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Easy Ways to Unclog a Double Kitchen Sink with Standing Water?

Washing dishes isn’t one of the most enjoyable tasks to do at home, but unfortunately, it’s a job that you need to do. It becomes less enjoyable when your sink is clogged, and downright painful if you have a double sink clogged with dirty water and leftover bits of food.

However, even though a clogged sink is a huge nuisance, there are several simple solutions to this temporary problem. In this article, we will walk you through some of the reasons why your sink is clogged, the best ways to unclog it, what products to use, and how to ensure that the water drains smoothly in the future. 

Let’s take a closer look. 

What Causes Clog in Kitchen Sinks?

Here’s a list of reasons that your sink might be clogged. 

What Causes Clog in Kitchen Sinks

There are bits of food waste.

When you stack dirty dishes in your sink, you might forget to clear them of food waste before stacking them. Then, when you wash the dishes, the residual particles of food go down the drain and eventually get stuck there. Over time, the food starts to collect in the drainage pipe and causes your sink to clog after some time. 

There is oil or grease in the pipe.

One of the most common mistakes that people make after cooking is emptying their cooking or frying oil down the drain of their sink. It is a common misconception that you can pour oil down the sink drain. Even though cooking oil is a liquid, it starts to coat the inside of the sink’s pipe over time. After enough time has gone by, the built-up oil prevents water from flowing down smoothly, thus causing your sink to become clogged. 

There are small objects that have fallen down the sink drain. 

Even if you are the most careful person in the world, there might be times when you let tiny objects fall down the sink drain without realizing it. These objects could be things like pieces of plastic packing on food, an earring that fell off your ear, your wedding ring, or rubber bands and other objects. Since none of these objects are liquid or biodegradable, they will collect at the bottom of your sink drain and remain there for a long time. 

Best Ways to Unclog a Kitchen Sink With Standing Water

Even though a clogged sink can feel like the end of the world, there are several simple solutions to the problem. Some of them are as follows. 

Use a plunger

One of the easiest, cheapest, and most efficient ways to unclog a double sink is to use a plunger. If you’ve ever tried unclogging your double sink, you might have tried plunging half of the sink to find that the water level increased on the other side. Thankfully, the solution to this problem is more straightforward than you might expect. Even though both sinks have a separate drain, both drains are connected to the same pipe. 

Using Plunger in kitchen sink

Therefore, you need to put a stopper into one of the sinks and plunge the other. You need to create a firm seal around the drain with the plunger to plunge the sink and create a vacuum. Once you’ve made the seal, place the plunger directly over the drain, and plunge thoroughly as many times as necessary. When you hear the water start to drain, let it flow, and then pour boiling water down the drain to flush it. 

Also Read: How to Unclog a Bathroom Sink Clogged with Hair

Use a plumber’s snake

A plumber’s snake is another excellent way to unclog a double sink. You can purchase one from your local hardware store. The plumber’s snake is longer and more effective than a clothing hanger, so we recommend using it. It is a coiled spiral at the end of it, which you can insert into your sink drain to move and dislodge any debris and pull them out. Plumber snakes are longer and more flexible than coat hangers, meaning that you can quickly eliminate any obstruction clogging your sink. You can also insert the snake into the drain when the sink is full of standing water. 

Pour boiling water down the drain

This third method to unclog your sink might sound simplistic, but it is one of the most effective ways to unclog a sink. You will need to remove the standing water and empty it into a bucket. Next, pour the boiling water directly into the sink drain. It will loosen any debris and allow water to flow more smoothly. You might have to repeat this process a few times until the sink unclogs itself. 

What is the best product to unclog a kitchen sink?

The best product to unclog a kitchen sink is the Drano Max Gel Drain and Clog Remover. This product is affordable and easy to find in stores and online. It removes blockages of various kinds, such as hair, food waste, and soap scum. We love Drano because of how effective it is. 

How do you unclog a double sink with baking soda and vinegar?

Combining baking soda and white vinegar can help you solve many problems at home. You can use it to eliminate multiple insects and other household pests, but you can also use it as a cleaning solution and unclog a sink. 

To unclog your kitchen sink and remove standing water using this method, you will need: 

Here is what you need to do: 

  • Since your sink already has standing water, you must first use the bowl or mug to remove the standing water and transfer it into a bucket. 
  • Once you’ve removed the water and cleared the sink, pour the cup of baking soda directly into the sink’s drain. 
  • Next, you must pour the cup of baking soda into the sink. 
  • Cover the drain with a stopper, and let it sit for around 15 to 20 minutes. 
  • After enough time has passed, pour at least a liter of boiling water down the drain. If you find that there is still a clog, you might need to pour more boiling water down the drain. 

