Unless something goes down a sink drain which blocks the pipe, most clogs don’t happen suddenly. Food particles, grease, hair, and toothpaste typically build up over time and cause sink drains to slow down or stop working entirely.

 

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Fortunately, many existing clogs can be removed by do-it-yourselfers using progressive methods, as follows:

• Try a plunger. Every household needs at least one of these basic tools of the plumber’s trade. Good ones cost less than $5 at hardware stores, home centers and discounters. Start by completely plugging up the overflow vent, or the second drain in a two-basin kitchen sink, to maximize pressure on the clog. Fill the sink with water to a level above the top of the plunger, seal it over the drain, press down hard and release the plunger completely. Do this at least a dozen times, and repeat the whole procedure several times if necessary. If the drain clears, run a strong flow of warm water for several minutes to flush away remnants of the clog.

• Try a home-made drain cleaner. Before reaching for a commercial product containing caustics or acids, try the following old-fashioned remedy that’s a lot gentler on the environment: Heat up several quarts of water to nearly boiling in a container on the stove. Pour a quarter cup of baking soda down the drain, following it with several 2-ounce applications of white vinegar every couple of minutes. The foaming reaction between the alkaline baking soda and the acidic vinegar may loosen the clog. Wait 5 to 10 minutes after the last vinegar application, plunge the drain several times, and then immediately pour the container of hot water directly into the drain (be sure your pipes are the type that can tolerate very hot water before using this method). Plunge the drain a second time. Finish the job by flushing the drain with a strong flow of warm water from the tap.

• Try removing the P-trap (or, S-trap) under the sink. This may be the location of the clog. The P-trap looks like a capital letter P that’s been tipped over to rest on its “nose.” It drains into a pipe in the wall. An S-trap drains into a pipe in the floor. Loosen the pressure nuts on both ends of the trap by turning them in a counterclockwise direction (as you face the trap). This isn’t possible where a plastic trap has been cemented onto a plastic drain line. These normally have a removable drain plug in the bottom of the trap to make cleaning easier. Place a container under the drain; water will run out when the trap or drain plug is removed. Clean out the tail pipe under the sink drain, the trap, and as much of the drain pipe as you can reach. Replace the trap and flush the line with plenty of warm water. While doing so, check for leaks. Needless to say, you should discard clog gunk in the trash, not down the drain!

• If the clog is beyond the trap, try a plumber’s snake which can be purchased at hardware stores and home centers for $30 to $75. A snake is a long, flexible steel cable or strip that is often contained in a case from which it may gradually be pulled as it is pushed down a drain pipe once the trap is removed. Usually, there is some means of turning the snake to help work it through the clogs. We recommend two people for this job — one to feed the snake while holding the container, the other to control and turn the snake as it enters the pipe. Use snakes cautiously around porcelain or enamel — the steel can scratch and possibly chip these finished surfaces. For this reason, you may want to call a plumber if a toilet needs to be snaked.

If none of these tips does the trick, it’s time to hire a plumber. The problem may be too far downstream in the drains for you fix by yourself.

 

For preventive drain maintenance, try one of the many biological or enzyme products. Adding a few tablespoons to your drain periodically enables "friendly" grease eating bacteria to form beneficial colonies or biofilms that adhere to pipes and help keep clogs from forming.