What To Do Immediately If Your Kitchen Sink Clogs (Before You Call A Plumber)

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Clogs — the wooden-soled footwear — are super cute. Clogs in the kitchen sink drain, however, are decidedly not so cute. The national average cost to professionally unclog a kitchen sink currently ranges between $250 and $400, according to home improvement outlet Fixr. But, before shelling out for a plumber, there are a few quick tricks that home cooks can try to tackle the job on their own. 

Tasting Table sat down with Shaylin King (owner of Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Tri-Cities, Yakima, and Hermiston) and Angie Hicks (co-founder of Angi) to break down this common kitchen sink problem and how to fix it. According to Hicks, "A clog in a kitchen sink is generally caused by grease, food, and other items going down the drain that shouldn't." So, with the exception of especially tough dams, dislodging a clog should be as simple as removing the blockage in the pipe. To get the job done, King recommends busting out a tool that's probably already hanging out in your bathroom: the plunger. As King tells us, the ideal apparatus is a cup plunger (like this plunger by Luigi's brand, currently $14.99 on Amazon), which is outfitted with a flat base for the most thorough, air-tight seal around your drain. Although in a pinch, any plunger you have on hand is worth trying. Just be sure to give your kitchen sink a deep clean after exposing it to a plunger that's normally used for bathroom purposes.

If the plunger method fails, King suggests busting up clogs with a baking soda and vinegar solution. Conveniently, these ingredients are often under-the-sink cabinet staples, available to help out in the event of an emergency. When baking soda and vinegar meet, their union produces three products: carbon dioxide gas, water, and sodium acetate (hence the fizzy bubbles). In chemistry, this is what's known as an acid-base reaction, and the resulting fizzy liquid is effective at loosening grimy obstructions inside kitchen drains. Just dump both down your clogged drain and let 'em work their magic. For optimal efficacy, take care not to use too much vinegar, and make sure your baking soda has not expired.

These DIY methods can save the day and save hundreds of dollars. Although, ultimately, says King, "Some clogs may require professional drain snaking by a plumber." The best offense here is a good defense, and luckily, it's easy to take a proactive approach by avoiding kitchen drain clogs in the first place. "Use a sink strainer to help keep objects from going down the drain," King tells us. This two-pack of heavy-duty stainless steel strainers by Cornerjoy brand costs just $5.98 on Amazon, and they can save home cooks major coin in the future. Also, to further stave off unnecessary clogs, never pour grease down the drain, and never put clog-prone food scraps like corn husks, coffee grounds, and potato peels into the garbage disposal.