First, remove all stagnant water from the sink. Replace it with hot water until it is halfway full, and it generates a seal around your drain. Place the sink plunger over the drain and start pumping up and down swiftly. Remove the plunger, observe if the water flows, and repeat the procedure until water flows freely.
Use a plunger
If you've got standing water in your sink, the best way to get it to go down the drain is to plunge it. You'll need a plunger -- but preferably not the one from your bathroom (yuck), so use a clean one. It's a good idea to store a small plunger beneath your sink for this very purpose.
Use a sink plunger to try and dislodge the clog by creating suction. If the plunger doesn't work, try a mixture of baking soda and vinegar. Pour half a cup of baking soda followed by half a cup of vinegar down the drain. Let it sit for a few minutes, then flush with hot water.
Drano Max Gel Liquid Clog Remover
The best drain cleaner overall. A thick gel that descends through standing water to the source of the clog and starts to work melting soap scum, grease, and other gunky obstructions, is safe for plumbing and septic systems.
White vinegar is a versatile cleaning solution. Its acidic nature helps dissolve mineral deposits, making it an excellent choice for targeting hard water stains. Whether on glassware, faucets, or tiles, simply spray white vinegar on the affected area, let it sit for a few minutes, and then wipe it away.
Mix 240ml of boiling water with 240ml of vinegar in a measuring jug. Then, add 120g of baking soda into the mix and pour this into the drain. This should foam up inside your drainage pipes and clear the blockage. Let the mixture sit for an hour.
Pour one cup of fresh baking soda down the drain, followed by one cup of white vinegar. Place a rubber stopper or other sink hole cover over the drain opening. Wait 15 minutes to allow the vinegar and baking soda to unclog your drain, Then take out the drain cover and run hot tap water down the drain to clear the clog.
The fizzing reaction and gas created may help loosen some small blockages. However, it is not typically strong enough to break down larger clogs or remove hard-to-reach debris. As a result of the above facts, if you have a serious drain clog, using baking soda and vinegar is unlikely to be effective.
While it's not the end of the world, it won't cause immediate damage to your home and the water will eventually drain away, a slow drain is still a problem that needs to be fixed. A drain that is slow to empty will mean there is already a clog in the system and, over time, one that will only get worse.
Mr Muscle Drain Gel unblocker sinks through standing water and blockages to eliminate blockages and their unpleasant odours so you can clean less and do more. Clears blocked sinks, plugholes and pipes. Sinks through standing water.
Bicarbonate of soda (or baking powder) and white vinegar
All you need to do is pop a couple of teaspoons of bicarbonate of soda down the plughole and chase it with a cup of white vinegar. Leave it for about five minutes and then try flushing the blockage with the hot kettle water.
What happens if you put too much baking soda down a drain? Too much baking soda put down a drain can clog it. It can harden and become a solid, cement-like mass.
What is the best overall drain cleaner? During our lab testing, we found the Green Gobbler Main Line Opener performed best at clearing clogs. It's worth noting that the Green Gobbler Main Line Opener claims to be safe for toilets, sinks, tubs, showers and even septic tanks.
So, which one should you go for? It really depends on what kind of cleaning you need to do. If you're dealing with really tough, built-up mineral deposits, especially in your bathroom or kitchen, CLR might be the way to go. It's strong enough to handle stains that vinegar might struggle with.
Vinegar. Since the majority of hard water is calcium, it is highly reactive with acids like vinegar. Place small fixtures that are covered in buildup into a bowl of hot, all-natural vinegar to dissolve the calcium deposit in about an hour.
The rate of dissolving is influenced by stirring, temperature, and size of solute particles. Stirring helps distribute solute particles, speeding up the rate of dissolving. Warm solvents dissolve solutes faster due to increased particle movement. Smaller solute particles dissolve faster due to increased surface area.
Baking soda is a classic method of removing hard water stains from a multitude of surfaces. Simply mix baking soda and water until you have the consistency of a paste, and then apply the paste to the surface with water stains. Let it sit for 15 minutes, and then scrub it gently with an old toothbrush or sponge.