Whether it’s in the kitchen, the bathroom, or the garage, a clogged sink is always going to be a pain. Particularly considering it’s an issue that always seems to pop up at the most inopportune moments. Really though, there’s never a good time for your drain to get backed up.

Luckily, it’s often a pretty straightforward task to unclog a sink. While sometimes the problem can be something more complex, a lot of the time it’s something you’ll be able to fix yourself.

Below, we’ll talk about some of the steps you can take if your sink gets clogged—including when it’s time to call in professional clogged sink services. Read on for everything you need to know.

1. Check Your Garbage Disposal

One of the most common causes of a clogged kitchen sink is some sort of debris getting caught in the garbage disposal. First, try running the disposal for at the same time as your hot water tap. Doing this for a few minutes can help clear any clogs.

If this doesn’t work, try manually inspecting your disposal. But always remember to turn it off completely before doing so.

2. Boiling Water

Speaking of hot water, pouring a good amount of boiling water down your drain is one of the most effective ways of unclogging minor blockages—whether you’ve got a garbage disposal or not.

Boil a good amount of water, slowly pour it down the drain, and then wait. If the blockage persists, you might have to move on to more aggressive methods.

3. Get Chemical

If these treatments aren’t working, it might be time to try something a little stronger. You can buy drain unclogging agents at the store—most of which should work for the majority of situations.

But you can also make your own drain cleaner with pantry items you’ve got at home. You’d be surprised at how well a DIY baking soda and vinegar drain cleaner can work.

4. Get Out the Plunger

A plunger can be a great tool when you want to unblock a sink. One tip is to create an airtight seal around the plunger.

Once you’ve created a strong seal, you’ll be in a much better position to dislodge whatever could be clogging your drain. Then place the plunger firmly over the drain and pump up and down vigorously.

5. Call the Professionals

When you feel like you’ve exhausted all your options and nothing has worked, it might be time to finally call a professional. There’s no shame in contacting a plumber for a clogged sink. In fact, it’s the type of call they’ll get all the time, and they’ll be able to clear it up in no time at all.

Clogged Sink? Don’t Worry

If you’ve got a clogged sink, we hope that one of the above DIY remedies will work for you. If they don’t, however, we’d be more than happy to help. At Academy Plumbing, we’ve got years of experience serving the good people of Albuquerque. Give us a call today to let us know how we can be of service to you.