural methods, baking soda and vinegar are effective, allowing you to unclog the sink without inviting a plumber to your home. These methods work well both in the kitchen and in the bathroom.
Clogged sink - home remedies
Products for cleaning the trap that can be found in the kitchen include baking soda and vinegar. These are cheap and effective ingredients that are worth using to prepare remedies for unclogging pipes. How to unclog the sink with baking soda and vinegar?
- Baking soda: pour a cup of baking soda down the drain, wait 15 minutes, and pour boiling water. The blockage should clear!
- Baking soda and vinegar: mix baking soda and vinegar in a 3:1 ratio. This mixture will produce a lot of foam, so immediately pour the solution down the drain. Wait fifteen minutes and then pour boiling water.
- Baking soda and vinegar: pour a few tablespoons of baking soda down the drain, then pour half a cup of vinegar. After 15 minutes, flush with boiling water.
- Vinegar: pour a cup of vinegar down the drain, then plug it with a stopper. After 30 minutes, flush the sink with a kettle of boiling water.
Before reaching for detergents, it is worth trying home remedies - they are inexpensive, and the products needed are easily accessible. The entire process takes a short time and does not affect the condition of the sink. Another solution is a drain snake, which is designed to push through the clogged sink.
Clogged sink - specialized chemical products
Home remedies are a great solution for prevention and as a means for minor sink clogs. But what to do if a serious blockage occurs? Specialized products can help unclog the blockage. They may come in the form of:
- granules,
- gel,
- liquid.
These types of products are effective and work quickly, but one should remember not to use them too often, as they may damage the pipes - especially old and rusty ones. After pouring the product into the trap, wait several minutes and then flush the pipes with a large quantity of water.
Clogged drain - prevention
A clogged sink is an inconvenience for daily functioning, and unclogging it is not a pleasant task, so it is better to prevent clogs than to remove them later. How can you act preventively to ensure the clogged sink does not become a problem?
- Install a strainer that fits over the sink,
- do not dispose of large food scraps in the sink,
- rinse the sink with warm water after each washing,
- regularly use baking soda and vinegar as natural pipe cleaning methods - even if the pipes do not seem to be clogged.
Clogged sink - unclogging
A clogged sink is not pleasant, but regular cleaning will help avoid the use of strong chemical products and calling a plumber. All it takes is half a cup of baking soda, a bit of vinegar, and water to keep the traps in good condition!
What to do if, despite preventive measures, the drain gets clogged? Start with natural methods, as sometimes it is enough to pour vinegar down the sink to unclog the traps! If this does not work, reach for chemical products that have stronger effects. The next step is a drain snake that can mechanically help to unclog the sink. Sometimes the problem lies deeper in the plumbing, and you may be forced to call a plumber who can get deeper into the pipes.
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