If a sink in your home becomes blocked, it can cause a whole host of unpleasant experiences, such as bad odours, strange sounds, and slow-draining water.

Fortunately, there are several tried and tested methods that you can use to unblock your sink without having to call out a plumber.

1. Use a plunger

One of the most popular and effective ways to unblock a sink is with a plunger. To use this method, follow the below steps:

• Drain any remaining water from the sink using a pair of rubber gloves, a cup, and a bucket. Make sure that you also remove any leftover food debris.
• Unscrew the plughole and clean out as much of the debris as possible using your hands.
• Secure the overflow using an old towel or dishcloth. Make sure that the seal is tight by covering it with strong tape.
• Place the plunger around the plughole and then fill the sink with around 5cm of warm water. Now, start to firmly pump the plunger up and down to create suction and dislodge both the water and any trapped debris.

2. Use bicarbonate of soda

If you do not have a plunger to hand, then bicarbonate of soda is a great alternative. To use this method, follow the below steps:

• Pour boiling water down the drain to try and dissolve any food debris.
• Next, pour one cup of bicarbonate of soda directly into the plughole. Use a small funnel if needed.
• Leave the bicarbonate to work its magic for a few minutes, and then pour in one cup of white vinegar. When you hear a sizzling sound, this means that a chemical reaction is taking place, which will unclog the blockage.
• Put the plug back in and leave for 5-10 minutes.
• Remove the plug and then pour in another cup of boiling water.

3. Use soda crystals

Soda crystals are a multi-purpose cleaner which means that they can be used to clean lots of different things, including drains. To use this method, follow the below steps:

• Pour boiling water down the drain to try and dissolve any organic matter.
• Next, pour one cup of soda crystals into the plughole, followed by one cup of hot water.
• Wait 5 minutes, and then pour another kettle of boiling water down the plughole to flush out and clean the drain.

4. Use a snake

If the above methods have proved unsuccessful, then you might want to try using a drain snake. To use this method, follow the below steps:

• Carefully feed the drain snake into the drain. Do not force it down.
• Continue to feed it down until it does not go any further down the pipe.
• Using the handle, rotate the snake clockwise. Keep doing this until you can feel the blockage start to move.
• Rewind the snake back up the pipe and remove it.
• Turn on the tap to see if the water runs freely down.
• If not, repeat the same process again.

If the block in your sink simply won’t budge, even after trying all of the above, then get in touch with a reputable plumber in St Albans here today and let the professionals work their magic.