How to unclog a sink without chemicals
A slow bathroom sink is almost always hair caught on the stopper, so pull the stopper, clear the hair with a plastic barbed drain strip, and run hot water. A kitchen sink clog usually sits in the curved trap under the basin: plunge it with the overflow blocked, or put a bucket underneath and take the trap off to clean it. No chemicals needed.
About 20 minutes to learnEveryday skill
Mark it once you can do it without this page open.
How to do it
- Clear the cabinet under the sink and put a bucket and an old towel in place.
- For a bathroom sink, lift out or unscrew the pop-up stopper and wipe off the hair and gunk wound around it.
- Push a plastic barbed drain strip down the drain, twist, and pull it up slowly to bring out more hair.
- For a kitchen sink, fill the basin a few inches, stuff a wet cloth into the overflow or the second drain, and plunge with a cup plunger.
- If that fails, loosen the two slip nuts on the U-shaped trap by hand or with pliers, lower the trap into the bucket, and clean it out.
- Refit the trap with its washers in place, hand-tight plus a quarter turn, and run water to check for drips.
- Flush the drain with hot tap water for a minute.
Common mistakes
- Pouring drain cleaner first; if it fails you then have caustic water in the trap when you open it.
- Mixing two drain products, which can release dangerous gas.
- Plunging a double kitchen sink without blocking the other drain, so the pressure escapes.
- Losing the trap's rubber washers, which makes it leak.
- Pouring cooking grease down the sink afterward.
Quick self-check
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Teach this to someone
A one-page sheet for showing a friend, a roommate or a kid: what to say, what to show, and one question to check it landed.
Teach: How to unclog a sink without chemicals
What to say
A slow bathroom sink is almost always hair caught on the stopper, so pull the stopper, clear the hair with a plastic barbed drain strip, and run hot water. A kitchen sink clog usually sits in the curved trap under the basin: plunge it with the overflow blocked, or put a bucket underneath and take the trap off to clean it. No chemicals needed.
What to show, in order
- Clear the cabinet under the sink and put a bucket and an old towel in place.
- For a bathroom sink, lift out or unscrew the pop-up stopper and wipe off the hair and gunk wound around it.
- Push a plastic barbed drain strip down the drain, twist, and pull it up slowly to bring out more hair.
- For a kitchen sink, fill the basin a few inches, stuff a wet cloth into the overflow or the second drain, and plunge with a cup plunger.
- If that fails, loosen the two slip nuts on the U-shaped trap by hand or with pliers, lower the trap into the bucket, and clean it out.
- Refit the trap with its washers in place, hand-tight plus a quarter turn, and run water to check for drips.
- Flush the drain with hot tap water for a minute.
The check question
Ask: What usually slows a bathroom sink?
Related skills
- How to unclog a toilet
- How to fix a dripping faucet
- Where is my main water shutoff
- Every skill in Home Fixes
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Last reviewed . First published .