The kitchen is usually the busiest place in every home and serves as a crucial area for feeding your family. However, it is also a delicate area because it must be free of harmful contaminants like viruses and bacteria. As a result, a clogged sink is more than just a nuisance. Additionally, standing water poses a health risk as it can quickly turn stale and attract numerous microbes.
The good news is that you can quickly clear the clog in the sink and make your kitchen look spotless with the right strategies, which we’ll make simple for you. Before we get into how to unclog a double sink, let’s look at some of the most common clog-causing agents.
What Causes Clogs in Kitchen Sinks?
Food Waste
Don’t be fooled by garbage disposal units located under the sink. Food waste dumped in the sink will inevitably cause clogs. Most food particles are difficult to dissolve, leading to clogged drains. Before washing the dishes, always scrape the utensils and dishes of any food items that should never go down a garbage disposal.
Oils And Grease
While some may argue that oils, fats, and grease should not cause blockages, these substances are known for reducing the capacity of your sink’s drain, especially when cleaning with cold water. Grease can be challenging to remove. However, with the right techniques, which we’ll go over, you can quickly eliminate the fat and oil residues that accumulate over time.
Small Objects
It is usual for small objects to clog your garbage disposal. Coins, rings, and earrings can cause severe clogs, so you must act quickly to keep them from interfering with the performance of your garbage disposal.
Mineral Buildup
When dealing with a blockage, this is among the most challenging agents. People living in regions with hard water frequently experience mineral buildup, and mineral residues tend to accumulate and clog your drain. A plumber can assist you in resolving this issue.
How Can I Unclog My Double Kitchen Sink With Garbage Disposal?
Now that you know the leading causes of clogging let’s get down to business. Here are tried-and-true methods for clearing a clogged double kitchen sink with garbage disposal.
Use Hot Or Boiling Water
This is by far the simplest and least expensive solution, and it is the one you should try first. Your drainage pipes will be left clean and smooth due to boiling water’s ability to melt fat and grease buildup.
However, it is challenging to add boiling water when standing water is in your double sink, and you will need to improvise using a small bucket or mug to drain the water to get rid of the standing water.
After removing all the dirty water, fill the sink with hot water. Watch the water drain to see if it happens gradually. It is best to pour the water in tiny amounts to avoid a buildup.
Remember that you might need to repeat this procedure multiple times to remove all of the fat or oils that may have accumulated on your dual sink.
Use A Plunger
Garbage disposals are typically located on one side of double sinks. You can drain the standing water with your kitchen plunger. How do you go about it? The procedure is not too complicated. First, plunge the double sink on one side, preferably the side with the garbage disposal. Use the plunger repeatedly on the other sink to see whether the water will sink.
You can try the other method and plunge the opposite side of the sink while blocking the side you first dived if the blockage still won’t drain. The plumbing system can benefit from the pressure created by the plunger to clear out the residues or any tiny debris from the pipes.
If the water begins to drain after the plunger clears the obstruction, it is helpful to flush the system with boiling water to flush out any fats or oil buildup that may have accumulated over time.
Remove And Check The Trap
You must first take a few easy steps to deal with the trap effectively. After cleaning out the sink cabinet, put a bucket underneath the pipes. It’s wise to use a wrench to aid in loosening the pipe as you remove it. The bucket will help keep the area clean and tidy by collecting the water in the disposal.
Examine the pipe for any debris once you’ve removed it. Use a plumber’s snake or a wire coat hanger to get rid of debris. A blocked pipe often contains a dense mass of clogged debris that a plunger cannot remove. Wash the trap off outside or in a designated cleaning area. Make sure you entirely run hot water to flush out any remaining debris.
When you’ve finished cleaning the trap, it’s time to reconnect it to the kitchen drainage system. Once you’ve done that, run some hot water to see whether the drainage issue has been resolved. Pour water into the sink repeatedly; if the drain works correctly after 5 minutes, then voilà! You’ve been able to fix the complex drainage system in your kitchen.
