Imagine a weird smell in the kitchen when you first walk in, slow water draining or odd gurgling noises as it drains. All of these signs indicate the dreaded thought that your sink is blocked. A blocked sink – whether it is a blocked kitchen sink or a blocked bathroom sink – can be very inconvenient, smell absolutely awful and become a set for bacteria which is never a good thing if you have children in the house. So, it is always essential in todays day and age really to know how to unblock a sink in your own home.

The best ways how to unblock a sink

There is no need for any fancy tools, special skills at DIY or plumbing to tackle the issue of a blocked sink. Here are three stages describing, and you need to follow one of them to get your sink unclogged and functioning properly again.

First stage: It includes three steps for unblocking the sink without any need for a plumber.

Step #1 – Take the plunge

Using a plunger is the first step to unclog the bathroom and kitchen sink. Plunging sucks the air out of the pipe and then forces it back in, dislodging the blockages. For that, you need to place the cup over the plughole and ensure a seal is formed, then drive the handle up and down in a pumping action.

Step #2 – Blast it out

Sometimes a hard burst of water can help in unclogging your sink. For that, you need a 2-liter drink bottle; fill it with hot water, tip the bottle hole against the plughole and squeeze as hard as you can. Then the fast, direct flow of water may fix the problem perfectly.

Step #3 – How to unclog a sink without a plunger

Often a plunger can’t unclog the sink due to dense and greasy blockage. So, it would help if you used a simple mix of baking soda and vinegar. If that doesn’t work, you can go with bleach to dissolve blockages from your sink.

Second stage- Round the bend

If the first stage is not working, you need to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty. Most of the time, sinks are blocked due to clogged U-bend. Sometimes, removing U-bend and cleaning it out by hand is the only solution. To do this, you will need some things, including:

• Small bucket or dish
• Plumber’s tape
• Wire coat hanger

Third Stage – Avoid an unclogged sink

Stopping certain things going down the drain is the best way to avoid a blocked sink. For that, you need to keep an eye out for:

• Food
• Tissues
• Drinking straws
• Cotton wool buds
• Bits of plastic
• Paper
• Hair and soap scum

Prevention is always better than cure, and you can follow one of these three stages to unclog your sink. But, if none of the above work properly, it is quite probably time to consider an experienced plumber to resolve the issues.