Any Drain Blockage Will Disappear in Seconds — Plumbers Don’t Want You to Know This Trick!, by Nancy Home on YouTube. 7 min 3 s.
- Video length
- 7 min 3 s
- Time to do it
- 20 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Put on rubber gloves and place a bucket under the sink trap if you can reach it. Clear dishes and standing water from the sink bowl first.
Lift out any food scraps, hair or grease sitting near the drain hole with your fingers or a cloth. Bag the waste and bin it.
Pour half a cup of baking soda straight down the drain opening. Push it in gently with a spoon handle if it sits on top.
Follow with one cup of white vinegar. Cover the drain with a cloth to keep the fizzing action inside the pipe, and wait 15 minutes.
Boil a kettle and let it cool for a minute. Pour the hot water slowly down the drain to flush the loosened gunk away.
If water still drains slowly, fill the sink with a few inches of water and plunge the drain with a sink plunger for 20 to 30 seconds.
Run the hot tap for a full minute to check the flow. Repeat the baking soda and vinegar step if the water is still sluggish.
Once the drain runs freely, flush it weekly with hot water to stop grease and soap scum building up again.
Tips and common mistakes
Never pour neat boiling water into a cold ceramic sink, as it can crack the bowl.
Skip chemical drain cleaners if you plan to plunge or take the trap apart, since they can splash back.
Pour used cooking oil into a jar and bin it instead of rinsing it down the sink.
If the water does not move at all, the blockage is likely deeper and needs a plumber or drain snake.
Questions
Can I use this method on a bathroom drain too?
Yes, baking soda and vinegar work on hair and soap scum in bathroom drains. Pull out visible hair first, then follow the same steps.
How often should I clean the kitchen drain?
A quick hot water flush once a week helps, and the baking soda and vinegar treatment every month keeps grease from building up.
What if the sink still drains slowly after trying this?
The clog may be in the trap or further down the pipe. Unscrew the trap with a bucket underneath, or call a plumber if you are unsure.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
