Drain Cleaning in 3 Easy Steps

  1. 1

    Take off the drain cover. Take off any covers that may be resting atop your drain. If you have a pop-up drain stopper, remove it from the drain by turning the cover counterclockwise. Remove any extra food that remains after doing the dishes or hair that has accumulated near the top of the drain. Before you begin cleaning the drain, empty the sink. [1]

    EXPERT TIP

    To remove any hair or debris from the drain, try flushing it out with hot water after running a snake tool through it three to five times.

    Bridgett Price

    Price, Bridget

    Domestic Cleaning Expert
    Cleaning expert Bridgett Price is a co-owner of Maideasy, a maid service that provides services in the Phoenix, Arizona metropolitan area. She graduated from the University of Phoenix with a Master of Management and has a focus in both traditional and digital marketing.

    Bridgett Price

    Price, Bridget
    Domestic Cleaning Expert

  2. 2

    Drain-cleaning with boiling water Before you begin, boil some water in a kettle and pour it down your drain. The first flush will get rid of any smaller debris that had accumulated in the drain. [2]

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  3. 3

    Add one-half cup (110 Baking soda (40 g) down the drain Count one-half cup (110). baking soda (40 g) in a measuring cup. Pour the powder down the drain gradually. [3]

    EXPERT TIP

    Bridgett Price

    Price, Bridget

    Domestic Cleaning Expert
    Cleaning expert Bridgett Price is a co-owner of Maideasy, a maid service that provides services in the Phoenix, Arizona metropolitan area. She graduated from the University of Phoenix with a Master of Management and has a focus in both traditional and digital marketing.

    Bridgett Price

    Use an orange-scented cleaner as a nice substitute. I enjoy running hot water down the drain before pouring an orange-flavored product down the drain. That will completely clear out the drain and scent, and it also leaves the bathroom with a pleasant scent. It will then reactivate the scent when you turn on the sink to wash your hands, which is really lovely.

  4. 4

    Pour one-half cup (118 White vinegar (29 ml) down the drain To start the chemical reaction that should clean and sanitize your drain, pour the vinegar over the baking soda. [4] Baking soda will begin to bubble. [5]

  5. 5

    Ten minutes should be given for the mixture in your drain to fizz. The mixture will work its way down your drain to clear any buildup or potential clogs if you let it sit for 10 minutes. [6]

  6. 6

    Last but not least, run boiling water through your sink. To remove the remaining vinegar and baking soda from your sink, boil another pot of water and pour it into it. You can run boiling water through the sink once more if you can still smell vinegar coming from it.

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  1. 1

    Lemons should be sliced. Slice a lemon into small enough pieces to fit into each compartment of an ice cube tray. [7]

  2. 2

    Place the slices in an ice cube tray, then drizzle vinegar over them. Add vinegar to the ice cube tray. Your garbage disposal drain will be cleaned and deodorized with the aid of the vinegar. Additionally, it will clear out crevices in your sink's garbage disposal. [8]

  3. 3

    Give the ice cubes time to solidify. Overnight in the freezer, place the tray and let the ice cubes all harden.

  4. 4

    The ice cubes should be put in the garbage disposal. The ice cubes should be broken up and poured into the drain of your garbage disposal. [9]

  5. 5

    Until you melt all the ice, turn on your garbage disposal. Turn on your garbage disposal and pour cold water over the ice cubes. The citrus and vinegar should freshen the smell and clean your drain while the blades should shatter the ice. When you're finished, flush the drain with cold water.

    • Oils and grease become harder in cold water, making it easier for the garbage disposal blade to cut them up. [10]

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  1. 1

    Do not let grease, coffee grounds, or hair go down the drain. Putting the wrong things down the drain is a common cause of clogged drains. Avoid pouring grease, coffee grounds, food, or other substances down your sink drain because they can clog it. [11]

    • If you need to get rid of oil, after cooking, collect it in a glass jar and throw it away in the trash.
    • To prevent hair from going down your drain while shaving over the sink, line the basin with paper towels or grocery bags. [12]
  2. 2

    After washing your dishes, run boiling water down your drain. Pour boiling water down the drain after thoroughly cleaning your sink basin or washing dishes in it. By doing this, you can stop odors from developing in your drain. [13]

  3. 3

    Use a drain cover or mesh screen. By using a drain cover, you can avoid having to clean the drain as frequently because nothing will go down the drain. You can also purchase a mesh screen as an alternative if you don't have a drain cover.

  4. 4

    Pour bleach down the sink on a regular basis Pour bleach down the drain once or twice a week, and let it sit there overnight. This will lessen the likelihood of bacteria growing inside your drain and foul odors. [14] After cleaning your dishes, you can pour baking soda down the drain to smother the unpleasant bleach smell if you don't like it. [15]

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Add a fresh query
  • Question

    Since the sink drain cover has four holes that interact with the separate strainer I use to fill the sink, I am unable to remove it. Baking soda won't fall into the drain because of the holes.

    Paulamirada2

    I own the identical sink drain cover. To deodorize, I first mix baking soda and vinegar with hot water. You might try clearing your sink more forcefully directly depending on where your outdoor garden hose is. Before bringing your garden hose inside your house, make sure it is clean. Alternatively, place a sheet or tarp where the hose will enter the house. Then have someone hold the hose end with a rag wrapped around it, pointing down into your drain. Have them turn the water on at full blast while they wait for you to say "turn off," then do it again.

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  • A pot or kettle for heating water
  • Bread soda
  • Clear vinegar
  • Lemon
  • Ice cube holder
  • Bleach
  • Drain cover or mesh screen (optional)

Kadi Dulude

Co-authors include

Domestic Cleaning Expert

Kadi Dulude also contributed to this article. Wizard of Homes, a cleaning company with offices in New York City, is owned by house cleaning expert Kadi Dulude. Kadi oversees a group of over 90 registered cleaning professionals and has more than ten years of management experience. Architectural Digest and New York Magazine have both published her cleaning tips. 201,155 people have visited this article.

Co-authors: 13

Updated: 22 October 2022

Views:  201,155

Categories: DIY

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  • Tamara Beckings
    My drain started to smell awfully bad a few days ago, so I really needed to clean it today. The husband is unwilling to touch Now I hope we will have a good weekend now that it is clean. " " more
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