They may not clean out any mineral deposits in the drain. So what does the p-trap do? When you find the source, use the wire hanger or the bottle brush to manually clean it out of the pipe. Step Three: Clear Sludge or Clog. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. Then release the stopper and let the force of the water flush the pipes clean. Most of these cleaners take 24 hours or more to clean the drain. You can also try using a professional drain cleaner to remove residue and grime. If you follow the steps of this article and still can’t clear the blockage, don’t hesitate to call in a plumber. Most pop-ups can be installed two ways. Pour the hot vinegar down the drain and let it sit for 1 hour. This is the least damaging but somewhat effective way to clean your drain from buildup regularly. This can make the drain smell bad and lead to clogged pipes in your kitchen. There are several great methods on how to clean a bathroom sink drain, and I will be listing them all out for you here. Mitchell also regularly edits websites, business correspondence, resumes and full-length manuscripts. Major Systems; How To: Unclog a Sink Drain Put the phone down! When your sink is clogged, draining slowly, or has a funky smell, it probably needs a good cleaning. Advertisement. This sluggish water movement leads to stagnant odors. When it comes to kitchen cleaning, not everybody realizes the importance of how to clean a kitchen sink drain. Remember the 1:2 ratio: one part baking soda to two parts white vinegar. If you don't have a stopper in the sink, pour 3 to 4 cups of boiling water down the drain each week to dissolve grease buildup in the pipes. A P-trap pipe is required to connect the bar sink drain to the main drain … Start with the basics: Clean the sink with your usual cleaning solution, and use a pipe brush to scrub around and inside the drain. Spray water in to clear black sludge in water pipes. Use Chemical Drain Cleaner. Alpine Maids has received Angie's List Super Service Award for three years in a row since 2016 and has been awarded Colorado's "Top Rated Local House Cleaning" Award in 2018. And because the water flow down the drain is also slowed, clogs in the drain lines can form more easily. The enzymes work to remove buildup by eating through it. Drain flies, also known as moth flies, filter flies, or sewer flies, are a common problem in Florida. Clean the drain every time you wash dishes to maintain it once it's clean. In the morning, flush the pipe thoroughly with water from the faucet. Unfortunately, the trap’s water-trapping ability extends to hair, grease, debris, and soap scum. Unclog drains sewer cleaning will unclog your kitchen sink drain signs you need drain cleaning sink drain with a plunger snake how to clean a sink trap How To Unclog A Sink Drain With Plunger Snake Family HandymanHow To Unclog A Kitchen Sink The5 Ways To Clean A Drain Pipe WikihowHow To Clean A Smelly… Read More » METHOD 6 USE A PLUMBER’S SNAKE. The Plunger method . Clogged vent pipes: When debris clogs drain vents, water can start to pool in the sink. Slick PVC pipes won't clog as easily, since food and grease will have a harder time sticking. A slightly alkaline powder, it can dissolve mineral deposits and organic materials such as grease, which is slightly acidic i… Enzyme drain cleaners are a natural and eco-friendly way to clean pipes, drains and prevent clogs. Alternatively, put 1 cup of baking soda down the drain, then boil 4 cups of white vinegar. Often, a bad drain smell is the result of clogged hair and gunk stuck in the p-trap of the plumbing, resulting in foul sink, bathroom drain, and shower smells. To neutralize the awful smell coming from your drain, mix 1 part of hot water and 1 part of bleach, then pour the mixture down the drain. Community Answer. Pour one cup of fresh baking soda down the drain, followed by one cup of white vinegar. Luckily, there are a few simple steps you can take to prevent and clean a bathroom sink drain. When you notice that your bathroom sink is draining slowly, remove the stopper and clean it. Stephanie Mitchell is a professional writer who has authored websites and articles for real estate agents, self-help coaches and casting directors. Cleaning Sink Pipes: How to Clean Plumbing at Home. Wait for all the water to drain out of the sink or tub, then pour the bottle of Liquid Plumr slowly down the drain. How a Main Clean-out Fitting Works . This is how to clean a kitchen sink drain in no time flat! You need to either get a 1 ½ or 1 ¼ inches tailpipe to be able to connect to it. Follow by pouring a mixture of 1 cup vinegar and 1 cup of boiling water again. Over time, your kitchen drain can collect food debris, grime, dirt, and other residue. The plumbing system is about 15 percent of the value of the house. Unlike kitchen sink waste pipes, blocked basin pipes are probably not due to fats and oil buildup. This article has been viewed 42,555 times. This article has