Ever had your kitchen sink clogged at the worst possible time like right before your guests arrive? A kitchen sink is one of the most used areas in the house. Daily chores like cooking and cleaning depending on a functional sink. A sink that keeps clogging can be annoying and inconveniencing. Regular clogging may even need costly repairs or replacements.

Since the kitchen drain is often out of sight, you may only discover a problem when it’s too late or at the worst of times. So, it is important to have a plumber do regular preventative maintenance for your plumbing system to keep it functional at all times.

Preventive maintenance and good habits can help keep your kitchen sink clean and unclogged. This article explores practical tips to prevent clogs and maintain a clean kitchen sink. We will also explore some common causes of kitchen sink clogs and advise you on when to call a professional.

Understanding Common Causes of Clogs

  • Food waste: Food particles from foods like potatoes, rice, and pasta can create a buildup in your kitchen drain and cause blockages. These food waste and others like coffee grounds should be disposed of in the trash can and not down the kitchen sink.
  • Grease and oils: Cooking fat, oils, and kitchen grease solidifies into a hardened form that sticks to your kitchen pipes and blocks them.
  • Soap scum: Most commercially manufactured bar soaps have residues of animal fat. When mixed with minerals from water, they form a sticky scum that can clog your drains.
  • Foreign objects: Small objects like match sticks that accidentally drop in your sink can clog your kitchen drain.

How to Prevent Drain Clogs

  1. Proper Waste Disposal

Adopting proper waste disposal habits is an easy and cheap way of preventing kitchen sink clogs. For instance, drain traps or strainers can help catch food particles and other solids in your sink. You can then remove the mesh strainer and toss the solid waste in the trash can.  Don’t pour kitchen grease and oils into your kitchen sink instead collect the grease in a container and put it in the trash can.

  1. Regular Cleaning

Run some hot water after every use to clean your kitchen drains. Hot water prevents buildups from forming in your pipes. Consider using natural or homemade cleansers instead of chemical-based cleansers to clean your kitchen drain. Chemical solutions can be harmful to your pipes. But, natural cleansers like a mixture of vinegar and baking soda can thoroughly clean your kitchen sink and clear minor clogs without compromising your plumbing fixtures.

  1. Use Your Garbage Disposal Properly

If your kitchen sink has a garbage disposal, avoid using the garbage disposal as a trash can. You should avoid putting every kind of waste in it. Certain food types can clog the garbage disposal like coffee grounds, banana peels, potato skins, eggshells, meat, and bones. Consider cleaning your garbage disposal regularly.

How to Unclog Your Kitchen Sink

Most kitchen sink clogs are minor issues you can fix by yourself. Considering how common this plumbing issue is, knowing how to unclog your kitchen sink is a good skill to have. Here are some procedures you can use to unclog your sink.

  1. Using a plunger: A plunger uses suction and pressure to unclog blocked drains. The plunger method involves covering the sink drain with water and placing the plunger over the drain in a tight seal. Pump the plunger up and down forcefully. Remove the plunger to see if the water is draining. Repeat the process until you unclog the sink.
  2. Using a snake or auger: A plumbing auger is a flexible wire-like tool that plumbers use to unblock or pull out clogs lying deep in the drain pipes. The auger method involves removing the drain cover or strainer, inserting the snake into the drain, and pushing it until you reach the clog. Pull the auger out and dispose of the clog. Repeat the process until you unclog the sink.
  3. Using hot water to unclog your kitchen sink is the easiest and cheapest method. In this case, you pour hot water down the drain to remove minor clogs. But, avoid pouring boiling water as it can damage the plastic components of the sink drain and pipes.
  4. Use chemical solutions. You can use chemical drain cleaners to unclog your kitchen sink drain. The chemicals work by eating away the grime that buildups in your pipes over time. However, chemical cleansers are often successful if the clog is near the top and not deep into the drain.

When to Call a Marana Plumbing Professional

While you can fix most kitchen sink clogs by yourself, some complex issues need a professional to fix. Consider hiring a professional plumber if your clogs have been persistent. A persistent or recurring kitchen sink clog may be sign that the problem may be too severe for your DIY fixes.

One of the benefits of involving a professional plumber is that they have the right tools for the job. As experts, they fix your plumbing issues without damaging your pipes and help you avoid expensive replacements.

Contact a Marana Plumbing Expert

Even after implementing the tips in this guide and your kitchen sink is still clogging, call our Marana professional plumber at Curtis Plumbing. Let us inspect and fix your recurring kitchen sink clogs. Your frustrating kitchen sink clogs are about to end. Contact us today for an inspection or a repair appointment and to learn more about our plumbing services.