What to Do When Your Kitchen Sink Doesn’t Want to Drain

Having a clogged kitchen sink is no fun, especially when you've got dishes that need to be washed and kids that need to be fed. Dealing with this issue as a single mom can be very frustrating if you don't have the right help or tools to get the job done. Things can be especially troublesome if there's a lot of stinking water in the sink that won't drain even after being left alone for a while. You may have even tried a few recommendations from friends and family already with no success. If you find yourself in such a predicament, here are a few things you can do to get your sink back up and running in no time:

1. Call a Plumber

Instead of trying to do it all yourself, it would probably be much easier and less stressful to just outsource the job to a local plumber. An easy way to find good plumbers in your area is to simply search for “plumber” and then the name of your city in Google or another search engine. For example, if you live in Toronto, Canada, you'd enter the search term “plumber Toronto” to find a listing of nearby options. You might be intimidated by the cost of hiring a plumber, but in reality a simple job like a kitchen sink shouldn't cost much at all.

2. Use a Plunger

If you'd rather try a few more things before calling a plumber, it would be best to start with a master plunger (the kind that looks sort of like an accordion). Although a standard round plunger could work, it won't be nearly as effective as a master plunger. Despite the fancy name, you can pick these up at most stores for around ten dollars. Try to get the plunger to cover the drain hole completely and then work it up and down in a rapid motion so that the suction will break the clog loose. If that doesn't work, you may need to remove the pipe below the sink.

3. Remove the Pipe and Clean it

Unfasten the pipe from below the sink and remove it after placing a bucket below to catch any water that comes out. Use a wire hanger to work through the piping and make sure there are no obstructions. If you can't find a blockage in U-pipe below the sink and it doesn't fix the problem then your stoppage is most likely in the pipes in the wall or below the house, in which case the use of an auger (also called a “drain snake”) would be needed. You can either buy one yourself or hire a plumber to bring one to your home. However, if you do buy one yourself it would be much easier to go with an electric one instead of struggling with a manually actuated auger.

4. Get a Garbage Disposal to Avoid Future Problems

In closing, the best way to avoid problems like this in the first place is to install a reliable garbage disposal below the sink. That way you can break through any large food items or other pieces of junk by grinding it up before it goes down the pipe, thereby greatly reducing the chances of a clogged sink.