Clogging can occur in all types of bathroom and kitchen plumbing fixtures and appliances. The most common clogs occur in the toilet drains, sink drains, and shower drains. Most clogs are caused by negligence and bad waste disposal habits. This is whereby you use a certain plumbing fixture to dispose of the wrong kind of waste. For instance, while you have been told time and again that the toilet should only be used to dispose of human waste and tissue paper, many people still flush all kinds of trash in the toilet. Same case with the kitchen and bathroom sinks. You have probably been warned against dumping fats, oils, and greases down your kitchen sinks. But many people continue to do so and this causes frequent clogs in their drainage and sewer systems. You can easily prevent shower drain clogs by installing a strainer to trap hairs and soap remnants before they entre and clog your shower drains. When it comes to the kitchen sinks, clogs can be prevented by responsible waste disposal habits. But despite all your efforts, you can still suffer a clog in your kitchen sinks from time to time. If this happens, try to fix the problem on your own using the following DIY solutions.
Use A Plunger
Many people do not know this, but there are specially designed plungers for unclogging kitchen sink drains. In other words, we have toilet plungers, kitchen sink plungers, and shower drain plungers. You should always have all these three types of plungers in your home. All these plungers are readily available in your local hardware store and they cost just a few dollars. A kitchen sink plungers will come in handy when you have a clog. To unclog your kitchen sink with a plunger, apply the up-and-down motions on the clogged drain; just like you usually do when unclogging your toilet with a plunger. You should consider plugging the unclogged end of the sink drain with a wet rag or something to force all the pressure on the clog. With repeated plunging, the clog will eventually come loose and the sink will be okay. But if the plunger fails, consider the other DIY solutions suggested below.
Snake The Drain
You can also snake your drain using a plumber’s snake or using a modified metallic coat hanger. You can get a plumber’s snake from your local hardware store. Force the snake through the clogged drain until you dislodge the clog. You can also modify a metallic coat hanger and fashion one end to be a hook. You will drive this hook through the clog and try to pull it out or push it through.
Use Hot Water
Another recommended DIY solution for clogged kitchen sinks is hot water. You can try to dislodge the clog by pouring hot water into your clogged sink drain. If the clog is caused by coagulated fats, oils, and greases, they will melt and unblock your sink drains.
Use Baking Soda And Vinegar
A baking soda and vinegar solution is another recommended DIY solution for clogged kitchen sinks. Pour a cup of baking soda followed by a cup of vinegar into the clogged sink drain. This mixture should produce results after a short time. But if the clog persists, call a reliable DC emergency plumber for assistance. You could be suffering a serious clog in your main sewer line.