You can also try pouring baking soda down the drain, followed by vinegar and hot water. If the above techniques don't work, try using a kitchen sink plunger or a makeshift plumber's snake with an old wire coat hanger to clear out the blockages.
If you've determined it's not a clogged sink but still have a slow-draining sink when you run water, it is most likely a plumbing vent issue.
Pouring a cup of baking soda and then a cup of vinegar into a drain pipe can produce a chemical reaction that is sometimes effective at clearing deeper blockages. Make sure to follow up with hot water to melt away any remaining debris.
If your auger isn't unclogging a clog, it could be because: The old clog is still attached. Are you using a drain snake that has been used before? Make sure the old clog isn't embedded in the corkscrew end.
Best Overall
In just 15 minutes, our pick for the best drain cleaner, Drano Max Gel, will clear up clogs in sinks, tubs, PVC, septic tanks, and garbage disposals. It's safe for piping and septic systems, with a thick gel that sinks into standing water to the source of the clog.
Baking soda, vinegar and boiling water can help clean drains naturally, but you may need something stronger, like Liquid-Plumr, to fully unclog those really tough drain clogs.
If flushing your water lines and descaling your pipes doesn't work, you may need to take them apart and soak them in a cleaning solution. Doing so will give the cleaning solution more time to break down any calcification or clogs in your pipes.
When you are using a baking soda and vinegar solution to clean out your drain, you are actually causing the rubber and plastic that are used for the drain's pipes to be eaten away by the mixture. Over time, this rubber and plastic will break down, causing the drain to become even more blocked.
Kitchen sink clogs are usually caused by food. Food washed off of plates and down the drain can become trapped in the pipe system under the sink. Sinks usually have what's known as a P- or J-trap that catches larger items to keep them out of the rest of the pipe system in your home.
Preventative Maintenance
Pouring bleach into the drain when the unit is not operating can leave residual bleach, which will damage the drain pan and line. Using vinegar for preventative maintenance throughout the year will keep your drain clean and clear and will not damage your line.
Salt & hot water
While hot water can help loosen up debris, coarse salt actually scours the inside of your pipes, removing more material than hot water alone. After removing standing water from the sink, pour about half a cup of table salt down the drain before you pour in the hot water.
You can also pour vinegar down the drain on its own.
Pour about 1 cup of vinegar down your drain and let it sit for 30-40 minutes. Vinegar has a very high acid content (which is why it's great on soap scum) and it will break down a good bit of the organic content that is stuck.
Salt, Borax, and Vinegar
Start with 1/4 cup of salt, 1/4 cup of Borax, and then a 1/2 cup of vinegar. Add a pot of boiling water and let it sit for at least an hour or until it clears. Finally, rinse with hot tap water to clear all ingredients down the drain.
Annual Cleaning
It's a good idea to schedule an annual drain cleaning even if you don't suspect there's something wrong with your plumbing.
If used water takes a long time to drain, that can be a sign of a clogged vent stack. Debris blocking the vent won't allow air to get inside and push the water out of drainage pipes. Any drain in your home that takes forever to drain can be due to a blocked vent.
While snaking is generally considered safe for your pipes, it can damage your pipes if they are in bad shape. Homes that have older pipes are more susceptible to this happening as hairline cracks and corrosion occur over time. Surprisingly, snaking your main line can potentially make the clog worse.
Crank the Handle of the Drain Snake
When pushing the cable through the P-trap, the U-shaped pipe section under the sink, you may encounter some friction and resistance. If this happens, push on the cable while cranking the drain snake slowly. A couple of turns will help the cable maneuver through the bends in the pipe.
Using a snake is also more invasive and time-consuming than using a chemical cleaner is, and can often become a dirty job. When it comes to getting at and removing major clogs or clogs that are deep down in your pipes, however, a plumber's snake is your best bet.