Prevent Kitchen Drain Clogs By:
You can prevent kitchen drain clogs . Grease may go down the pipe hot and in a liquid state but will solidify into a mass as it cools, which can cause clogs. It’s better to put grease in a jar that you can throw away after it has solidified. You can also use a wire mesh filter on top of your kitchen drain to keep clog-causing food out of the drains.
If you have a garbage disposal, you should always run it with some extra water after using it to make sure food scraps are pushed down the drain line. Make sure to keep things like eggshells, stringy vegetables , and foods that expand with water out of the pipes. All of these can create clogs. If you do end up having a clog and it won’t get out with hot water, dish soap, and plunging, take a look at our how to unclog a kitchen drain article.
Overall, plumbers say the best way to clean out clogged drains is by mechanical means and some hot water. Stay away from chemical cleaners as they can damage your pipes and are hazardous to humans.
The best way to prevent clogged drains is to first not put anything down the drain that shouldn’t be there throw it away or compost it. Second, make sure to run hot water after putting anything down a drain to prevent clogs from building up and give the food, toothpaste, or soap a chance to get out of your pipes.
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Home remedies of course!
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How To Unclog A Kitchen Sink Drain 4 Simple Fixes
Any slow draining sink is a nuisance. But different sinks tend to have different clogs. For instance, shower drains tend to collect hair. Kitchen drains, on the other hand, tend to have more problems with grease and food particles. The team at Herrmann Services put together these tips specifically for how to unclog kitchen sinks and garbage disposals.
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How Should I Clean My Kitchen Drains
These are the two simplest, easiest, and most effective ways you can clean a kitchen sinks drain. If your sinks drain is really dirty, we recommend trying both in succession. The next time you clean your kitchen drain, try:
- Flushing the drain. First, boil three cups of water. Pour the hot water down the drain. Be careful! Avoid splashing and steam. Boiling hot water will help loosen up any gunk in the drain and, hopefully, wash it away. After pouring the boiling water down the drain and letting it sit for a minute, follow it up by pouring just as much cold water down the drain. That will help remove any remaining debris or grease. Repeat the process a few times if you want to make especially sure youve cleared things.
- Using a mixture of vinegar and baking soda. Pour a cup of baking soda in your drain and then follow it with four cups of distilled white vinegar. When they come in contact with one another, the white vinegar and baking soda will start a reaction that fizzes and foams. That fizzing and foaming will work its way down your drain, clearing away debris as it goes. Run water down the drain for a little while afterward to clear anything else away.
How To Clean White Kitchen Sink
- Spread some detergent powder onto the sink area
- Add a tablespoon of white vinegar to the sink.
- Now scrub the sink and rinse
- At last, take half a teaspoon of bleach and clean the sink quickly with it. This will ensure that the kitchen sink remains shiny as before.
There you go! You have a clean kitchen sink drain ready. And now you have got a clean sink in your kitchen. Be it a black sink, white sink or stainless sink, and you have a way to clean every single type of single. Try these methods. You can come back to this post again and thank us later on! If you still have questions and queries on how to clean a kitchen sink, then visit our page and get help from qualified experts.
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Is A Basin Wrench The Same As A Pipe Wrench
No, a basin wrench is not the same as a pipe wrench. A basin wrench is a specialized wrench designed to reach recessed nuts on faucets, which usually cant be reached by a standard wrench. Its T shaped handle creates the right angle to access these nuts, which most often are located below sinks.
It can also be used to access tight spaces beyond the reach of a pipe wrench or adjustable wrench. A pipe wrench, typically referred to as a monkey wrench, can only be used to grip round pipe or other rounded surfaces.
It also has a swivelling jaw that can be adjusted to different sizes so that it can fit a variety of pipe diameters. So, as you can see, a basin wrench and a pipe wrench are two very different tools made for two very different jobs.
Cleaning Your Kitchen Drain With Hot Water And Dish Soap
Professionals strongly discourage you from using chemical drain cleaners as they emit toxic fumes, but they are also harmful to your pipes. If you are dealing with sewer gnats or nasty odors coming from your sink drains, the chances are your p-trap is to blame.
Before you try anything else, run the hottest tap water you have down your drains, as this loosens any clogs. You can use boiling water, too.
Squirt some grease-fighting dish soap down the drain, such as Dawn. If there is a clog, use a plunger to clear it and then rinse with hot tap water. Use your favorite kitchen sink cleaner afterward to wash away any excess dirt and debris.
If you are struggling to clear the drain clog, use a baking soda and white vinegar foaming mixture to remove it. Pour ½ cup of baking soda directly into the drain, followed by 1 cup of white vinegar. Allow to sit inside for up to one hour and then flush with boiling water.
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How To Clean A Smelly Sink Trap: Do
1. Measure out ½ a cup of baking soda and pour down your kitchen sinks drain.2. Pour a few drops of tea tree, mint or eucalyptus essential oils down the drain as well.3. Let the mixture sit for about an hour.4. Rinse with boiling water to flush out the drain.
