How To Unclog a Double Kitchen Sink? – An Ultimate Guide

The trouble caused by a clogged drain is unavoidable, which can normally occur due to leftover foods and grease getting inside the drainage. Even the sight of the sink filled with standing water disgusts, which requires immediate cleaning.

However, unclogging a double kitchen sink isn’t tricky; you can simply do it using some tools. You can run your garbage disposal or pour natural cleaners into the drain. The other efficient ways involve using a plunger, a plumber’s snake, and removing the P-trap.

If you’re thinking is faucet water safe to drink or not, learn about it in our blog.

A mixture of baking soda and vinegar also helps unclog a double kitchen sink to open its drain. Anything from food particles to grease, mineral buildup, and small objects can cause this clogging which you must clear to ensure proper drainage.

Keep reading this guide on How to unclog a double kitchen sink to learn the step-by-step process.

How To Unclog A Double Kitchen Sink? 6 Efficient Ways

Clogging inside the double kitchen sink is a serious issue you can’t ignore for long. Whenever you notice signs of clogs, rush towards cleaning the sink and its drain.

Here are a few signs you must notice before trying out methods to clean your kitchen sink:

• Water takes too long to drain out of the sink.
• When you do the dishes, your sink often fills with water, and even the garbage disposal doesn’t help.
• Your sink smells too bad to bear.

For unclogging, you may use boiling water to pour inside the drain, which isn’t advisable as there is a risk of PVC meltdown. Also, boiling water doesn’t guarantee the melting of grease and residual fats. So, be careful with your methods to unclog your double kitchen sink.

Materials Required

Here is a list of tools and equipment you will need during the cleaning process:

• Safety Gloves (Preferably Rubber)
• A Bucket
• Plumber’s Snake
• Wrench
• Plunger
• Old Rags
• Toothbrush
• Torch

Get Rid of Cloggings By Hand

Do not have any tools? No worries; you can still clean your double kitchen sink by hand. Before starting, turn off the garbage disposal.

• Take the torch to have a look inside the drain.
• If you find cloggings that are accessible, remove them by hand.
• Wear rubber gloves before putting your hand inside the drain.

Reset Your Garbage Disposal

Though multiple reasons can block your kitchen sink, the same is true for their solutions. You must take care of the sink to avoid clogging. If the drain doesn’t open by hand, your garbage disposal requires a reset.

• See if the garbage disposal is working. If not, it might be overheated and needs some adjustments.
• Turn off the garbage disposal and plug the switch again to check if it works.
• Press the reset button on the garbage disposal.

• Use Salt & Baking Soda

A natural mixture of baking soda and salt best unclogs the kitchen sink drain blocked by soap scum or grease. You can also pour a small amount of boiling water to speed up the drain if there is no standing water in the sink.

• Add a cup of salt and baking soda inside a bowl.
• Pour the mixture inside the sink and leave for 4 to 6 hours.
• Let the mixture work, and wash the sink with water after a certain duration.

Add Baking Soda & Vinegar

Try the vinegar and baking soda mixture if the salt and baking soda trick doesn’t resolve the clogging issue.

• Empty the sink with standing water using a bucket and a bowl.
• Add a cup of baking soda inside the drain.
• Pour a cup of white vinegar over the baking soda.
• Leave the mixture to sit for an hour.
• Wash the sink with normal-temperature water.

Unclog Drain With Plumber’s Snake

If all attempts to clean the clogged drain fail, now is the time to roll up your sleeves and use handy tools such as a plumber’s snake.

In a double kitchen sink with garbage disposal, you must remove the P-trap to put the tool inside the trap arm to use a drain snake. You can directly put the snake inside the drain to clean a sink without garbage disposal.

• Keep a bucket under the pipe of your sink to catch the runoff.
• Unscrew the nuts using a wrench.
• Put the snake into the pipe to insert a metal wire to remove whatever clogs the drain.
• Extend it till the end to catch the clog and pull it out slowly to avoid losing the clog again.
• Reassemble the P-trap and run water to test if the cloggings are removed.

Also Visit: How To Replace a Bathroom Faucet and Drain? 

Plunge The Drain

Another great method to unclog a double kitchen sink is to use a plunger. This tool helps build water pressure to unblock the cloggings inside the drain.

• If your sink is overfilled with standing water, empty it. However, leave some water to dip the plunger Cup.
• Place the plunger cup firmly over the sink drain.
• Start pushing the plunger up and down, keeping the pressure maintained.
• Detach the plunger from the drain to see if the water is draining properly.

Hopefully, the plunger will open the drain without needing more methods.

How To Unclog A Double Kitchen Sink With Garbage Disposal?

Cleaning a double kitchen sink with garbage disposal is complicated, but you can do it simply by following the right instructions. The clogging can be on the disposal, non-disposal, or both sides. Each requires different methods and tools that we have elaborated on in detail.

Materials Required

Here are some tools you will need in the process:

• Garbage Disposal Stopper
• Drain Plunger
• Allen Wrench or Garbage Disposal wrench
• Torch
• Wooden Spoons
• Extension tube for Tailpipe

Unclog From The Disposal Side

• Turn on your garbage disposal and press the reset button to run the disposal.
• Remove the plug of the garbage disposal and cut off the electric supply.
• Use a garbage disposal accessory wrench to open the disposal.
• Displace the obstruction or remove it by moving the wrench bath and forth.
• Then remove large obstructions through the disposal by locating them with a torch and using wooden spoons.
• Use a disposal stopper to block the non-disposal side of the unit.
• Hole the stopper with one hand while using the other to move the plunger on the disposal side. This will open the clogging.

Unclog From Non-Disposal Side

• Take the disposal stopper to block the disposal side.
• Keep holding the stopper to close the disposal side of the garbage disposal.
• While with the other hand, plunge the non-disposal side.

Unclog Sink From Both Sides

• To unclog both sides of the sink, remove the P-trap from the sink drain, garbage disposal pipe, and the pipe leading to the wall.
• Drain the water from pipes inside a bucket.
• Wash the P-trap to remove cloggings.
• If the condition of the P-trap has gone bad, replace it with a new one.
• Use the drain or plumber’s snakes to unclog the drain as described above.

How To Unclog Double Kitchen Sink Without Garbage Disposal?

It is easy to unclog a double kitchen sink without garbage disposal by simply removing the sink strainer, inserting a stopper, and using a plunger.

Materials Required

Here are the following materials required for unclogging:

• Stopper
• Sink Strainer
• Petroleum jelly
• Rag

Method

• Remove the strainer from the sink and clean the surface with a rag.
• Put the stopper inside the clogged drain.
• Run water through the faucet to put pressure on the drain hole.
• Use petroleum jelly to smear the plunger’s rim and put it over the drain hole.
• Move the plunger back and forth to remove the obstructions.

If these methods don’t remove the cloggings, you can call a professional plumber to fix the clog.

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Wrapping Up

Whether your double kitchen sink is with a garbage disposal or without it, you can unclog it easily by following our guidelines. Most methods are DIY hacks, which you can do within a few minutes. However, to deal with complex problems, you can always ask for expert advice.

Reducing the chance of cloggings inside the drain is highly recommended by considering preventive measures to properly deal with leftovers and debris without overloading them inside the garbage disposal.