It's always a nightmare when water isn’t flowing freely down the sink, and knowing how to unclog a drain can come in handy. Be it your kitchen drain clogged with daily food gunk, or your bathroom has soapy scum, every household will suffer with a blocked sink at some point.
But what if you don't have a plunger or suitable tool at hand? Luckily, you can easily unclog a drain without a plunger (or a plumber!). All you’ll need are just a few basic items that you could probably find in your kitchen cupboard. What’s more, it’s far cheaper than buying drain cleaning products — which aren't the best for your pipes anyway — or worse still, calling a plumber.
So if you want your drain free from gunk and in top form, follow these easy steps on how to unclog a drain without using a plunger.
Plus, here are 9 things you didn't know you could do with borax.
How to unclog a drain with baking soda and white vinegar
1. Start by adding two teaspoons of baking soda to the drain
2. Follow this by tipping a cup of white vinegar down on top of it. You will start to see the mixture start to fizz or bubble up.
3. Boil a kettle of water and carefully pour the water down the drain. This will help to dissolve the solution, and soften any hard grease in your drains.
How to unclog a drain with saline solution
1. Start by dissolving a couple of tablespoons of salt in water.
2. Then, pour the mixture down the drain and let it sit for 30-40 minutes to give it some time to work on breaking down any grease or food particles.
3. Follow this with carefully pouring boiling water down the sink. Saline solution can break down any oils or grease build-up that is clogging your drain.
How to unclog a drain with laundry powder
1. Start by adding two tablespoons of biological laundry powder/detergent down the drain.
2. Then, pour a kettle of boiling water down the drain. The soda crystals should easily dissolve grease or fat build-up. Plus, this will leave your sink smelling fresh.
How to avoid a clogged drain
Here are some effective ways to stop your sink from getting clogged up:
- Buy a sink strainer — This will prevent any bits of food or gunk going down the drain
- Avoid pouring cooking oils down the sink — Fats and oil do not mix with water so avoid pouring them down the drain at all times. This will only result in a hard build-up of grease that will clog your pipes over time.
- Clean your sink regularly — Keep using the baking powder or saline cleaning methods about once a month to maintain your drain.
For other cleaning tips, check out how to clean grout on floor tiles to get rid of stains and how to clean every room of your home.
