Easiest way to fix a clogged sink?

WikiGopherCaster108
12/02/24 7:28am
My roommate did something to clog up the kitchen sink, and we just can’t get it to drain like normal. I tried running hot water and running the garbage disposal, but nothing seems to help. It is draining slowly, but it takes like 24 hours to fully drain if there’s even a few inches of water. What else can I try? I really don’t want to reach out to the landlord over something so mundane.

wikiHow Expert
David Balkan
Professional Plumber & CEO of Balkan Sewer & Water Main
12/03/24 12:58pm
Have you tried plunging it? The good old typical plunger works well. Typically, sinks clog because something is sitting in the trap, which is the U-shaped pipe under the sink. It could be coffee grounds, food, random debris, you name it. If the plunger doesn’t work, you could remove the trap with household tools and remove whatever is stuck in there. People struggle with baking soda and vinegar and all of these crazy things, but removing a sink trap is typically very easy. If you don’t want to do that, you can use commercial drain cleaners. Just be careful because if you splash that stuff on your skin it will burn you.
WikiGiraffeHugger577
12/04/24 4:24pm
I had some luck with clearing up my clogged sink by using a plumbing snake! If you've got physical debris clogging up your drain, using a plumbing snake will help to loosen up that debris. You can get them pretty cheap too.
WikiFerretKeeper757
12/05/24 10:37am
Baking soda and vinegar worked for me! Pour baking soda down the drain, then vinegar, and let them sit for a while, like 30 minutes or an hour or so. After that, run water to flush everything out, and your sink drain should be good to go. This works best on more minor clogs, and might not be as effective for major blockages.

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