How to Fix a Clogged Kitchen Sink

The kitchen sink drain is often treated as an all-purpose disposal for leftover food. Yet when liquid grease, food scraps, and other debris go down the drain, the risk of clogs rises. A clogged kitchen sink brings dishwashing and other chores to a halt. Address a sluggish or completely clogged kitchen sink drain with these four easy DIY techniques.

Try Baking Soda and Vinegar

Take a page from elementary school science fair projects to move clogs with common household ingredients. Vinegar and baking soda foam vigorously when mixed. Sprinkle a cup of baking soda into the drain with any standing water removed first. Follow that with a cup of any household vinegar and watch the foam rise. The foaming action is often enough to knock a minor clog loose. Try pouring a cup or two of boiling water down the drain after the vinegar and baking soda treatment for extra drain-clearing power.

Remove the Garbage Disposal

Many clogs form in garbage disposal units. Even the most powerful disposals are only designed for grinding relatively soft and small food scraps. If someone puts chicken bones or fibrous raw vegetables down the disposal, a clog easily forms. Homeowners should remove their disposals at the first sign of sluggish drainage. Cleaning it out every few months can prevent a costly plumber’s visit.

Clear the P-Trap

Whether a sink features a disposal or not, a P-shaped pipe is used below the drain to create a water barrier. Water sits in the dip of the pipe to keep sewer gases from rising through the kitchen sink drain. It’s also a common spot for clogs to form. Homeowners handy with plumbing tools can carefully remove the P-trap and try to clear it themselves. Put a bucket under the sink and pipes to catch water as the pipe is removed. Make sure to check how to replace the P-trap properly with PVC solvent or metal pipe couplings before removing it.

Invest in a Snake Tool

Just like clogs in shower drains, kitchen sink clogs are common enough to deserve a decent drain snake. Hand-powered cable augers easily slide down into open drains to catch solid clogs and pull them up into the sink. Plastic zip tools may also work, but they tend to function better in showers where hair forms the majority of clogs. Drain snakes with hooked or looped wire tips tend to work better on clogged kitchen sink drains.

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