been viewed 42,555 times. You can flush the drain with hot water on a weekly basis to keep it clean. It’s really easy to make mistakes that will lead to clogged drains. If you notice bad smells regularly from your kitchen drain, and you have old metal drain pipes under the sink, replacing them with PVC may solve the problem. This makes a P-trap the number-one location of clogs in the sewer system. It's okay if some of the baking soda doesn't make it directly down the drain, as it can be washed down with the vinegar. A bark sink drain is used when the bathroom sink endures heavy-duty usage, but not similar to a kitchen sink. The water can be boiling hot if you have metal pipes; if they are plastic, use hot tap water to avoid damaging them. Pour the boiling water down the clogged drain pipe first, followed by the baking soda. For example, if you keep a box of open baking soda in your refrigerator to absorb odors, use the old baking soda to flush your kitchen drain when it comes time to change the box. Remove the pop up plug and give it a thorough clean before putting it back. Simply put 2 tablespoons of biological washing powder down the plughole and then flush through with boiling water. Adding a bit of dish soap to the hot water can help to break down grease in the pipes. Follow along for our guide on how to prevent and treat a smelly bathroom sink drain. Chris Willatt, the owner of Alpine Maids, says: "The rubber gasket that's in your sink drain can get pretty dirty, which can lead to unpleasant smells. To clean your kitchen drain, boil 3 cups of water, and pour it down your drain slowly and carefully. This tactic is mainly for the kitchen sink. These pests are especially a problem in areas that are humid year-round. After living in the city for 30 years, EC moved to the countryside. Alpine Maids has received Angie's List Super Service Award for three years in a row since 2016 and has been awarded Colorado's "Top Rated Local House Cleaning" Award in 2018. All of that gross gunk ends up passing through the sink drain, dirtying it up. Author: EC Mendoza. Odors emanating from the sink drain affect the atmosphere in the kitchen or bathroom in more ways than one. Drain grease can be a big problem in your home. Regularly cleaning your kitchen pipes may save you time by preventing other problems. There's no need to call the plumber. Feed the snake into the drain. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. A small buildup in your kitchen or bathroom sink pipe can slow your drainage to nothing. When you have buildup in the drain pipes, whether it be food residue in the kitchen sink drain or soap scum in the shower drain, you must remove it. Place a sink strainer over the drain, so large food particles don't wash down the pipe, and empty the strainer frequently. Plunger. Rinse with a gallon of hot water to which you've added 1/2 cup of salt. If you are worried about sustaining damage to the drain, you may want to contact a plumber. Add New Question. If you can remove debris from the trap, reconnect it, then run water into the sink. If your sink isn't prone to clogs and doesn't develop musty odors, you can probably keep it clean using only water. Finish by flushing the drain with boiling water. Empty the mess into the trash can, and keep your hands and pipes wiped clean with paper … Then, run HOT water to clear out the all of the loosened substances from the drain. Method #4. It is, therefore, advisable not to throw any food waste into the sink, no matter how small. Get the snake into your sink drain. Bring the water to boiling temperature (212 degrees Fahrenheit, 100 degrees Celsius). The tougher the clog, the longer it needs to sit. The p-trap is that curvy pipe underneath your kitchen sink or bathroom sink. Advertisement . Then replace and run water through it. Don’t be afraid to “Turn the kitchen sink on and step back and let the water flow,” Scaife says. How to Unclog a Sink from Grease : Bottom Line. Run hot water through your garbage disposal after use to wash away excess debris. References. Check the drain trap for clogs. Bathroom sinks and tubs usually become slow and blocked for different reasons than kitchen sinks, so you have to deal with them in different ways. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 42,555 times. Once it has a significant time, clear it with a pot of boiling water. The pipes should be easy to disconnect by hand. A sound … © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. Think about everything you put down your kitchen sink, from dirty water to food waste from the garbage disposal. Food gets stuck at the curve of the drain under the sink where it's hard to reach with a hook, so try a plunger to clear it. How to clean and unclog a kitchen sink. The first and most important factor in preventing clogged drains … If you have a garbage disposal, always run cold water down the drain while you use it to flush the ground-up food down and out of the drain pipe. