How to unclog a kitchen sink?| Having a clogged kitchen sink isn’t a pleasant situation. Thankfully, you can learn how to unclog a kitchen sink in five easy-to-implement ways. This article will be going in-depth on the essential details related to how to unclog a kitchen sink. Continue reading to learn more.
How to unclog a kitchen sink:
- Use boiling or hot water
- A wire hanger will come in handy
- Vinegar and Baking soda mix
- Use a vacuum valve
- Use your plunger and petroleum jelly
Until something goes wrong, we rarely think about the kitchen sink. However, it can be a significant hassle when our kitchen sink breaks down or clogs, especially if we don’t have a plunger. Keep in mind that a badly clogged kitchen sink can cause your entire household to be disrupted.
Although plunging the drain usually clears the blockage, you may need a drill to clear the blockage. Uncomfortable events like having a clogged kitchen sink always happen at the oddest of times. Knowing how to unclog your kitchen sink is a handy skill.
How to unclog a kitchen sink
1. Use boiling water
We’ve all experienced it, but it’s always embarrassing. Finally, you’ll discover how to unclog a kitchen sink with minimal stress. To solve the problem, starting by filling a pan with hot water is your best bet when you notice a nasty clog. Heat it on the stove or in the faucet, but don’t allow the water to boil.
Let’s get practical:
Fill the kitchen sink bowl with about a half cup of dish soap. Then, boil water and pour 3-4 cups into the kitchen sink bowl, flushing it. Dish soap can be used to lubricate and break up the clog and unclog the kitchen sink.
It’s a simple process; you have to pour the mix down the drain and wait a few minutes to see if it helps to clear the clog. Then, when the water starts to drain, you’ll know your efforts were successful.
You flush the kitchen sink a few times to make sure the process is complete. In many cases, simply running hot water will dissolve whatever is causing the backup. If this method doesn’t work, don’t you worry, read on because there is still more to discover about unclogging a kitchen sink.
2. Use a wire hanger
So you want to learn how to unclog a kitchen sink … and we suggest a hanger… This might come as a shock if you are hearing about it for the first time. But yes, hangers can come in quite handy in situations like this. This is because hangers are angled in such a way that makes them surprisingly effective when unclogging a kitchen sink.
A quick tip: Choosing a flexible hanger type like the wire hanger is advisable if you wish to get the desired result.
Some hangers are flexible; you can exploit this characteristic to your advantage. Untwist a wire hanger if you have one on hand to make a longer length of wire. If you don’t have access to a drain snake, a wire coat hanger from your wardrobe can be used to create one.
Except for the hook, unwind the hanger until it is entirely straight. Then, while wearing rubber gloves, gently angle the hanger down the drain until you reach the clog.
To make the process more seamless, wrap a little rag around the hook to assist or prevent scratches/damage to the porcelain. To empty the kitchen sink, flush it once the water starts to drain. Next, let’s head to the following method on how to unclog a kitchen sink.
3. Vinegar and baking soda
Baking soda and vinegar are excellent cleaning agents, and when put into a clogged kitchen sink, they frequently dissolve the clog without the need for further action. The natural chemical reaction between the vinegar and baking soda will cause the clog to loosen.
There are two ways to get this done.
- Fill the kitchen sink bowl with roughly a cup of baking soda and allow it to settle to the bottom. After that, flush the kitchen sink and add 1-2 cups of vinegar to the tank. The vinegar will react with the baking soda, causing the kitchen sink debris to expand and break apart.
- Take two cups of boiling water with two cups of white vinegar is what you want to do. Pour one cup of baking soda into the clogged kitchen sink, then flush with hot water and vinegar. Allow around 30 minutes for the mix to do its work. The clog will have disintegrated in most cases, and a simple flush will clear it all away. You’ll also have a cleaner kitchen sink bowl.
Hot Tip: To avoid the kitchen sink water spilling or splashing, carefully mix vinegar and baking soda.
If your kitchen sink won’t flush and you don’t have a plunger, you can use vinegar and baking soda, both of which are non-toxic household cleaning products. You’re undoubtedly well aware that vinegar and baking soda are excellent cleaners, deodorizers, and drain cleaners. However, if this doesn’t work, the following method on how to unclog a kitchen sink will do the magic.
4. Use a vacuum valve
Air pressure can be a powerful force, and in this case, a pretty useful one. With the correct air pressure, it can be moved in or out of place. This is where a vacuum valve comes in. if you don’t have one already, you can easily rent a unit instead of buying one because of a clogged kitchen sink.
You can easily rent a wet/dry vacuum from any hardware store near you at an affordable price. This will help you save the cost and time required to unclog your kitchen sink.
Note: We especially advise you not to try this out with an ordinary vacuum. Many adverse outcomes can be expected with this, many of which can be very harmful to you.
To begin, empty the bowl of water with it. Next, wrap the hose in an old rag to form a secure seal, then push the wet/dry vacuum down the drain a few inches. As soon as you turn on the void, the clog should be sucked out, or at least partially.
When it comes to dealing with pressure, there is a high probability for things to get messy. So please don’t sleep on it; make sure you wear a pair of quality rubber gloves. If this doesn’t work, or worse, you can’t get access to a vacuum valve, don’t be dismayed. There is still one more option to exploit on how to unclog a kitchen sink.
5. Use your plunger and petroleum jelly
Your plunger is probably just beneath the kitchen sink seat; this might be the first option that comes to mind. A sink plunger is a spherical rubber cup with a long stick to unclog the kitchen sink. It unclogs the kitchen sink by creating a pressure differential between the top of the clog and the drainpipe.
The kitchen sink plunger with a bit of aperture in the front (bell-shaped) that fits around the bottom of the kitchen sink is the best to use. For maximum pressure application, this closes around the kitchen sink drain.
This procedure may work if the clogged kitchen sink is not overflowing with water. However, it would help if you were very cautious when taking the first dive, as air will be escaping from the kitchen sink bottom, perhaps splashing water in your face.
Using a plunger is all about:
- Pushing the plunger up and down over the drain
- Covering it
- Establishing a suction seal
- Breaking apart the clog
Despite its simplicity, this item is still the most effective way to unclog a kitchen sink. This tool, especially with a flange, is recommended for all families because it works best to unblock the kitchen sink.
Keep a plunger in your home; the best type is a robust rubber plunger with a flange. Unfortunately, many individuals are unaware that the seal is crucial to a plunger’s operation. Apply a tiny amount of petroleum jelly on the plunger’s rim, press the plunger against the drain to ensure a tight seal, and add water if the top of the plunger is not immersed.
Place the plunger in the kitchen sink bowl and carefully push it down when using this equipment. The first step is to get rid of any air. Otherwise, you risk splashing dirty water on yourself if you push too hard.
When you have confirmed that the seal is tight enough, pump the plunger down and up to maintain it. Finally, while breaking the air seal, pull the tool up hard. Water will be pouring down the drain, which you will notice.
How to unclog a kitchen sink: Wrapping up
With this, our journey on how to unclog your kitchen sink is complete. Few things in life can compare to looking down into a kitchen sink that won’t flush. We hope against hope that the situation will miraculously fix itself and we will be spared of the mess. However, a spillover as the water level in the bowl rises ominously can also be a nightmare. Hopefully, this article on how to unclog your kitchen sink has been of help.
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