Recipes and methods for clearing a clogged sink at home yourself

A clogged sink in the kitchen or bathroom is a situation that even a very tidy housewife can encounter.

You can trust a plumber to clean the drain, but in most cases you can solve the problem on your own.

Read the article about how and with what means you can clear a clog in the sink yourself.

Causes

During operation, a clog may form in the sink for several reasons:

1. Incorrect installation of plumbing.
2. The appearance of corrosion and the accumulation of fatty deposits.
3. Foreign objects entering the drain - debris, hair, food debris, etc.

If the communications under the sink were installed incorrectly, with irregularities, then blockages can become a constant problem. In this case, only reinstallation will help, and clearing the blockages using any method will only give a temporary effect.

How to fix it mechanically?

When serious blockages occur with complete or partial blockage of wastewater outflow, mechanical cleaning methods have proven to be one of the most effective. In cases where the plug is formed by foreign objects, especially non-organic ones, such methods are the best.

plunger

One of the simplest devices for cleaning sinks and bathtubs is a plunger. The principle of working with it is not complicated:

• place the plunger vertically in a sink with water, holding it by the handle;
• press the handle and sharply lift the plunger up and towards you;
• repeat.

With severe blockages, a plunger may not be very effective.

Cup

If you don’t have a plunger and the blockage is not severe, you can even get by with a glass. How to use:

1. Lower the glass into the sink with water so that the free edge covers the drain hole.
2. With a sharp movement, lift the glass up and towards you.
3. Repeat several times.

Cable

Special plumbing cable - cleaning device sewerage mechanically.

It is a cable, at one end of which there is a handle for rotation, at the other end there is a nozzle with a brush, which is intended for cleaning.

The principle of operation is to insert a cable with a brush at the end into the sewer. Turn the handle and move the tool along the drain to clean the pipes. The cable allows you to clear the drain even with complex blockages.

How to remove using folk remedies?

Simple homemade recipes are based on easily accessible ingredients. They are not difficult to use. The main disadvantage of such products is their weak effectiveness against complex blockages. Traditional methods are suitable for preventing the formation of deposits in pipes during operation.

Boiling water

Hot water, or even better, boiling water, is a good way to clean drains, but only if the pipes are metal. This method is not suitable for plastic sewerage, as it can lead to deformation and other damage to the drainage system. Using boiling water is most effective for removing blockages in the kitchen.

How to use:

• boil at least 1.5 liters. water;
• pour water into the drain in a thin stream;
• leave for 30-50 minutes;
• repeat the washing procedure.

Vinegar with soda

Cleaning with baking soda and vinegar is an easy way to deal with untreated clogs. This option is also suitable as a means of prevention.

Application:

1. Remove water from the sink and drain hole.
2. Pour 100-200 grams of soda into the drain.
3. Pour in? a glass of vinegar.
4. Plug the drain.
5. After the reaction has occurred with the formation of foam (15-30 minutes), rinse the drain with boiling water.

Soda and salt

The product is suitable for removing grease deposits in the kitchen sink. Procedure:

• drain the drain;
• prepare a container for mixing ingredients;
• pour in 200-250 grams of water;
• pour in? glasses of soda;
• add 1 glass of salt;
• mix;
• pour the solution into the drain;
• after an hour, use a plunger to break through the sink;
• pour the hot water down the drain.

How to remove with special chemicals?

Special household chemicals can be used to unclog sinks. Such products are available in the form of powders or gels.

When choosing a specific drug, you must consider:

• price;
• consumption of the product (how many uses it is designed for);
• release form;
• speed of impact;
• composition (for septic tanks, the choice of chemistry should be especially careful).

It is important to study the information on the instructions for use on the packaging of the product.

Tiret Turbo, gel

The drug in gel form is aimed at removing blockages at home. The product contains chlorine, suitable for cleaning plastic and metal pipes.

Tiret is effective, copes even with complex blockages in a short time, and carries out disinfection. Half the bottle is used for one treatment - the consumption is high. Cost – about 400 rubles.

Bagi Pothan

Bagi is a granular solution for blockages, used in bathroom pipes, sinks, and toilets. Contains sodium hydroxide. The product is suitable for plastic and metal pipes.

