Safe & Effective Ways to Clean & Unclog Any Sink Drain

If your bathroom or kitchen sink drain is clogged or has bad smells, then it’s time to clean it out. Buildup from hair, grease, or soap scum can form inside of your drain, but there are many ways to get rid of it using products you probably already have at home. We spoke to cleaning and plumbing experts to find out the best ways to clean your sink drain, so keep reading for professional advice on removing clogs and getting rid of bad smells.

Basic Sink Drain Cleaning

Slowly pour boiling water down your drain to flush out loose debris. Then, put 1/2 cup (114 g) of baking soda followed by 1 c (240 mL) of white vinegar. Let the solution fizz for 10–15 minutes before flushing it out with boiling water.

Section 1 of 6:

Using Baking Soda and Vinegar

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1
Flush your drain with boiling water. Boil a pot of water in a pot or kettle, and slowly pour it down your sink drain. The hot water will help remove any smaller particles that have built up inside the drain.^{[1]XResearch source}
- While prolonged exposure to boiling water can damage plastic or PVC pipes, it’s generally safe to pour a pot or kettle down the drain since it rinses out quickly.^{[2]XResearch source}
2
Pour 1/2 cup (114 g) of baking soda down the drain. Remove the sink stopper if your drain has one. Slowly pour the baking soda directly into the drain and let it sit for a few minutes to absorb smelly odors.^{[3]XResearch source}
- Baking soda and vinegar work great for cleaning bathroom sink drains as well as kitchen sink drains, including your garbage disposal.
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3
Pour 1 c (240 mL) of distilled white vinegar down the drain. Professional cleaner Kadi Dulude recommends pouring the vinegar directly on the baking soda to create a chemical reaction. The baking soda will start to fizz and bubble as it starts reacting with the vinegar.^{[4]XExpert SourceKadi Dulude
House Cleaning ProfessionalExpert Interview. 22 September 2019.}
- In a pinch, you can use apple cider vinegar in your homemade sink drain cleaner instead.
- Green cleaning expert Susan Stocker suggests that 1 c (240 mL) of vinegar alone may be enough to clear clogs and debris. She says, “Let it sit for 30–40 minutes. [Vinegar] has a very high acid content, and will break down a good bit of organic content that is stuck.”^{[5]XExpert SourceSusan Stocker
  House Cleaning ProfessionalExpert Interview. 8 November 2019.}
4
Allow the mixture to fizz in your drain for 10–15 minutes. As the baking soda and vinegar react to each other, the solution will work its way down your drain to remove potential clogs or buildup.^{[6]XResearch source}
- Kadi Dulude, a professional home cleaner, notes that vinegar and baking soda can also clear minor clogs and remove odors from smelly sink drains.^{[7]XExpert SourceKadi Dulude
  House Cleaning ProfessionalExpert Interview. 22 September 2019.}
5
Flush your sink one last time with boiling water. Boil another pot or kettle of water and slowly pour it down the drain to wash out the remaining baking soda and vinegar. The hot water will also remove any loosened buildup still left in the drain.^{[8]XResearch source}
- If you still see buildup or if your drain is still smelly, try using the baking soda and vinegar again to clear it up.
- Bridgett Price, a professional home cleaner, recommends pouring an orange-based cleaning solution down the drain to add a pleasant smell. She says, “It creates that nice scent that permeates throughout the room…it just perfumes the air, and it’s pretty lovely.”^{[9]XExpert SourceBridgett Price
  House Cleaning ProfessionalExpert Interview. 23 May 2019.}

Section 2 of 6:

Using Boiling Water and Soap

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Put 1 US tbsp (15 ml) of dish soap down the drain. Any liquid dish soap works, so choose your favorite scent. Pour the soap directly into the sink drain so it coats any buildup and debris.^{[10]XResearch source}
- Liquid dish soap works best at cutting through grease and oils in your kitchen sink, but it effectively cleans bathroom drains too.
2
Pour boiling water slowly into the sink to wash out debris. Boil water in a pot or kettle and pour it directly into the drain. The hot water and dish soap combo will help dissolve stuck-on debris, so it will break apart clogs and remove bad odors.^{[11]XResearch source}
- If your drain pipe is still clogged or if it smells, try the soap and boiling water mix again. If it still doesn’t work, try another way to unclog the drain.

Section 3 of 6:

