Bathroom Sink Won T Drain Not Clogged

Bathroom Sink Won T Drain Not Clogged

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If you've noticed standing water in your tub or your kitchen sink draining slowly, you probably have a clogged drain. Fortunately, if caught early you can clear a clogged drain using common household items. Vinegar, baking soda, borax, and lots of hot water are simple, yet effective tools in clearing slow-draining sinks.

1. 1

   Drain any water from the sink or tub. If it's really slow-draining, this may take a while, but if you remove the water, your drain-clearing mixture will be able to unclog faster.

2. 2

   Gather household cleaning/kitchen items. You have several options for creating a non-commercial drain opener. Most involve vinegar and another substance that create a chemical reaction when combined. See if you have any of these drain-opening agents on hand:

   • Vinegar (white or apple cider vinegar work) is the acidic base for creating the foaming reaction.
   • Lemon juice is acidic like vinegar, but smells refreshing. This makes lemon juice a good option for clearing out clogged kitchen sinks.
   • Baking soda is frequently used as a multipurpose cleanser.
   • Salt will help eat away at the clog.
   • Borax is frequently used as a multipurpose cleanser.

3. 3

   Pour vinegar and another drain-opening agent down the drain. No mixing is needed before pouring down the drain. The mixture will foam up on its own as the chemical reaction occurs.^[1]

   • For a vinegar and baking soda combination: use 1/2 cup of baking soda and 1/2 cup of white vinegar.
   • For a lemon juice and baking soda combination: use 1 cup of baking soda and 1 cup of lemon juice.
   • For a salt, borax, and vinegar combination: use 1/4 cup of borax, 1/4 cup of salt, and 1/2 cup of vinegar.

   EXPERT TIP

   Susan Stocker runs and owns Susan's Green Cleaning, the #1 Green Cleaning Company in Seattle. She is well known in the region for outstanding customer service protocols — winning the 2017 Better Business Torch Award for Ethics & Integrity —and her energetic support of green cleaning practices.

   

   Susan Stocker
   Green Cleaning Expert

   You can also pour vinegar down the drain on its own. Pour about 1 cup of vinegar down your drain and let it sit for 30-40 minutes. Vinegar has a very high acid content (which is why it's great on soap scum) and it will break down a good bit of the organic content that is stuck.

1. 1

   Cover and let the mixture sit. Either use the tub stopper to close the drain or cover it with a steaming hot cloth. Keep the drain closed for 30 minutes. During this time, the foam will be working on wearing down the clog.^[2]

2. 2

   Plunge the drain. Use a small, sink size plunger to agitate the clogged-up material. Create a seal and push up and down on the rubber base of the plunger.

   • Plunging works best if you fill the tub or sink with water. The added pressure from the water will help force open the clog.

3. 3

   Use a hanger to pull out the clog. If the drain is clogged with hair, take a metal hanger and twist it till you have a long piece of metal with a small hook at one end. Carefully feed the hook end of the wire down the drain. Twist the wire around and try to snag the clog. Gently pull the wire back out once you've caught the clog.

   • Take care not to scratch your sink or tub with the exposed metal. Also, use caution when untwisting the hanger. The metal may be sharp.

4. 4

   Use a drain snake. A drain snake looks like a long metal rope. You'll need to carefully feed the snake into the drain. When the snake gets stuck, you'll want to turn the cable. This will make it catch onto the clog. When you slowly pull the snake back out, the clog should clear. Flush with water and repeat.^[3]

   • Wear work gloves since the metal snake can be sharp. You should also have an old towel and bucket handy to set the clogged material.

1. 1

   Flush the drain with hot water. Boil at least 6 cups of hot water or several kettles full of water. Uncover the drain and slowly pour the hot water down.

   • If you have plastic piping, just use very hot water. Avoid pouring boiling water in the drain.^[4]

2. 2

   Repeat. If the water is still draining slowly, repeat the process again until the drain becomes clear.

   • If the clog still stubbornly resists draining, you may have a hairball stuck. This may require manually removing the clog. Consider calling a plumber, especially if the drain completely stops up.