Isnt it nice to know that a foul-smelling odor from your kitchen sink isnt the end of the world?
It doesnt mean your sink or disposal is broken, and it doesnt mean you need an entirely new drain. It just means you need to flex your do-it-yourself muscles a bit!
Hopefully you feel much better about your options when youre wondering how to fix a smelly kitchen sink!
If you need additional assistance with any plumbing related issues, give us a call at Benjamin Franklin Plumbing Bay Area. One of our expert plumbers would be happy to take a closer look.
Poor Or Uneven Water Flow
Water flow in a sink is controlled by the water aerator, which is attached to the end of the faucet. The aerator mixes the flow of water with air, to reduce your water usage. When a water aerator is clogged or goes bad, this can reduce water pressure or cause the water to come in strange bursts. Repairing the water aerator can ensure good flow from a faucet. Bathroom sinks can also be highly susceptible to this issue.
As described in the sprayer section, you can clean the aerator by unscrewing it and cleaning out the gunk. Usually debris in the aerator can be removed by hand or poked out with a toothpick. If cleaning the aerator doesn’t work, aerators are easy to replace. Purchase one from a local hardware store or home improvement center. Sometimes the greatest challenge with replacing an aerator is ensuring that the aerator matches the material the faucet is made from.
Pro Tip:
Some aerators are designed to save more water than others. Check the GPM on each aerator before selecting one to buy.
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Going The Extra Mile: Clean The Grease Trap
Cleaning a sink grease trap is an important task to maintain the cleanliness and functionality of your sink and plumbing. Grease traps are designed to capture fats, oils, and grease that can build up in the pipes and cause clogs. Grease traps need cleaning around every 2-3 months, depending on how quickly FOG builds up. Youll know your grease trap is overdue for cleaning if your sink drains properly, then gets clogged after the water has been running for a long time. A foul smell coming from your grease trap also means its high time to get the gunk out.
To start cleaning your grease trap, we recommend opening all windows and maximizing the ventilation. You can expect a foul smell from old fat and oils to waft once you open the trap.
Open the trap and scoop out all the liquid and gunk. You can use a spatula to scrape down the sides. Once the trap is empty, attach a hose to the inlet and outlet of the grease trap and flush it with hot water. For an extra deep clean, you can wipe down the inside of the trap with a solution of dish soap and bleach to get it deodorized and sanitized.
Once you have flushed the grease trap, you can replace the lid and dispose of the FOG that you removed in accordance with your local areas waste management protocol.
How To Clean A Sink Drain With Baking Soda & Vinegar
You can clean sink drains and remove minor sink clogs using a mixture of baking soda and vinegar. The fizzy chemical reaction is ideal for dissolving sink clogs caused by grease, toothpaste or soap buildup. This helpful how-to video shows you the step-by-step directions on how to clean a sink drain. For tougher clogs, contact your local Roto-Rooter to inquire about our drain cleaning service.
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How To Clean A Smelly Drain
Smelly drains are the worst! No one likes to walk by a nasty drain with a disgusting odor coming out of it. It is good to be familiar with what causes a smelly drain and some home remedies to fix it. If you ever need drain assistance, Great Pros has plumbers who are readily available to help. Lets go over the most common causes of a stinky drain and some home remedies for the stench.
What Will Dissolve A Blocked Drain
The best way to dissolve a blocked drain will depend on the type of blockage. Common culprits include hair, soap scum, debris, and food scraps.
For a blockage due to hair, try pouring a mixture of half a cup of baking soda and half a cup of vinegar. After pouring the mixture, leave it for 20 minutes before flushing the drain with hot water.
If the blockage is due to debris, try adding dish liquid soap to hot boiling water and pouring it down the drain, then let it sit for about 15 minutes before running hot water through it.
If the blockage is due to soap scum, use a mixture of 1 cup of baking soda and 1 cup of vinegar. Leave it in the drain for 30 minutes and follow up with hot boiling water.
If the blockage is due to food scraps, use a combination of 1 litre of vinegar, 1 litre of boiling hot water, 1/3 cup of baking soda and 2 tablespoons of salt. Wait for at least 15 minutes before adding the boiling hot water.
All of these solutions should be effective in helping to unblock the drains, however, if the blockage or clogs persist, it may be time to call a plumber.
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Cleaning The Drain With Vinegar And Baking Soda
Salt Baking Soda And Vinegar
Adding salt into the mix can help get rid of even tougher clogs and smells. The fine grains of salt can dislodge food and grease and are great for absorbing nasty smells.
To get started, prepare:
- 1/2 cup baking soda
- 1/2 cup vinegar
First, mix the salt with the baking soda, and pour it down the drain. Heat the 1/2 cup of vinegar for a short period of time in the microwave and pour this down the drain next. Once you hear fizzing, cover the drain and let the combination sit for approximately 15 minutes. After said time, boil up the water and pour it down the drain for 30 to 60 seconds.
If necessary, repeat the process. This natural method is a quick and effective way to get rid of offensive odors and difficult clogs.
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