Best Ways to Clean a Garbage Disposal

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1
Unplug the disposal and pull out debris with needlenose pliers or tongs. Start by unplugging your garbage disposal or turning off the fuse it’s connected to. Shine a light into the disposal to look for any large debris. If you see any, use your pliers or tongs to fish it out.^{[12]XResearch source}
- Never put tools or your hands inside the garbage disposal while it’s plugged in because you could seriously injure yourself.
Run borax and hot water through your disposal for a quick clean. Sprinkle 2–3 tablespoons (51–76.5 g) of borax directly into your garbage disposal and leave it to sit for about 15 minutes to absorb odors. Then, run hot water from your faucet, and turn on your garbage disposal to clean out debris.^{[13]XResearch source}
3
Grind ice cubes and salt in the disposal to scrub the insides. Take a handful of coarse salt and a few ice cubes, and drop them inside of your garbage disposal. Run cold water and turn on the disposal to break apart the ice. The ice helps knock food debris off the grinder and the salt acts as an abrasive to scrub the interior parts.^{[14]XResearch source}
- If your garbage disposal is really smelly, drop in a few lemon peels and turn the blades on. The peels will leave behind a fresh citrusy scent after they’re broken apart.
4
Make lemon and vinegar ice cubes to clean and deodorize. Cut a piece of lemon into individual slices that are small enough to fit into each section of an ice cube tray. Fill the tray with distilled white vinegar and put it in your freezer. Once the cubes are solid, put them into your garbage disposal, and turn it on while running cold water.^{[15]XResearch source}
- The ice will scrub the insides of your garbage disposal, and the lemon and vinegar will neutralize odors.
- Cold water hardens oils and grease so that the garbage disposal blade can break them up. If you use hot water, the grease and oil may solidify deeper in your pipes and require a professional plumber to remove.

Section 4 of 6:

Best Ways to Remove Clogs

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If you can see visible buildup and debris around the drain stopper, put on a pair of rubber cleaning gloves and try to pick the pieces out by hand. Remove the stopper, and wipe the inside of the sink drain with a paper towel to clear out as much gunk as you can.^{[16]XResearch source}
2
Run a snake through your drain to remove buildup. Drain snakes are long plastic or metal pieces that pull debris out from your drain pipes. Feed the end of the snake into your drain and gently push it until you feel a blockage. Quickly move the snake up and down to break apart the debris and unclog your sink.^{[17]XResearch source}
- If you don’t have a drain snake, professional cleaner Kadi Dulude recommends straightening a wire hanger and gently pushing it down the drain. She says, “You can make a hook at the end of the wire to pull up any hair that’s stuck in the drain.”^{[18]XExpert SourceKadi Dulude
  House Cleaning ProfessionalExpert Interview. 22 September 2019.}
- David Balkan, a professional plumber, warns that drain snakes could go through a drain line or get stuck if they’re used improperly. He recommends having a plumber snake your drain if you don’t feel confident doing it yourself.^{[19]XExpert SourceDavid Balkan
  Professional Plumber & CEO of Balkan Sewer & Water MainExpert Interview. 29 April 2021.}
3
Use a sink plunger to break apart the clog. Professional plumber David Balkan says to put water in your sink before using a plunger to help force the blockage out. Place the plunger cup over the drain and swiftly move the handle up and down to push the clog out of your pipes.^{[20]XExpert SourceDavid Balkan
Professional Plumber & CEO of Balkan Sewer & Water MainExpert Interview. 29 April 2021.}
- Avoid using the same plunger for your toilet and your sink because you could spread bacteria.

Section 5 of 6:

How often should you clean a sink drain?

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Clean your drain either weekly or monthly. If you notice some debris or bad smells coming from your sink drain at the end of the week, quickly clean it to prevent any further buildup. If your sink looks fine, then you can get by with cleaning out the drain about once a month.
- Schedule a professional cleaning once a year with a plumber to help remove buildup in your pipes that you’re unable to reach.

Section 6 of 6:

Keeping Your Sink Drain Clean

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1
Keep grease, coffee grounds, and hair out of your drain. Drains commonly clog up and develop odors when solid debris gets caught in the pipes. Avoid putting solid foods, hair, coffee grounds, grease, or any other foreign objects down your drain so it can stay clean.^{[21]XResearch source}
- If you need to get rid of cooking oil, collect it in a glass jar after cooking and throw it away in your garbage.
- If you are shaving over the sink, line the basin with paper towels or grocery bags to catch the hair before it goes down your drain.
If you clean your sink basin or wash dishes, run hot water from your faucet or boil a pot of water to pour down the drain afterward. The water can flush out any soap or debris from your drain pipes to prevent odors and clogs from forming.^{[22]XResearch source}
Put a mesh screen over your drain to catch debris. Set the mesh screen over your drain so food and other debris can’t wash into the drain pipes. When the mesh screen is full of gunk, take it out and empty it into your trash can.^{[23]XResearch source}

Community Q&A

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Question
I cannot remove my sink drain cover as it has four holes which engage the separate strainer I use to fill the sink. Baking soda will not pass the holes and drop into the drain.
Paulamirada2
Community Answer
I have the same sink drain cover. I use baking soda and vinegar first with hot water to deodorize. Depending on where your outside garden hose is located, you can try clearing your sink with more force directly. Make sure your garden hose is clean before bringing it inside your home, or lay a sheet or tarp down where the hose is going to come in. Then have someone hold the end of the hose pointed down into your drain with a rag around it. Have someone to turn the on water full blast and wait for you to call out "turn off," then repeat.
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Warnings

David Balkan, a professional plumber, says that you rarely need to use chemical drain cleaners because you can typically pull the debris from the top of the drain by hand.^{[24]XExpert SourceDavid Balkan
Professional Plumber & CEO of Balkan Sewer & Water MainExpert Interview. 29 April 2021.} Chemical drain cleaners and clog removers can also cause the pipes to corrode, pollute the water, and cause irritation if they get on your skin.^{[25]XResearch source}
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