Conventional advice for how to unclog a sink often involves harsh chemicals or power tools. When your sink is not draining, it may be tempting to throw everything at the problem, but there are easy, environmentally safe solutions.

We’ve put together some tips for how to clear a clogged drain without straining your systems or the environment, whether your bathroom sink is not draining or you need help unclogging your kitchen sink. Use the following tips to free your drains and your day. overflowing sink

Clearing a Clogged Kitchen Drain

Chances are your clogged kitchen sink was caused by grease or food particles, or a combination of both. Below are a few home remedies for clogged drains when you’re faced with a sink full of water.

1. Check Your Garbage Disposal

If your clogged drain is attached to a garbage disposal, first check that the disposal isn’t to blame. Turn on your sink faucet, and then turn on your disposal. If the clog is in the disposal, running it with water may break up an obstruction and send it on its way.

If your garbage disposal doesn’t run when you turn it on, try this: Turn your disposal off, then press the red reset button located at the side or bottom of the disposal, under the sink. Turn on the water and turn the disposal back on. If your clogged drain doesn’t clear, go to Step 2 below.

Quick tip: If your reset button doesn’t stay in, wait 10 minutes and try again. If it still doesn’t work, your disposal may be broken and require service. And it goes without saying, NEVER put your hand inside your disposal, even if it’s off. If you need to poke around in there for some reason, use long sturdy tongs.

2. Use Boiling Water

When you’re trying to figure out the best way to unclog a sink — and you’ve already determined that your clogged drain isn’t caused by a problem with the disposal — pouring boiling water down your drain is a useful trick. This method is best for minor clogs caused by built-up grease or oil.

Slowly pour at least two quarts of boiling water (not hot tap water) directly into the drain. The boiling water will help break up and dissolve grease and grime that may be causing the obstruction. After you’ve finished, run tap water to see if the drain has cleared. If not, try the process again.

Warning: If your drain is attached to PVC pipes, which are made of plastic, boiling water could soften, and even slightly melt, the pipes. Do not try using this method to clear PVC pipes.

3. Make a Natural Soda Splash

Another remedy is to unclog your drain with baking soda and white vinegar. This is one of the classic home remedies for clogged drains and is a good alternative to chemical products. As a bonus, baking soda eliminates drain odors.

Start by pouring one cup of baking soda down your clogged drain and follow with a cup of white vinegar. Place a rubber stopper over the sink drain and wait about 15–20 minutes for the mixture to do its work. Then remove the stopper and run hot tap water down the drain to (hopefully) clear your clogged sink.

4. Take the Plunge-r

Unclogging a kitchen sink sometimes requires tools associated with other rooms. A plunger is a handy tool to have handy for any sink that’s not draining. Plungers work through a combination of pressure and suction. When a plunger is sealed over a clogged drain and you apply pressure in an up-and-down movement, the water trapped in the plunger creates a force to dislodge the clog.

Like most household tools, plungers come in different varieties. A standard cup plunger is best for a flat clogged sink. A toilet plunger, typically called a flange plunger, has a soft rubber cup within the outer cup. The soft inner cup can neatly cover a toilet drain opening, making it ideal for applications with smaller openings that are angled.

Make sure there is some standing water in your clogged sink to create the force you need to loosen the clog. Place the plunger over the clogged drain, and then move the handle in firm, steady up/down motions, taking care to maintain a good seal over the sink drain with the plunger cup.

Quick tip: If you have a double kitchen sink, seal the second drain with a stopper or wet cloth before using the plunger on your clogged drain. Otherwise, your plunger will simply send the water into the second sink instead of into the clog and down the drain pipe.

Clearing a Clogged Bathroom Drain

If you have a slow-draining bathroom sink or shower, it may have become clogged with hair, soap residue, and personal care products like shaving cream and lotions. These are the most common culprits for a clogged drain in your bathroom.

Bathroom sinks typically have pop-up stoppers, so when you’re grappling with a bathroom sink not draining, first remove the stopper to access the drain (more on this in our guide, How to Fix a Sink Stopper). Often, the debris that’s causing the clogged sink is clinging to the stopper, so removing and cleaning it can instantly solve the problem. If your stopper is clean, try some of the methods outlined above.

