The original article was published in Plumbing Daily on 6th December, 2011.
Clogged sink drains in bathrooms and kitchens is one of the most common and basic plumbing problem we face in our household activities. As you already know, the most regular culprits are the combination of soap, hair and tepid water in the bathrooms, and tepid water and food particles in the kitchen sinks. Cleaning clogged sink drain is a little dirty business. The easy way out is using chemical drain cleaners which are available in the market. But we should always refrain from using such products as they are very toxic in nature and getting the toxic stuff out of the sink becomes another job at hand again. So, manual cleaning is the advised method. With a few tools and some handy tips, you can easily unclog your sink drains without much mess. Your basic tool is a plunger and may be a little duct tape if needed. Here are a few easy steps which you can follow while unclogging your sink drains:
1. If your sink has metallic pipes, pour boiling water slowly into the sink. Avoid the porcelain and pour directly into the drain. Please avoid this step if you have PVC pipes. Many a times boiling water melts the clog. If the clog is still there, then try the next step.
2. After you have tried the boiling water method, pour some cold water to cool down the pipes. Then seal the sink's overflow hole. First fill half of the sink with water and place the plunger over the sink hole. Now plunge sharply and evenly in quick movements. Then check for drainage. If the water in the sink is moving out, it means the plunging worked. But if the plunging does not push the clog down the drain, then you might need to snake it out instead. Once your job is done, remove the duct tape over the sink overflow hole.
