What you should Do If You Are Unable to Clear a Clogged Drain

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A clogged drain doesn’t happen overnight. It’s just that we are so caught up with other things to notice when the water starts to drain at a slow speed until when it completely comes to a halt. A clogged drain can really drive you nuts, especially when you have tons of dishes on the counter that need to be cleaned. The blockage also complicates the process of prepping meals because you don’t have enough space for washing the vegetables and other food supplies when the dishes are not washed and put away. The most annoying thing is that the stagnant water can start to smell if it’s allowed to persist for more than a day. The resulting smell also attracts flies that make your kitchen look and feel filthy. Although unblocking a drain is best left for professional plumbers like Absolute Airflow, there are still some homemade tricks that you can use while you wait for the plumber to come to your rescue. The tricks that are outlined below don’t require any special skills. Besides that, they have been tried and tested and are budget-friendly.

1. Boiling Water

This one is obviously the simplest method of clearing a drain. The logic behind this trick is that boiling water melts the accumulated grease and scum. To get started, fill an electric kettle with clean water from the faucet. Then place the kettle on the stove and let it heat until it boils. In the meantime, you should use a plastic jug to manually remove the water that’s accumulated in the sink. In fact, boiling water can’t be effective if it’s mixed with stagnant water. Once the water is ready, you should pour it all into the sink and wait for a few minutes. If the water doesn’t drain away, you should scoop it out and repeat the process until the clog is eliminated.

2. Check Garbage Disposal

Sometimes a drain can be clogged simply because the garbage disposal unit is faulty. Keep in mind that every stuff that exits the sink must first go through the garbage disposal system. This means that the problem can persist even if the pipes don’t have any scum or grease on them. If the garbage disposal unit is not functioning, you have to activate the lever that’s at the base. If this doesn’t help, there could be another problem. But it’s still too early to throw in the towel.

3. Salt and Boiling Water

Salt is a very good agent for removing oxidation that forms inside metallic pipes. However, you don’t have to put too much of it. In fact, you only need to mix half a cup of salt with boiling water. And just like in the first trick above, you have to remove any water that may be in the bowl of the sink. You will also have to wait for a while after pouring boiling water into the sink. This will allow the heat and salt to break down the thick scum and grease.

4. Vinegar and Baking Soda

In this method, you need to blend equal measures of apple cider vinegar with baking soda. This means that you will not get the best results if you put too much of either of the two ingredients. After mixing the two ingredients, you will notice that the solution will start bubbling. You should then pour the solution into an empty sink that doesn’t have any water. In fact, allowing the solution to mix with water is a huge mistake because its attributes will be neutralized. After pouring the solution, you should wait for a few minutes before pouring boiling water. You can repeat the process several times until the clog is eliminated.

5. Salt and Baking Soda

Blend one cup of baking soda with half a cup of salt. Make sure the sink doesn’t have any standing water when pouring the mixture. You should now avoid using the sink for several hours in a row. This will give the solution ample time to break down the stubborn grease. Once the waiting period is over, you can now pour hot water into the sink and see whether it will drain away faster. Repeat the process in case the clog persists.

6. Plunger and Cleaning P-Trap

A household plunger comes in handy when you have a clogged drain. To get started, ensure that there is some water in the sink. Then grab the plunger and place it on the opening of the drain. In fact, ensure that the entire bell has covered the drain surface. You should then push the plunger downwards and release. When you do this, the plunger generates a force that sucks the clog from the walls of the pipe. That’s why it usually makes a sucking sound. After that, remove the plunger and rinse the drain with boiling water. If this doesn’t work, you should consider cleaning the P-trap that’s usually beneath the sink. You might need to use a coat hanger to snake the P-trap.

 

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