Alternatively, you can try a drain snake (also called a plumbing snake or drain auger). These simple tools are among the best ways to unclog a sink. A drain snake is a long, thin, flexible (about 20 feet long) strip with small teeth or barbs at the end. It’s inexpensive and available at most home improvement stores — and it works wonders on clogged sinks and tubs.

Insert the snake into your drain until it reaches the obstruction and gently wiggle it around in small up/down motions, twisting and turning it slightly. As it moves, it breaks up or dislodges any blockages in the pipe. When you pull it out of the drain, clumps of hair and debris will likely come out with it. Not a pleasant sight, but the beauty of drain snakes lies in their effectiveness.

Quick tip: Electric drain snakes use a motor to turn the cable and can be useful for larger, more stubborn blockages.

Unclogging a Shower or Tub Drain

Faced with standing water in your shower or tub? The culprit is usually a combination of dirt, soap residue, grease, and hair. But some reliable non-chemical remedies are available to help keep them free of debris, including any of the home remedies for clogged drains outlined above. The boiling water technique works best when the clog is dirt and grease, not hair. You can also try the baking soda and vinegar solution. Be sure to pour some hot water down your drain after you’ve finished this process to wash away any remaining residue.

To remove clumps of hair, a drain snake is still your best weapon. Insert it down your shower or bathtub drain as you would do in your bathroom sink and agitate it slightly. If this does not clear the clogged drain, you may need to call a plumber. The clog could be located too deep in your drain pipes for you to access and clear, and a professional with the right tools and equipment will know how to clear a clogged drain of this kind.

Keeping Drains Clog-Free

Clearing a clogged drain can be a messy job, but fortunately, there are measures you can take to prevent clogged sinks from the start.

For Kitchen Sinks

The key to avoiding a clogged sink in your kitchen is taking good care of your disposal. This means:

Do not put large amounts of food waste down your drain at once. Food scraps from plates are fine, but overloading your disposal is hard on the motor.
Never pour fats, oils, or grease down your drain. They become solid when cooled and can create an obstruction in your pipes. Instead, store a few empty cans under your kitchen sink and use them to collect the leftover waste.
Don’t use your disposal as a garbage can. Gummy pasta, rice, and potatoes can turn into mush, and fibrous items like corn husks, artichokes, rhubarb, and celery are also drain cloggers. Non-food items don’t belong in your garbage disposal and can cause issues.
Always run the faucet into your disposal when you turn it on, and let it run for about 15 seconds after you turn it off. This helps force food particles through the pipes and keep them clean of debris.

To keep your disposal running smoothly and smelling fresh, try these routine maintenance tips:

About once per month, drop specialty ice cubes down your disposal. To make them, combine one part vinegar and one part water, and then pour the liquid into an ice cube form. The ground ice mixed with the vinegar’s acidity helps clear away buildup inside the disposal and the pipes.
Run a few sliced lemons through your disposal every so often to replace stale disposal odors with a light lemony aroma.
Generously sprinkle baking soda down your drain and let it sit overnight. In the morning, pour vinegar into the drain and let the mixture bubble to create a cleaning agent that gently scrubs inside your disposal.

water down drain

For Bathroom Sinks, Tubs, and Showers

Although preventing a clogged drain in your bathroom can be easier than in your kitchen, there are some important tips to follow:

Always place a hair filter over your shower and bathtub drains. They’re an inexpensive way to keep hair out of the drain and are available at your local drugstore or home improvement store. You’ll find numerous types to fit different tub and shower drains.
If you don’t want a slow-draining bathroom sink, don’t use it as a makeshift garbage can. Avoid washing everything, like hair and other debris, down the drain.
Pour boiling water into your drains every so often to help break down soap scum and debris and send them on their way. Remember, if your drain is attached to PVC pipes, which are made of plastic, use this method cautiously or sparingly.

As you can see, it’s easy to learn how to unclog a sink, unless the issue is more than a simple clog. To care for your whole system beyond clogged drains, there are other ways to prevent plumbing problems and avoid plumbing disasters. If you’re experiencing larger plumbing stoppages a home warranty with plumbing coverage can help solve the issue.

Fortunately, if you have a First American home warranty, you can make a service request for plumbing problems like a clogged drain. Warranty coverage makes quick, convenient help as simple as a phone call or online request. Want to learn more about our home warranty plans? Get a free home warranty quote today.

The contents of this article are provided for general guidance only. First American Home Warranty does not assume any responsibility for losses or damages as a result of using this information.