Is your Kitchen drain clogging?

Imagine yourself returning home after a long day. You step into your home, go to the sink and realize that the drain is clogged. It’s just annoying.

Clogged drains are a common problem in every house. This issue can crop up at any time and it’s best if you can handle the problem yourself rather than depending upon a plumber.

First things first, it’s better if you treat the problem the minute you realize that your sink is taking a little longer to drain. However, if it is clogged, here are a few simple tips to handle the problem:

• • Try pouring a couple of big bowls of Hot Water mixed with some Salt down the drain. This is the simplest and the easiest way to get rid of a clogged drain.
  • Mix 1 tbsp of Baking Soda and 1 tbsp of Vinegar. You will see some fizz forming. Immediately pour this mixture into the drain and leave it for 20-30 minutes. After that pour some hot water into the sink.
  • Mix ½ cup of Baking Soda and ½ cup of Table Salt and pour it into the blocked drain. Leave it for about 20-30 minutes. After that, pour some hot water. This will unclog your drain.
  • If you have Caustic Soda at home you can use that too but with extreme caution. Caustic soda is nothing but sodium hydroxide. You need to mix caustic soda with cold water in a plastic container that you don’t use for cooking. Stir it with a wooden spoon. Never use it without rubber gloves as it can cause nasty burns. Once you mix it in water, it begins to fizz and heats up. Pour it into the sink and leave it for 20-30 minutes. After this, pour in some hot water. Never pour undissolved caustic soda into the sink. It should be used with utmost care. One should avoid using it on galvanized, zinc, aluminum, or acrylic surface.

You can repeat these remedies once in a while to avoid buildup in your drain.

Why do drains clog

Kitchen drains clog because most of the time people are not mindful of what is being thrown down the drain. Below are a couple of things that one should avoid disposing of in the sink:

• • Grease/oil/ ghee is bad for the kitchen sink. Instead, you can dispose of these using an old unused jar or a cardboard milk container/juice container. For tips on how to dispose of used oil please read my blog Quick tips on reuse and disposal of cooking oil.
  • Grounded coffee/tea leaves are equally bad for the sink.
  • Vegetables/ fruit peals, bones, seeds, eggshells can also block your drain.

Be watchful of what is being disposed of in the sink and you can avoid a clogged drain.