A clogged sink is messy. A double kitchen sink that is clogged is twice as troubling. So, today, we’ll tell you how to unclog a double kitchen sink with standing water.
How to Unclog a Double Kitchen Sink with Standing Water
• Reset Garbage Disposal
• Try a Plunger
• Run Hot Water Down the Drain
• Use Natural Drain Cleaners
• Remove the P-Trap and Use the Plumber’s Snake
• Call a plumber
Reset Garbage Disposal
A clogged kitchen sink can happen because of several reasons. And you might be surprised to know that one of them is your garbage disposal needing a reset.
If the garbage disposal is not running, you need to see if it is overheated. Turn the switch off. Then, turn the switch on again to see if this clear the clog.
We know that garbage disposal units make our lives easier. They can dispose of food scraps; thus, avoiding to clog your sink. But if you expect your garburator to work properly and last, you shouldn’t put things like coffee grounds or eggshells.
To care better for your appliance, take a look here at the 9 forbidden food items for your garburator.
If restarting the garbage disposal didn’t help, you need to try a plunger next.
Try a Plunger
Unclogging a sink is not rocket science. But most of the time means that you need to get your hands dirty.
You need to start by using the plunger.
Remember that the plunger is a tool that works by means of water pressure. And since we’re working with a double sink, the first thing you to do is to block the unclogged drain with a rag. In this way, all the pressure you apply over the clogged sink will work effectively.
Remove the standing water from the clogged kitchen sink but leave enough water to cover the plunger cup.
Place the plunger cup over the clogged drain and make sure to establish a tight seal. Push the plunger up-and-down evenly 6 times, keeping a tight seal.
Remove the plunger and if water drains, you’ve successfully unclogged the sink. If there is still water in the sink, you need to try this process a second time. If it doesn’t work this time, move down to our next tip.
Run Hot Water Down the Drain
Sometimes, all it takes to unclog a kitchen sink are two blasts of very hot water. So, give it a try, after all it could work.
The hack behind this tip is that boiling water helps melt grease and fat residue from the clogged drain.
First, remove the standing water. Then, boil half gallon of water in a pot on your stove. When the water is rolling and boiling, take the pot carefully and pour the boiling water directly into the kitchen sink drain.
If water drains smoothly, you’re good to go. If not, then try the “boiling water tip” a second time. You need to let the hot water in the sink cool, then proceed to remove it. And when the second water pot is boiling, pour the hot water again.
As we said earlier, to unclog a kitchen sink is not rocket science. Instead, it’s more like a trial and error process.
If the disposal is not running, check to see if it has overheated. Activate the reset switch at the side or on the bottom of the unit. Then turn it on again to see if this clears the clog.
Use Natural Drain Cleaners
There are many natural alternatives to a clogged kitchen sink. We recommend these natural options because some commercial drain clog dissolvers can corrode your draining pipes.
To be more specific: “Chemical drain cleaners can corrode your draining pipes when used improperly.”
Most commercial clog removers use sodium hydroxide (caustic soda or lye) or sulfuric acid. The bad thing about these ingredients is that they are extremely corrosive to organic materials and your draining pipes. Click on the following link to learn more on the negative effects of commercial drain cleaners.
We advise using the following natural mixtures to unclog your kitchen sink drain.
Baking Soda and Vinegar
First, remove the standing water is there is any.
Then, pour 1 cup of baking soda into the drain. After that, pour 1 cup of white vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
You need to let the mixture sit for at least one hour, then you can rinse your sink drain using boiling water.
If the clog doesn’t seem to dissolve, you can repeat the tip again.
Salt and Baking Soda
An alternate mixture to unclog a kitchen sink is salt and baking soda.
Make sure to remove the standing water from the clogged kitchen sink.
On this tip to unclog your sink, you have to create the mixture before pouring it into the sink.
So, take a bowl and add half a cup of salt plus a cup of baking soda. Then, pour the mixture.
But here is the thing:
You need to wait between 4 and 6 hours for the salt and baking soda mixture to work.
After the time elapsed, you need to flush the mixture with hot water (just as we advised you before).
If none of the tips worked, you need to roll up your sleeves, and get your hands dirty.
Remove the P-Trap and Use the Plumber’s Snake
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If by now the clog remains, you need to use a plumber’s snake to drill through it.
You can use the drain snake directly into the sink if you don’t have a garbage disposal.
If you have a garbage disposal, you need to remove the p-trap and use the plumber’s snake directly into the trap arm.
Click to read our blog post in which we teach you how to remove the p-trap.
We know that you don’t have a plumber’s snake or drain snake lying in your storage room. The best option is to rent one.
According to HomeAdvisor, the cost to rent a handheld drain snakes ranges from $35 to $45 a day.
We recommend renting the BrassCraft Drum Auger. This product is excellent because it’s portable and powerful enough to unclog your kitchen sink.
Call a Plumber
If you couldn’t unclog the drain after trying all of the tips, we gave you, you need to call a plumber.
You can call
Follow Our Tips to Keep Water Draining Smoothly!
If by some reason your double kitchen clogs
How to Unclog a Double Kitchen Sink with Standing Water
• Reset Garbage Disposal
• Try a Plunger
• Run Hot Water Down the Drain
• Use Natural Drain Cleaners
• Remove the P-Trap and Use the Plumber’s Snake
• Call a plumber