It doesn’t take much to cause a clog in your kitchen sink, but there is plenty you can do to prevent one. One way many homeowners avoid foul smells and clogs is through awareness. If you know which solids and residues should not seep into your sink’s drain, then you should attempt to dispose of those in your home’s garbage can instead.
No homeowner or renter is perfect. As a plumber can tell you, sometimes accidents just happen when food, oils, grease and cleaning residues will find their way into your kitchen sink’s drain. The key is to not let these items build up in your drain over time.
Depending on how often you use your kitchen sink, we recommend cleaning out your drain at least once per week to prevent a clog and foul odors. This task can be accomplished a few different ways:
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Water and Dish Soap – Mix dish soap into a few cups of boiling hot water, and slowly pour the mixture down your drain. Wait five minutes to let the water sit and sift through the drain. Once that’s complete, turn the faucet on to let cold water flow down the drain. Repeat this process once more to clear excess food and foul odors from your drain.
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Baking Soda and Vinegar – Pour one cup of baking soda and two cups of vinegar down your sink drain. Let that mixture sit for 15 minutes before rinsing it out with hot water.
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Water, Ice and Lemon Peels – If you need to clean your garbage disposal, then this is the solution for you. Place a couple of ice cubes into your garbage disposal and turn on the cold water tap.
Once the ice has disappeared, you’ll turn on the hot water tap and run it for a few minutes. While this is happening, cut small peels off of a lemon. Turn off the faucet and drop the peels into your garbage disposal. Briefly run the garbage disposal with lukewarm water.
For serious clogs, it’s better to contact a trusted plumbing company for help. While it might be tempting to use harsh drain cleaners instead, doing so can have serious consequences for your home’s plumbing. This could potentially damage your plumbing and lead to a plumbing repair that’s just as expensive as a professional unclogging service.
Cleaning your sink with a mixture of baking soda, white vinegar and water down the drain won’t harm your home’s plumbing, but it’s not always a perfect fix. That’s when a reliable plumbing service like Ponderosa can help you.
Central Oregon’s Plumbing Services
If you’ve got a stubborn clog or foul smells still lingering from your kitchen sink, then it might be time to call a professional for help. Contact one of Ponderosa’s local plumbers in Bend, OR today. We’ll make sure your plumbing issues get resolved in no time!