Baking Soda And Vinegar
You’ll be surprised by the magic a baking soda and vinegar solution can perform. Put approximately a third of a cup of baking soda on a plate, and place an equal amount of vinegar in the same bowl as the baking soda. When the liquid starts to bubble, you should quickly dump it down the drain. The fizzing action is the cleaning ingredient that helps remove filth, grease, and residue in this situation.
Leave the mixture to sit for fifteen minutes to fifty minutes. If you have the time, you may even let the combination sit for a whole night to ensure it fully reacts with the buildup in your sink’s drainage system. If you don’t feel like mixing baking soda and vinegar in a dish, start by placing a lot of baking soda in the sink and adding an equal amount of vinegar. As anticipated, the mixture will start to bubble right away.
After giving the combination a few minutes (or even hours) to settle, clear the drain by pouring hot water. Your sink should now drain properly and be completely functioning. This formula works just as well as conventional drain cleaners while being better for your pipes.
Salt And Baking Soda
You don’t have to worry if you do not have vinegar. Salt can be a beneficial anti-clog agent for those who enjoy DIY projects. Mix a cup of baking soda with about 1/2 cup of salt on a plate.
After putting the liquid down the drain, let it sit for 4-6 hours. Pour hot water to flush once the solution has had a few hours to work. If the method doesn’t work the first time, don’t be afraid to try it again a few more times. It is easy to deal with grease and oil-related blockages using this method.
You can use salt and hot water to accomplish the task for many minutes. When combined with hot water, salt is an effective unclogging agent, and it clears the pipes of oil or fat accumulation, restoring regular operation to your sinks.
When the plunger doesn’t work, always try the salt and baking soda alternative, but remember that this procedure works best when the mixture sits for a few minutes to several hours to settle.
Plumber’s Snake
You have taken the P-trap out and attempted to wipe the gunk off it. Unfortunately, despite your best attempts to remove the dirt from the trap, you aren’t quite able to get to the blockage farther up the system. A plumber’s snake might be helpful in this situation. With this tool, you can reach and easily remove a clog that is farther down in the trap.
The plumber’s or drain snake allows you to access areas that a metal coat hanger cannot. If cleaning the dishes is a hassle because of your clogged sink, you might think about purchasing this plumbing equipment from your neighborhood hardware shop. When the plunger cannot clear the drain, a plumber’s snakes will come in handy.
After using the plumber’s snake, reinstall the trap and run the unit with hot water to remove any grease, fat, or oil residue after cleaning. Run the faucet now to check the efficiency of your do-it-yourself plumbing. The sink should drain if you use the plumber’s snake properly and thoroughly.
Reset Garbage Disposal
There are many causes of kitchen blockage. One of these can result from the necessity to reset your waste disposal. The first step is to find the reset button on the garbage disposal.
Try pressing the reset button several times to see if it resolves your drainage issues. You don’t have to worry If it doesn’t work. The next step is to spin the center crank clockwise with an Allen wrench to attempt to free the blades and clear any obstruction.
It would be best if you tried to use a plumber’s snake on the kitchen drain to ensure no residue remains in the system. After resetting the garbage disposal, proceed to run the faucet to determine if your sink is fixed.
A Coat Hanger Can Help
Not everyone has access to a snake drain that a plumber uses to unclog sinks, and a metal coat hanger can be helpful in these situations. Although a coat hanger can be a useful improv tool, only a plumber’s snake can clear deep clogs, and however, it can get to some clogs and clean your sink.
Tips For Preventing Recurrent Clogging
The best way to ensure your sink remains up and running is to keep inappropriate food waste out of the drain. Even though it is impossible to stop some wrong food items from entering the disposal completely, you can make an effort to put such items in the trash bin.
Try wiping the plates with a paper towel if you made an oily dish or dessert. Your drainage system may become clogged with grease and oils, especially if you clean with cold water. Using a paper towel to remove grease and oil before cleaning will help to prevent the buildup.
Running hot water through your sink once a week will prevent the accumulation of oil and other debris. Similarly, while cleaning the sink, consider combining hot water and salt; this will prevent blockages, especially if you do it regularly.
Additionally, suppose you reside in a region with hard water. In that case, you should think about installing a softener to stop the progressive accumulation of mineral deposits and lengthen the longevity of your drainage pipes.