Since you are unclogging a sink using a more natural method, you might want to repeat the steps mentioned above a few times, depending on the circumstances. For instance, if your sink isn’t severely clogged, and water stops standing after pouring a cup of baking soda and white vinegar only once, you needn’t repeat the process. However, if you find that the water drains very slowly, we’d recommend pouring more baking soda and vinegar down the drain until the water drains without stopping or slowing down. 

Also Read: How To Remove Scratches From Stainless Steel Sink

How long do you leave baking soda and vinegar in the drain?

Once you’ve poured the baking soda and white vinegar into the drain, you must let it sit and leave it alone for around 15 to 20 minutes. 

How long does baking soda and vinegar take to unclog a drain?

When you pour baking soda and vinegar into the drain, you will hear a fizzing sound. This means that the two ingredients are working together to eliminate any obstructions in the drainage pipe. It takes the two ingredients around 15 minutes to unclog a drain. 

Baking Soda and Vinegar

How to unclog a kitchen sink with a garbage disposal?

Unclogging a sink with garbage disposal is relatively simple. All you need to do is the following: 

1. Unplug and turn off the garbage disposal

First, you need to switch the garbage disposal off and unplug it. If you cannot find the switch, it would be best to switch your mains off while you work on unclogging the sink. 

2. Try and see what is inside the disposal

Next, grab a flashlight or use the torch on your phone to look inside the garbage disposal to see if you figure out what obstruction is causing the sink to clog. 

3. Remove the obstruction

Once you’ve found the obstruction, you can try and remove it. If it is something large and within reach, you can use a pair of pliers or tongs to try and remove it. However, if it is an object or food waste that is too small and out of reach, you can use the baking soda and white vinegar method mentioned earlier in this article to unclog the garbage disposal. Once you’ve added the vinegar and baking soda solution, it would be best to pour boiling water down the disposal. 

If the vinegar and baking soda mixture doesn’t work, you can try plunging your sink. 

4. Call a plumber

Even though resolving the problem of standing water in a double sink can be easy to deal with on your own, there are times when it is best to call the experts. They have the correct tools and expertise to help you solve this problem! 

Will Drano work if there is standing water?

While Drano will work if there is standing water in your sink, we highly recommend that you don’t pour Drano into the water. This is why. 

Drano contains several strong, poisonous, and potentially harmful chemicals that work wonders in unclogging showers and sinks. However, if you pour Drano into a full sink, you’re creating a water body filled with toxic chemicals. This water becomes more difficult to dispose of because it contains harmful chemicals. As a result, it can be highly damaging to the people and pets in your home who might accidentally come in contact with the water. 

Therefore, when using Drano, make sure you read the instructions on the packaging and follow all safety precautions. For instance, ensure that you wear gloves, a mask, and protective eyewear so that you don’t risk inhaling or consuming the product. 

Tips to Keep Water Draining Smoothly

Here’s a list of how you can ensure that you sink water drains smoothly. 

1. Dispose of food, particles, and other objects before stacking dishes in your sink. 

It might seem convenient to stack dishes and cutlery in your sink without emptying any waste into your bin, but taking that step makes a huge difference. Dispose of all debris before you put the dishes in the sink, and by doing so, you’re making sure that fewer obstructions travel into the drainage pipe and cause problems. 

2. Empty oil and grease into the trash can or jar, not the sink. 

Don’t empty oil or grease into your sink. When you run cold water into the sink, it cools the oil and causes it to thicken and coat the inside of your plumbing system, thus preventing water from draining smoothly. 

3. Be mindful when using the garbage disposal. 

Do some research online and figure out what materials work well for your garbage disposal. Don’t dispose of waste that doesn’t agree with it, and you won’t deal with clogging in the future. 

Tips for Keeping your Drain Smelling Fresh

To keep your drains smelling fresh, you must do the following: 

  1. Pour one cup of baking soda followed by a cup of lemon juice down the drain. Let it sit, and run hot water afterward. 
  2. If you have a garbage disposal, throw some coarse salt, lemon peels, and ice cubes down, and let the garbage disposal run. 

Wrapping Up 

In this article, we walked you through an extensive explanation of what to do when your double sink gets clogged and you have standing water. It can be an expensive problem to deal with, but if you act quickly and use some of the methods mentioned above, you won’t have to worry about spending a ton of money!