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How to Unclog a Sink Drain
Most sink clogs are hair and soap (bathroom) or grease and food (kitchen) caught in the stopper or the P-trap right under the sink.
Safety first
- Don't mix drain chemicals, and don't plunge or open the trap after using them; they can splash and burn.
- Wear gloves and eye protection.
Tools
- Cup plunger
- Bucket and towels
- Channel-lock pliers
- Hand drain snake (auger)
- Rubber gloves
Parts
- Replacement P-trap washers, only if the old ones are cracked
Step by step
Clean the stopper
Pull or unscrew the pop-up stopper and remove the hair and gunk wrapped around it.
Plunge
Fill the sink with an inch of water, block the overflow hole with a wet rag, and plunge hard 10–15 times.
Open the P-trap
Put a bucket under the U-shaped pipe, loosen both slip nuts by hand or with pliers, and empty and rinse the trap.
Snake the line
Feed a hand auger into the wall pipe, crank it until you feel resistance, work through the clog and pull it back out.
Reassemble and flush
Reinstall the trap with the washers seated, hand-tighten plus a quarter turn, and run hot water for a minute.
When to call a pro
Call a plumber if several drains are slow at once, water backs up into another fixture, or you smell sewer gas. That points to a main line clog.
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