How do you declog a sink drain?

[zukeypur]

Pour 1/2 C baking soda down the drain, followed by 1/2 C vinegar. Let sit for 30 minutes, then pour 2 quarts of boiling water down the drain. I've done this several times and it's always worked well. The baking soda and vinegar alone won't work though; you need the boiling water to follow.

[Penny's Pappa]

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.

PSA -- PLEASE be careful when using sulfuric acid, especially if you've already used some Liquid Plummer/Drano! LP/Drano contains sodium hydroxide, a base. This will react with the sulfuric acid. I don't know what concentrations of acid and base are in each product, but they might be high enough that the reaction could generate enough heat that, in a confined space like your plumbing, may cause some of the drain's contents to come spewing back out. Be careful.