A clogged sink can be a pain any time of year, but when you are preparing to host a holiday dinner or party a clog can be a major hurdle. This holiday season, follow these tips for drain cleaning in White Bear Lake! If your clog persists after following these steps, then give us a call at All Ways Drains! Our 24/7 emergency plumber can help.
If your kitchen sink clogs at the worst possible time, try these home remedies to solve the problem!
1. Boiling Water
If water has built up in your sink, remove as much as you can first. Then, pour an entire kettle of boiling water into the sink and wait. If necessary, repeat a few times to loosen any clogs.
2. Disposal
For sink with a garbage disposal, try running water and running the disposal. If that clears the clog, then you know your disposal was causing the issues!
3. Plunger
If your clog persists after pouring boiling water into the sink, try to plunge it to remove the clog. To do this, you’ll want to fill your sink with enough water to cover the bell of the plunger. For double sinks, seal the side that isn’t clogged. Then, plunge vigorously to clear any clogs!
4. P-Trap
Additionally, you could try to clean the P-trap, or the curve of the drainpipe under the sink. This can be done by placing a pan or bucket underneath, unfastening the P-trap and clearing out anything stuck inside. Once you’ve cleared it out, refasten it and run some water to test!
5. Coat Hanger
The last option before calling a plumber to fix a stubborn clog is to straighten a metal coat hanger and use it to try to dislodge the clog. However, be careful with this method that you don’t scratch your sink with the wire hanger.
6. Avoid Putting Some Things Down Drain
The best way to avoid a clog this holiday season is preventative care! To avoid a clog in the first place, make sure that these items don’t go down the drain:
- Ground coffee beans
- Rice
- Pasta
- Eggshells
- Grease
- Fats
- Oils
- Wipes
- Paper towels
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- And anything else solid that will not dissolve in water!
For the holiday season, be particularly wary of turkey bones and potato peels! As neither will dissolve in water, they can get stuck and cause clogs to form. Additionally, most vegetables and fruits will cause problems with your pipes – whether they don’t break down at all or break down into natural sugars that get stuck to your pipes, it’s best to avoid putting them down the drain altogether!
If you need assistance with drain cleaning in White Bear Lake or the surrounding areas this holiday season, don’t hesitate to call All Ways Drains today at 612-922-9422 or request a free estimate!