3. 3

   Use gravity and pressure to flush the drain. This works best on a clogged tub, since you can fill the tub with gallons of water. Fill the tub with hot water. Then, open the drain and let the pressure of all that water help break up the clog.^[5]

Add New Question

• Question

  What should I do if the clog is longer than the size of the hanger I am using?

  

  You might need to get a zip-type clog remover, sometimes called a drain snake. The zip-type snake can be just a few dollars from your local hardware store. The metal ones up to about 25 feet can range from $10 to $30 USD or so. If a 25-foot snake won't reach the clog, then you probably need to hire a professional.

• Question

  Can I use hot vinegar if I used a commercial drain cleaner several days prior?

  

  Yes, you can, but the vinegar need not be to hot. Use it with baking soda for the best results.

• Question

  Do I mix the baking soda and vinegar in a cup before pouring it into the sink?

  

  No. Pour soda down the drain, then follow with the vinegar. Flush the mixture down the drain with hot water. If you mix the basics together in a cup, it will start to foam and lose its effectiveness.

• Question

  Can I use vinegar by itself? If so, how much should I use and how long should I wait until I flush with hot water?

  

  While you could use just vinegar, it's not likely to be anywhere near as effective. It is better to use baking soda with the vinegar. It is the chemical reaction between the two that helps clear the gunk that is blocking the pipe.

• Question

  How do I fix a clogged toilet?

  

  First, make sure that the toilet has very little water in it. In other words, if the toilet is completely clogged, then manually take as much water from the toilet as possible. Put about 4-5 squirts (about 1 inch) of Dawn or similar detergent into the toilet. Take a bucket of hot water and pour it quickly into the toilet. This method works 95% of the time. In rare cases, you may need to repeat the process. In that case, increase the amount of detergent.

• Question

  Is this safe if you have a septic system?

  

  Yes.

• Question

  How do I get rid of drain flies?

  

  Pour bleach down your drain and flush it out with hot water. Do this several times and in all drains if needed.

• Question

  How do I clear my laundry drain if it's clogged?

  

  If you can get on the roof safely with a garden hose, and you understand where the main plumbing vent pipe is (over the bathroom commode drain), you can run a hose pipe down that vent stack pipe and turn it on full blast to blow clogs through the main drainage pipe. Have a person inside watch the sinks and commodes for overflow.

• Question

  Do I need to remove the kitchen sink garbage disposal in order to use a snake?

  

  You cannot run a snake through the disposal; but rather than remove it the better solution would be to remove the p-trap to snake downstream through the opening thus provided. In this case with the p-trap removed you will be able to view directly and find that it is gummed and clogged. If it is you may find that snaking further is not necessary. Clean it and reinstall to determine if normal flow is restored.

• Question

  Can this be done after I've tried commercial products like lye?

  

  Yes of course, just be safe and make sure the room is well-ventilated.

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• Check to make sure you do not have corroded pipes.

• These methods work best if you catch the problem before the drain is completely clogged.

• You should see an improvement after 2 or 3 tries. If the drain is clogged with a hairball, you'll need to actually remove the material blocking the drain.

• Avoid using these methods if you've already poured commercial drain cleaning down the drain. The vinegar and chemicals in the commercial cleaner can create dangerous fumes.

• Concentrated vinegar (acetic acid) and caustic soda are sometimes used for clearing drains, but both are irritants.They can cause irritation to skin, eyes, nose and throat. Avoid direct contact with skin, eyes and clothing.

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Article SummaryX

To clear a clogged drain with vinegar, allow all of the water to drain from the sink, then pour vinegar and baking soda, lemon juice, borax, or salt down the drain. This will create a foaming chemical reaction in your pipes that can help break up the clog. Use the tub stopper or a steaming hot cloth to cover the drain for about 30 minutes, then plunge the sink until the clog is removed. Flush the sink with hot water and repeat if necessary. For tips on creating the perfect vinegar mixture, keep reading!

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Bathroom Sink Won T Drain Not Clogged

Source: https://www.wikihow.com/Clear-a-Clogged-Drain-with-Vinegar