by Anne StClair

Created on: March 22, 2007   Last Updated: October 01, 2011

Unclogging a sink can be an expensive business if you call a plumber or if you go to the hardware store and purchase expensive (and highly toxic) 'drain cleaners', but in most cases it is easy and inexpensive to unclog the sink yourself. It is also almost always possible to avoid having a clogged up drain in the first place.

FIRST RESPONSE

If the sink is draining slowly, first try pouring boiling water into the sink. If the blockage is caused by fats, soaps, or waxy materials, this will sometimes unclog the sink. Even if this works, carry out the procedure described below under 'second response' to ensure the blockage is fully cleared.

SECOND RESPONSE

Gather together a packet of sodium bicarbonate (bicarb, or bicarb soda), a bottle of the cheapest white vinegar you can find, and some boiling water.

Pour half a cub of bicarb soda into the plug hole and pour a cup of vinegar onto the bicarb. Leave the mixture to bubble and froth for several minutes while you boil the water.

When the bubbling has stopped, or almost stopped, pour in at least a couple of pints of boiling water.

If the drain is badly clogged, you will need to repeat this process several times before it works. If the drain is so badly clogged that there is no flow at all, you may need to remove the water before adding more bicarb, vinegar and boiling water to try again.

THIRD RESPONSE

In severely clogged drains you may need to use a plunger in conjunction with the bicarb/vinegar and boiling water to dislodge the blockage. There are also devices called blast unblockers that can be used instead of a plunger. If you do not have either of these, you may need to unscrew the trap between the sink and the drain, and manually clear out the blockage.

PREVENTION

Once the drain is unclogged, you can prevent further blockages from ever occurring by repeating the treatment with bicarb, vinegar and boiling water once a month. You should also use a strainer on the plug hole to ensure that solid materials do not get flushed out of the sink. If you take these precautions, the sink will never clog again.

Bicarb soda and vinegar are safe, cheap, and environmentally friendly for all types of systems, including septic tanks. They are just as effective, and are much cheaper than using toxic chemicals.

Most sinks and drains can be unclogged very successfully using the bicarb soda and vinegar method, and in most cases there is no need to dismantle anything or even to use any mechanical assistance such as a plunger. If none of the suggestions above work, then (and only then) you may need to consider recruiting a plumber.

Learn more about this author, Anne StClair.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.