How to Easily Unclog a Kitchen Sink Drain Yourself

Is your kitchen sink draining slower than usual? Do you have standing water that takes forever to go down the drain? A clogged kitchen sink is a common household headache that can quickly become a soggy, soapy mess. Thankfully, you don’t have to call an expensive plumber right away. There are many DIY methods you can try first to get your kitchen sink flowing freely again.

With a little effort, you can easily restore full functionality to your kitchen sink on your own.

What Causes Kitchen Sinks to Clog?

There are a few common culprits that lead to clogged kitchen sink drains. Identifying the cause can help you pinpoint the best unclogging method.

Buildup from food particles, grease, hair, and soap scum accumulates over time and causes blockages. Poor garbage disposal usage also jams up pipes. And placing the wrong items down the drain results in clogs.

Food Debris and Grease Buildup

Small bits of food washed down the drain after cooking, cleaning dishes, or using the garbage disposal clump together inside pipes. Food particles like rice, pasta, eggshells, and vegetable peels quickly cause clogs.

Grease and fat from cooking oils, meat drippings, sauces, and dairy products also sticks to pipe walls and hardens. As more debris sticks to these greasy clogs, it gets worse over time.

To help prevent food and grease clogs, use drain strainers to catch particles, and limit pouring fats and oils down the drain. Wiping greasy pans with a paper towel first also helps.

Hair and Soap Scum

It only takes a few stray hairs from washing dishes and your hands to get tangled and clog drains. Pet hair and hair follicles accumulate as well. All it takes is a couple strands catching debris to form a ball that blocks water.

The soap scum residue left after dishwashing can also slowly build up on pipes. Hard water causes more soap scum, which sticks to hair and gunk.

To reduce hair and soap clogs, use a drain catcher and alternate hot and cold water when running the sink. This helps dissolve grease that tangles hair.

Wrong Items Put Down the Drain

Pouring liquids like cooking oils seems harmless, but it can solidify into clogs. And small foods like rice, pasta, and coffee grounds seem small enough but accumulate. Other clogging culprits are produce stickers, egg shells, and food with small bones.

Avoid putting any non-liquid food items down the drain. Compost scraps when possible. Flushing inappropriate objects like floss, wipes, or tampons also clogs pipes.

Unclogging a Kitchen Sink without Chemicals

For minor clogs, homemade drain remedies are an effective first option. They’re natural, safe for pipes, and avoid the harsh chemicals of many liquid drain cleaners.

Simple ingredients like baking soda, vinegar, boiling water, and a plunger can break up gunk and get your water flowing again. Investing in an inexpensive drain snake also quickly unclogs trapped debris.

Baking Soda and Vinegar

Baking soda is an alkaline base, and vinegar is an acid. When combined, they create a chemical reaction of fizzing and bubbling. This agitation helps dislodge and break up gunk.

Pour 1⁄2 cup baking soda down the clogged drain. Follow with 1⁄2 cup vinegar and immediately cover the drain. The fizzing reaction works to clear the clog. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes, then rinse with boiling hot water.

For stubborn clogs, you can repeat this process several times. It’s also helpful monthly as kitchen drain maintenance.

Plunge the Drain

A sink plunger uses pressure to forcefully dislodge clogs. Partially fill the sink with enough water to cover the drain. Place the plunger firmly over the drain opening and plunge vigorously 15-20 times.

Pull the plunger up for suction to break up the clog, then push back down for pressure. Repeat for several minutes. The suction helps pull up debris loosened by the pressure.

Pour hot water down after plunging to rinse away dislodged gunk. Repeat as needed for stubborn clogs.

Use a Drain Snake/Auger

A drain snake, also called an auger, uses a long flexible metal coil you feed down the drain to grab hair, food particles, and other debris. It reaches clogs beyond the drain pipe’s trap.

Slowly turn the drain snake end clockwise as you push to work the metal coil deeper into the drain. Once resistance is felt, slowly pull back out while rotating to grab the clog. Run hot water after to flush loosened debris.

Hand crank snakes are inexpensive, easy to control, and effective for kitchen sink clogs. For drains deeper than 20 feet, an electric powered drain auger would be needed.

Boiling Water

Pouring boiling hot water down the drain can help melt and dissolve soap scum, grease, and smaller clogs. It's a safe method but may take longer and repeated efforts for tough clogs.

Bring water to a rapid boil, then slowly pour down the drain one kettle-full at a time. Wait several minutes for the hot water to work. Then send more water to rinse away debris.

For best results, use hot water in combination with another method like the baking soda and vinegar reaction.

Powerful Chemical Drain Cleaners

Liquid drain cleaner products containing lye, sulfuric acid, bleach, peroxides, or caustic potash solutions to dissolve clogs are available. Well-known brands include Liquid Plumber, Drano, Thrift, and Rid-X.

Read all warning labels carefully and follow product instructions. Chemical drain cleaners should always be handled with gloves and eye protection. Only use in well-ventilated areas.

Start with half doses to avoid overflow or chemical burns on skin from splashes. Rinse treated drains thoroughly with cool water for several minutes to flush away residue.

Avoid using harsh chemicals like bleach or ammonia, as they create toxic fumes when combined with acidic drain cleaners. Only use chemical drain cleaners as a last resort after trying other methods first.

Calling a Professional Plumber

If your clogged kitchen sink persists despite trying home remedies, a plunger, and drain snakes, the clog may require professional help. Signs it’s time to call a plumber include multiple drains backing up.

Plumbers have high-powered augers that reach deep blockages beyond a standard drain snake's range. They can also run a small camera down the drain line to diagnose issues.

A plumber can detect if the clog results from piping problems like crushed pipes, cracks, blockages, or leaks requiring repair. Catching minor pipe issues early prevents major damage.

Removing stuck materials, fixing damaged pipes, or replacing corroded galvanized steel pipes are jobs best left to the pros. Have plumbers inspect all sinks, showers, and toilets while servicing one clog.

Preventing Future Clogged Drains

A little maintenance goes a long way towards preventing a recurrence of clogged kitchen drains. Make these tips part of your regular cleaning routine:

• Use drain strainers and empty debris regularly
• Wipe grease from pans and plates before rinsing
• Run plenty of cold water while using the garbage disposal
• Pour 1⁄2 cup baking soda + vinegar down drains monthly
• Avoid pouring fats or harsh chemicals down drains
• Alternate hot and cold water temperatures

Act quickly when you notice gurgling drains, bad smells, or slow drainage. Trying a DIY method at first signs of clogging reduces buildup reaching problematic levels.

Dealing with a clogged kitchen sink drain is annoying and inconvenient. But armed with the right techniques and tools, you can often tackle minor clogs on your own.

Using home remedies like baking soda and vinegar provides chemical-free unclogging. For severe clogs, a plunger or plastic drain snake makes quick work of clearing gunk, hair, and debris. Prevent future clogs by filtering out food particles, limiting grease, and maintaining drains.

Knowing when to call for professional drain cleaning will also save you money and prevent water damage. But don't be intimidated to try clearing minor sink clogs yourself. With a few simple methods, you can easily restore full functionality to your clogged kitchen sink.