Causes & Solutions for a Clogged Sink

A stubborn clog in your pipes can be frustrating, as it often makes your kitchen and bathroom unusable. Plus, these blockages often come with unpleasant side effects like bad odors, overflowing tubs, strange noises, and more. Many times, homeowners will need to get fast and efficient service from a reliable plumbing expert. However, there are instances when you may be able to DIY your drain clearing.

In this article, the fourth-generation master plumbers at Brian B. Quick discuss the common causes of clogs and tips and tricks for clearing clogs yourself. If your DIY attempts fail, we’re here with superior drain services to help you get your kitchen and bathroom plumbing back on track.

5 Common Reasons Your Sink Clogs

When your kitchen or bathroom sink is clogged, it can be a major inconvenience. Unfortunately, this is a fairly common issue for homeowners. These issues are most often caused by the things we put down our drain including:

• Food waste: Food scraps like coffee grounds, egg shells, or fibrous vegetables will accumulate in your drains or wrap around garbage disposal blades. To protect your pipes, put this waste in the trash or a compost bin.
• Grease: Never pour grease or oil down your drains. When these liquids cool and solidify, they can adhere to the walls of your pipes and then trap future debris.
• Hair: Accumulation of hair in the drain is one of the most common causes of bathroom clogs. While preventing it entirely is almost impossible, catchers or filters can help significantly reduce the hair that makes it down your drain.
• Soap scum: From shampoos and conditioners to dish soap, scum from soap can build up over time and can harden when mixed with minerals in your water supply.
• Hygiene products: Products like toothpaste and shaving cream can leave a sticky residue in your pipes that build up and lead to major blockages. 
• Foreign objects: From jewelry to toothpaste caps, any small object that falls down your drain can lead to a blockage. 

How To Clear a Large Obstruction

A large obstruction in kitchen or bathroom sinks can sometimes be solved with DIY drain cleaning from homeowners. Before beginning any work, check the pop-up assembly of your drain. Remove any hair or buildup that may be slowing your drains. If this doesn’t solve the problem, remove and clear out the drain trap and trap arm. This is often where homeowners find foreign objects. 

If none of these steps helps you locate your issue, it’s time to snake the drain. With the trap and trap arm still removed, gently feed the snake through the drain pipe with constant and firm pressure. Then, reassemble the pipes and check the drain.

How To Get Rid of Buildup

Buildup in your pipes can often be the result of grease in your drains. If you notice unpleasant odors, gurgling noises, or general slow drainage, attempt to clean your drains with these simple steps:

• Pour a pot of boiling water down your drain to melt and dissolve the residual grease.
• If this doesn’t work, increase the cleaning power by putting a few tablespoons of baking soda down the drain and using a 50/50 mixture of boiling water and vinegar.
• Follow both of these solutions with plunging to loosen and free any grease clog.

Clogged Double Sink

If your kitchen has a double sink, you may find that both sides of your sink are clogged at the same time. This is because the drain pipes for the individual sections are connected, causing them both to back up when you have a stubborn clog. When this occurs, try the troubleshooting mentioned in this article like plunging, snaking, or cleaning out drain traps to restore proper drainage to your kitchen sink.

Schedule With a Professional Plumber in MD!

If these DIY plumbing solutions don’t resolve the clog in your kitchen or bathroom, call family-owned and -operated Brian B. Quick! Our team of licensed and insured plumbers is here with expert drain cleaning services and fair upfront pricing in Montgomery and Baltimore County to keep your pipes flowing.

With same-day emergency plumbing care for repairs or issues that simply can’t wait, our plumbers can handle even the most complex clogs and blockages! Plus, with Brian B. Quick, you never pay for travel or overtime fees.

Don’t let a clog make your kitchen or bathroom unusable. Contact Brian B. Quick today to schedule drain service with our team in MoCo or PG.