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Method 1: Boiling Water
According to Mike Mushinski, president of bluefrog Plumbing & Drain, boiling water is the easiest way to unclog a sink. However, he warns that this method comes with some risks. “If your pipes are not rated for a minimum of 212 degrees Fahrenheit, the boiling water could melt or deform your drain piping, which could cause leaks,” he says. This is only a problem if you have PVC or plastic pipes.
- 1. Boil a pot of water.
- 2. Slowly pour the water down the drain.
- 3. Wait a few seconds between pours. Allow the boiling water to melt soap scum and dissolve grime or loosen solids, etc.
- 4. Repeat as necessary.
Method 2: Baking soda and vinegar
According to Mushinski, using baking soda and white vinegar can break free light stoppages, but he says 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,” he says.
- 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.
- 6. Repeat as necessary.
Method 3: Plunger
Mark Dawson, chief operating officer at Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, tells us that plungers aren’t just great to use when you want to unclog a toilet, they’re also a handy tool to unclog a sink. He provides the following instructions:
1. Unplug the garbage disposal and plug the dishwasher drain (optional). If your dishwasher is connected to your kitchen sink via a garbage disposal, Mushinski warns that you need to block it off or water can be pushed into your dishwasher.
“The dishwasher drain on a garbage disposal can be blocked off by using a conical rubber plug that is ¾ inch wide; you can simply push the rubber plug into the drain hole [on the inner sidewall of the disposal],” he says.
2. Fill the sink with a few inches of water. This creates suction and allows the plunger to force water against the clog.
3. Steadily plunge up and down. After several plunges, the clog should begin to dissolve and the water should begin to drain.
4. Flush the drain. Run water down the drain for a few minutes to see if the water flows down freely and the clog has dissolved.
Method 4: Drain snake
If none of the above methods work, Dawson recommends using 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 their way through pipes without causing any damage; this works best if the clog is small or close to the opening of the drain.”
If the clog is deep in the pipe, Dawson says 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 our 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.