Pothan is suitable for clearing blockages in kitchen and bathroom sinks. If the product enters the drain begins to act effectively by dissolving:

• leftover food products,
• hair,
• diapers,
• paper,
• polyethylene.

Application:

1. Remove excess water from the sink.
2. Pour 70 to 100 grams of the drug into the drain.
3. Pour in? glasses of hot water.
4. Leave for 3 minutes.
5. Rinse with plenty of water.
6. If necessary, the processing can be repeated.

The price for 0.6 kg is on average 700 rubles. The package is enough for at least 10 uses.

Expel

The product is designed to remove hair blockages. The use of the drug is simple:

1. Pour the contents of the package into the drain.
2. Pour in a glass of warm water.
3. After 30-50 minutes, rinse with plenty of water.

The product does not contain chlorine and is odorless. The product can be used prophylactically once a month. Price – up to 135 rubles.

Siphon disassembly

The siphon under the sinks is a collapsible device that can be cleanedby simply disconnecting it from the system. Despite the features of the models, the principle of organization of the devices is very similar. For the most part, cleaning is not difficult and can easily be done on your own, without the involvement of a plumber.

No complex tools or special skills are required for cleaning.The parts under the sink in plastic systems are fixed with plastic fasteners, which can be unscrewed simply by hand.

When unwinding the siphon elements, it is necessary to monitor the condition of the gaskets. When they wear out, replacement will be required.

Clearing a clogged kitchen sink is shown step by step in the video:

Features of cleaning plastic pipes

Plastic pipes are the most common option for organizing sewerage. Most special anti-clogging products are designed for pipes made of any material, including plastic.

When cleaning plastic communications according to folk recipes, you need to use just hot water (up to 70°C) instead of boiling water. Otherwise, the pipes may be damaged.

Mechanical cleaning must also take into account the demanding nature of the material. Among chemical preparations, those containing potassium hydroxide and sodium give a good effect.

Call a plumber

Seeking help from a specialist may be recommended in the following cases:

• there is no time or desire to bother with cleaning the sewer;
• it was not possible to solve the problem on our own;
• the blockage affects the riser or its location could not be determined.

A plumber will help you deal with any kind of blockage. If replacement of worn parts and assemblies is required at the same time, the customer pays for them separately.

On average, the cost of eliminating a household blockage in the capital is from 700 rubles. Finding a company providing such services in your city on the Internet is not difficult.

Preventive measures

Prevention measures are not complicated, but thanks to them, problems with water drainage will occur much less frequently:

1. It is advisable to install a special sieve in the sink drain holes (both in the kitchen and in the bathroom). It will help prevent large particles and hair from entering the drain.
2. You should regularly pour boiling water down the drain (for plastic pipes - just hot water). This will prevent sediment from accumulating on the surface of drainage communications.
3. You should not clean food residues, construction mixtures, water after washing shoes, etc. into the sink.

Prohibitions when cleaning

When clearing a clogged sink It is recommended to take into account the following prohibitions:

• You should not mix several products at the same time, as this can result in the release of very caustic fumes, and a mixture of aggressive substances can even damage pipes;
• Do not use household chemicals with bare hands;
• When clearing a clog, you should remove away from the sink all foreign objects that could be accidentally splashed with chemicals - dishes, toothbrushes, towels, etc.

6 recommendations

Plumbers advise adhering to the following recommendations:

1. All work to remove blockages in the sink must be carried out with gloves.
2. It is advisable to use household chemicals if you have a respirator and good ventilation.
3. After use, the plumbing cable must be cleaned and dried, and only then sent for storage. Otherwise it will rust.
4. It is better to use home remedies for cleaning pipe plugs at the initial stage of a blockage or as a preventive measure. Boiling water or soda is unlikely to cope with a serious problem.
5. In case of global blockages, when water does not flow through the riser of the house, only a professional plumber can help.
6. Ignoring measures to prevent blockages contributes to their frequent recurrence.

If you're interested in how to clear a clogged drain, sink, or toilet, check out this chapter.

Conclusion

In most cases, you can clear a clogged sink at home on your own using chemical and mechanical methods. In difficult cases or when it is not possible to carry out cleaning yourself, you can turn to the services of professionals who can cope with any problem.