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. If left untreated, a blocked drain can clog the entire pipe, preventing water from draining properly. Cover with the drain plug and … Sewer gases: Empty P-traps allow sewer gases to rise from the drain. Step 1 Rinse out the sink (both sides if it is a double sink) and allow each side to drain completely. It's better to put grease in a jar that you can throw away after it has solidified. Note: We show plastic drain lines, but many older kitchen sinks have metal traps and pipes. Allow the pipes to drain into a bowl or a small bucket. Slowly pour the powdered cleaner down the problem drain. First, wear the rubber gloves and start with the use of a plunger to clear the drain if possible. Pour in the hydrogen peroxide and watch as the drain begins to fizz. Had tried the vinegar and baking soda with limited. If you don’t run enough water, it can’t flush through the system to get the pipes clear. Spray carefully at first, in case it backs up, and then turn up the pressure to ensure that you clean drain pipe build up. P-traps are hidden in other areas of the house like your bathtub and toilet as well. Dismantle and Clean your Kitchen Waste Pipes. In that case, use bleach to clean and disinfect the pipes and dissolve clogs. You can also ask friends or neighbors for recommendations on a good plumber in the area. Start by boiling 3 cups (710 ml) of water in a kettle or in a pot over the stove. Then pour several cups of boiling water down the drain to wash it clean. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. P-traps are hidden in other areas of the house like your bathtub and toilet as well. Kitchen sink drains tend to clog from oil and grease that solidify over time. Follow it up with warm, soapy water. You can also use this process as a regular maintenance method for your drains. If the P-trap becomes only slightly clogged, then you experience slow drainage in the […] If your drain has already become clogged or backed up, an enzyme cleaner is not the route to take. If your pipes are PVC or plastic, 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celcius) is the hottest temperature water you can pour down the drain to prevent damage. Try this alternative using baking soda and boiling water: For an easy, natural way to clean your drain pipes, pour 1 cup of baking soda down the drain, followed by 2 cups of boiling water. Step 1: Use baking soda to clean drains. The diameter of these drains is 2 inches. Cooking grease, coffee grounds and fat you've trimmed off cuts of meat can accumulate in the pipes and lead to blockages, so always discard these things in the trash. This article was co-authored by Chris Willatt. The main sewer line is a large-diameter pipe that pipe that carries waste from every sink, toilet, and shower in your home, through branch drains that connect into it. Follow this guide to remove grease from your drain and save your home from water damage. The trap is a curved section of pipe located beneath the kitchen and bathroom sink and is easy to clean as a home improvement project. 6. http://www.thekitchn.com/10-ways-to-get-rid-of-that-awful-smell-in-your-kitchen-sink-223627, http://housewifehowtos.com/clean/how-to-clean-stinky-drains/, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/11/05/kitchen-sink-smell_n_6110346.html, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. The pipes under your kitchen sink have to funnel all kinds of sticky, greasy substances on a daily basis. Plumber’s snake is a flexible auger that is used for cleaning sink and bathtub drains. This leads to a buildup of grime and old food that cause problems like clogged drains, blocked pipes, sewage backup and make the kitchen a stinking place. The simplest fix could be as easy as boiling water—boil a medium-size pot once or twice per week, and pour down the drain. Keep your pipes clean by controlling what you put in them and flushing them out when necessary. DEAR MR. HandyPerson: My kitchen sink has two basins, one I use for washing dishes and the other for draining them. Pro tip: Begin by sponging the water from the sink to reduce the flow under the sink when you pull off the trap. The sooner you notice that the drain is “Acting funny” or no longer drain rapidly you should take action to clean a drain before it becomes a serious problem. How to Remove Buildup in a Sink Pipe. As such, the kitchen drain is exposed to a wide range of matter that can lead to blockage, including; Food waste. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/d\/d6\/Clean-a-Kitchen-Drain-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Clean-a-Kitchen-Drain-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/d\/d6\/Clean-a-Kitchen-Drain-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/aid8766838-v4-728px-Clean-a-Kitchen-Drain-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":259,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":410,"licensing":"