Your kitchen sink has had enough. It doesn’t drain the water as it used to. Lots of water is standing still, and you’re left wondering what might have gone wrong. On the other hand, no one in the family can use the bathroom. Not because someone else is in there, but because it’s full of water which refuses to drain. Maybe the hair and soap residues you’ve ignored have accumulated and formed a gigantic ball, blocking the toilet’s drainage.
If you’re in such a situation, don’t despair. Unclogging blocked drainage is easy and doesn’t need advanced tools. To help you, here are four simple tips for dealing with blocked drainage:
-
Loosen The Blockage With Boiling Water
Hair, grease, food particles, and soap residue are the most typical causes of drain blockage. If you’re dealing with such, you can loosen the blockage by pouring boiling water into the drainage. This is among the most effective and straightforward ways of dealing with blocked drainage. Here are the steps you should follow to ensure the tip succeeds:
- Boil half a gallon of water using a stove or an electric kettle.
- After the water has boiled, pour it into the drain.
- Run tap water through the drain to see if the blockage has been dislodged.
- Repeat the procedure if the drain is still blocked or partially unblocked until the water drains efficiently.
While boiling water effectively unblocks drains, this method isn’t ideal for drains connected to polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes. Using boiling water on PVC pipes might melt them, causing costly damage. If the drainage fails to unblock after several attempts with boiling water, it could be severely blocked and requires you to try another method.
-
Use A Plunger
Debunking drain myths, such as the common misconception that your drain will slowly sort itself out if it starts draining slowly, is crucial in avoiding mistakes when dealing with clogged drains. One way to fix this is by using a plunger.
A plunger is a rubber cup used to suck waste, blocking drainage. You can use a toilet plunger to unblock a toilet or a flat-bottomed one for kitchen sinks. With a plunger, follow the following steps:
- Fill the sink with water until it covers the plunger’s head.
- Place the plunger in the sink opening and begin pumping it up and down.
- After pumping the plunger severally, remove it from the opening to see if the water drains.
If the water flows freely, you’ve successfully unblocked the drain. If it doesn’t, repeat the procedure until you get the desired results. This method is helpful for both kitchen sinks and toilets.
-
Use Kitchen Ingredients Like Vinegar And Baking Soda
Most homeowners know about this trick. It involves using typical kitchen ingredients like vinegar and baking soda. The procedure requires pouring hot water into the clogged drain and adding equal portions of baking soda and vinegar. Afterward, cover the drain and allow the solution to sit for about 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, run hot water through the drain to remove the blockage.
This method allows the solution’s pressure and corrosive ability to interfere with obstruction rigidity, breaking it down for seamless flow. Since baking soda is corrosive, avoid using it on metallic pipes regularly.
Besides the baking soda and vinegar combination, you may also use baking soda and salt, vinegar, lemon, and salt, or hot water and salt. Remember, this method isn’t practical when dealing with grease and fat clogs. While hot water provides immediate results for such issues, it distributes fats and oil throughout the drainage, which might cause significant drainage problems in the future.
-
Snake The Blockage Away
Suppose the methods discussed above have been ineffective. Snaking the drain might be the solution. When handling a blocked kitchen sink, settle for a plastic snake. This snake is narrow, flat, and flexible, with several barbs.
Slowly put the device in the drain and pull it out for cleaning. Repeat the procedure until the snake fits in before running the water to determine if the obstruction has cleared. When putting the snake into the drain, avoid forcing it at once but instead, insert it a few inches at a time.
Clearing toilet blockage using this method requires a toilet snake. The toilet snake fits into the drain and requires pushing it through while turning the handle. Also known as a closet auger, a toilet snake clears most of the toilet’s blockage.
Conclusion
Blocked drains are common in most homes. These issues are caused by flushing items that shouldn’t make their way into your plumbing. Fortunately, dealing with blocked drainage is straightforward and might not require a professional unless it’s severe. If you’ve encountered a blocked drain, try the above-discussed solutions and avoid using harsh chemicals to avoid creating other plumbing issues.
