How do you declog a sink drain?

[lchang25000]

I heard Drano is not the best thing to use, so just trying to find alternative ways. Thanks!

[gatorsmom]

Try a drain snake. There are different kinds and if you go to a hardware store they can explain the differences. We have a simple plastic one that cost a few dollars that looks like a 2foot long piece of plastic with thorns running along hte sides. That has been successful for us before.

Here is a video I found using what appears to be a more expensive "snake"" http://fivepercent.us/2009/05/10/clo...er-than-drano/

HTH!

[Penny's Pappa]

Yeah, I've never had much luck with Drano. Better to physically clear the clog. First, take off the trap (the U-shaped bend in the drain) and check there. If it isn't there, get a snake as PPs mentioned and just keep feeding till you can't feed any more cranking the snake the whole time, then retract. Repeat as necessary. Depending on where the clog is, you may have to access the plumbing elsewhere in your house.

[elaineandmichaelsmommy]

Go buy a snake. Drano will eat away at your pipes, a snake will grab the clog and either break it up or brink it up. I recommend one that retracts into it's own holster. It should be less than $20. You can get directions on the website for this old house or on youtube. Good luck.

[sariana]

What do you do if your drain (plug) can't be removed, and you don't want to access the trap? Do you work the snake down one of the sides of the drain?

[klwa]

Also, once the drain is cleared, it helps to use a baking soda & vinegar rinse once a month or so to keep clogs from forming in pipes. Just pour BS into the pipe & add a good amount of vinegar. After abotu an hour, run HOT water through it to clear out any gunk.

Ooh, and we got one of the little infomercial drain snakes that fits in wihtout having to remove anything. Works great!

[Snow mom]

You really need to take the trap off if possible. Snakes don't really like sharp bends like a trap. They also make plungers for sinks (like for toilets) but whether or not it's going to do anything probably depends on where the clog is. A plunger just forces some water in to try to move whatever is blocking it.

[wendibird22]

As you said, Drano is BAD. DH has insisted on Drano. Well a few weeks ago I removed the drain plug from our shower and sure enough part of a cross bar at the top where the plug screws into is GONE...it totally ate away the metal.

[MommyAllison]

I've used a sink plunger on totally clogged drains with great success, and they are really inexpensive. I've also used baking soda + vinegar for slow drains, and it works well.

[AnnieW625]

We use commercial strength Liquid Plummer, and the drain snake. We got both at Lowe's. The commercial strength drain cleaner works soo much better than the normal stuff.

If the clog is really bad then at any home improvement store look for one that contains sulfuric acid. Usually the stuff is sold inside a plastic bag. Also get some disposable pie tins (to cover the drain), gloves, and a mask as the stuff stinks, but it really works. I once used it in a shower drain in my condo and never once had a backed up drain for the entire two years I continued to live there.