How to Unclog a Drain

Having a clogged drain can cause all kinds of issues when using your sinks or showers at home. Whether it’s water pooling around your ankles in the shower or a kitchen sink that refuses to empty, it’s an annoyance you can do without.

Thankfully, you don't always need to call in a professional right away. We have a range of drain unblocking solutions that you can carry out yourself, some just using basic household items. All you really need is bicarbonate of soda, vinegar, and some boiling water in a jug. So, keep reading for step-by-step instructions for drain unclogging.

Useful links

TOOLS

Kettle
Measuring jug
Drain coil (optional)

MATERIALS

Drain unblocker
OR
240ml of boiling water
240ml of vinegar
120g of baking soda

USEFUL LINKS

You can clear minor blockages by pouring 240ml of boiling water mixed with 240ml vinegar and 120g bicarbonate of soda down the plughole.
For standing water or severe clogs, physical tools like an adjustable drain coil or a plunger are more effective than liquid solutions.
Prevent future build-up by installing drain guards to catch hair and food waste, and avoid pouring grease or oil down the sink.

What causes drain clogs?

Understanding what causes drain clogs is the first step to fixing them. Blockages usually build up over time. In the kitchen, the culprit is often food debris and grease. You might think washing fat down the sink with hot water is fine, but it cools and solidifies in the pipes.

In the bathroom, hair and soap scum are the main offenders. They bind together to form stubborn clumps that cling to the pipe walls. Eventually, this narrows the pipe until water can no longer pass through.

DIY solutions for clogged drains

You may need to consider different methods for different levels of blockage, with simple home remedies working for easier blockages and harsher chemicals for more stubborn blockages.

How to unclog a drain with bicarbonate of soda and vinegar

If you have a slow-running drain, you might not need harsh chemicals. You can make a simple, effective mixture using items you likely have in your cupboard.

Kettle
Water
Measuring jug
Rubber gloves

240ml vinegar
120g bicarbonate of soda

First, flush boiling water from a kettle down the drain. This helps loosen any grease near the surface.

Mix 240ml boiling water with 240ml vinegar in a measuring jug.

Then, add 120g bicarbonate of soda into the mix and pour this into the drain.

This should foam up inside your drainage pipes and clear the blockage. The foaming action expands to reach the top of the pipe, scrubbing the sides. Let the mixture sit for an hour.

After an hour has passed, run hot tap water for up to one minute into the drain. This washes away the loosened debris.

How to unclog a drain with standing water

The bicarbonate of soda method works best on slow drains, but how do you unclog a sink drain that is completely full? If you have a basin full of water, pouring more liquid in won't help the mixture reach the blockage.

Rubber gloves
Plunger
Drain coil

In this situation, you need to remove as much water as possible. Use a cup or jug to bail the water into a bucket. Once the water level is below the overflow, you can try using a plunger.

Place the plunger over the plughole. Ensure you have a tight seal as you need water (not air) to force the blockage.

Pump up and down vigorously for about 20 seconds.

If this doesn’t work and the blockage is more severe, we recommend using an adjustable drain coil to combat severe blockages in your drain.

How to unclog different types of drain

Different drains around your home will require different remedies. We’ve covered sink drains above, so let's take a look at shower, bath, and dishwasher drains.

Hair is the biggest issue here. If you remove the cover, you’ll often find a clump of hair right at the top. Wearing rubber gloves, you can pull this out by hand.

If the clog is deeper, use a drain coil (also known as a plumber's snake). Feed the wire into the pipe until you feel resistance. Twist it to hook the blockage, then pull it out. This is often the best way to unclog a drain in the bathroom.

Bathtubs can be tricky because of the overflow mechanism. When plunging a bath, you must cover the overflow opening with a wet cloth. If you don't, the air pressure from the plunger will escape through the overflow rather than pushing the clog.

If your bathtub won't respond to plunging, you may need to use a drain unblocker liquid designed for hair removal.

A pool of water at the bottom of your dishwasher can be worrying. Before you panic, check the filter. This is usually found at the bottom of the machine. Twist and lift it out. Rinse it thoroughly in the sink to remove food particles.

Also, check the drain hose where it connects to your sink plumbing; sometimes the blockage is actually in the sink spigot, not the machine itself.

How to prevent drain clogs

Of course, prevention is always better than a cure, so it’s a good idea to keep on top of your drain maintenance.

Use drain guards: these simple mesh screens catch hair and food scraps before they go down the hole.

Bin the grease: never pour cooking oil or fat down the sink. Wipe pans with a paper towel or pour fat into a container to throw in the bin.

Regular maintenance: once a week, pour a kettle of boiling water down the sink to melt away small grease deposits before they grow.

While we can't promise you’ll never face a clog again, these methods can help you when it eventually does happen. If your water is draining slowly, all you’ll need to do is mix together a solution from items you already have at home. But if the drain is completely blocked, opt for something a bit more heavy-duty like a chemical unblocker or a drain coil.

If you’re not just unblocking your drain, but also tackling all your other bathroom cleaning tasks, take a look at our comprehensive guide on how to get rid of bathroom mould.

FAQs

While bleach is excellent for sanitizing and killing smells, it is not very effective at dissolving solid blockages like hair or food. It can also be dangerous if it mixes with other cleaning products. We recommend using a purpose-made drain unblocker or the bicarbonate of soda method instead.

If your shower tray is full, don't add more water. Bail out what you can. Then, try using a plunger over the drain. If that fails, use a drain coil to physically fish out the hair causing the backup. This is safer than pouring chemicals into a pool of standing water.

The best way depends on the clog. For grease in a kitchen sink, bicarbonate of soda and vinegar are great. For hair in a bathroom, a tool like a drain coil is usually best. For complete stoppages, a plunger is your first line of defence.

You don’t necessarily need special plumbing tools to deal with a drain blockage. If your drain is blocked, but not completely clogged, the home remedy option should help, meaning that all you need is some vinegar, bicarbonate of soda, and hot water. For tougher blockages, you’ll need a drain coil.