Find the Main Cause of Your Clogged Sink

The first step in trying to fix a clogged kitchen or bathroom sink is finding out what caused it. If you are looking for information on how to unclog the kitchen and bathroom, start by identifying why your drain has become blocked in the first place. There are many different things that can cause this problem, from dishes left in the sink to food particles getting stuck on your drain pipe. Whatever kind of blockage you have going on with your pipes, there’s a solution available! In this blog post, we will go over some common causes behind a clogged kitchen and bathrooms as well as how to solve these issues so that your drains stay clear.

Using Chemical Store-Bought Drain Cleaners

Chemical drain cleaners are dangerous to use, highly poisonous, and so caustic that they can even cause skin burns! Also, they’re not always effective, leaving you with a sink full of toxic chemical water that’s stopped up by the same clog you started with.

By contrast, a homemade drain cleaner can be perfectly safe, not to mention perfectly inexpensive. To be clear, a homemade cleaner is not more effective than a commercial cleaner, but if neither is going to work, wouldn’t you rather have a sink full of a harmless organic drain cleaner than a chemical toxic one?

Using Natural Drain Cleaners

If your drains are clogged due to hair stuck in between them, there’s no better way than using natural drain cleaners that won’t cause skin burns or leave behind toxic chemicals when used properly. These types of cleaners will be able to unclog your kitchen and bathrooms without much effort on your part just by placing them down into the sink where they’ll dissolve any oils found around the pipe over time so nothing gets physically tangled up in there anymore.

Clogged Sink from Food Debris and Waste Build-up

If your problem stems from food particles getting stuck on your drain, there are two different ways that you can fix this issue quickly!

Try Dish Soap and Hot Water

The first thing that you need to do is try using some dish soap with hot water as a solvent agent because it will dissolve any oils found on dishes that block your drains over time. If using dish soap and hot water doesn’t work, try vinegar or baking soda since these two items will help to break down the food particles found on your drain.

Using Vinegar and Baking Soda

Baking soda and white vinegar can break free small clogs, but it’s not meant for large blockages. If you choose this method, there should be no standing water in the sink, so the baking soda and vinegar can get to your clog faster and more effectively.

1. Pour a pot of boiling water down the drain.

2. Pour 1 cup of baking soda down the drain.

3. Pour 1 cup of white vinegar down the drain.

4. Cover with a drain plug and wait five to 10 minutes.

5. Pour boiling water down the drain again.

Cover the drain with a sink stopper, if available, and let the mixture work for 10 minutes. The baking soda and vinegar will fizz and bubble a lot; covering the drain forces the reaction downward instead of up and out of the drain, but it’s not critical that you cover the drain. Pour another pot of boiling water into the drain. This will help wash away any clogs that the baking soda and vinegar loosened up.

Hair Causing the Blockage in Your Pipe

If you have a clogged sink that is caused by hair and other debris getting stuck in your pipes over time, there are some different solutions available for this issue as well! The first thing that we recommend doing when dealing with a clogged kitchen or bathroom sink from hair is tying up all of the loose ends of any long hairs before they fall into the drain so they don’t get tangled up in your pipes. If you already have hair wrapped around your drains it can be difficult trying to remove them yourself because risk damaging something if you, do it incorrectly. For this reason, it is best to call a plumber who can safely get rid of the clog for you!

Using a Snake to Get out the Hair in Your Drains

If none of the above methods work, use a plumber’s snake, also known as a drain snake. In fact, you can use any tools you have like a drain stick or plunger that can bend its way through pipes without causing any damage. This works best if the clog is smaller or close to the opening of the drain.

If the clog is deep in the pipe, a metal snake with a crank is probably your best bet and provides the following steps:

1. Insert the snake. Start by pushing the end of the snake into the opening of the drain and turn the handle on the drum of the coiled-up snake to send it further into the pipe. Once you feel resistance, you’ve hit the clog. 

2. Dislodge the clog. Continue twisting the snake against the blockage until you can feel the clog freed up. As you rotate the snake, it will grab onto the blockage so you can pull it out or break it free so it can flow through the pipes.

3. Flush the drain. Run water down the drain for several minutes to make sure the clog is gone. 

How To Prevent Clogs in Your New Jersey Home

• Don’t use your drain as a trash can. Things like small bones, coffee grounds, and fibrous vegetables shouldn’t go in your sink or your garbage disposal. 
• Don’t pour fats, grease, or oil down your drains. It will harden as it cools, causing tough clogs. 
• When leaning over your bathroom sink, be careful not to let hair, Q-tips, dental floss, or other small items fall into the sink.
• Don’t dispose of house paint in the sink.
• Invest in a sink strainer to catch objects like hair, and food. 
• Run hot water down the drain on a regular basis to flush out debris. 
• Use the vinegar and baking soda method once a month as a preventative measure. It will remove debris before it becomes a large blockage. (See steps above)

What Not to Do with Your Clogged Sink

Now that we’ve gone over some reasons why a blocked-up kitchen or bathroom sink can happen along with how to fix them should they occur, there are certain things that you shouldn’t do if attempting to unclog your sink yourself. For instance, don’t use harsh chemicals on an ongoing basis as this could damage both your pipes and countertops. Also avoid pouring cooking grease into your drains as it solidifies cools becoming thicker than water, ultimately creating a clog that will be much harder to remove.

If you are still having difficulty with your sink, don’t hesitate to call up one of our trusted plumbers for assistance. We provide quality drain clearing and hydro-jetting services throughout New Jersey, and have generated a reputation for being the best at what we do!

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Smiley Drain Cleaning in Caldwell, New Jersey

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