'I'm a plumbing expert – here's how to unblock your sink using two cheap cupboard staples'
You don't always need to invest in a pricey unblocker or call out a professional if your sink is clogged or slow-draining.
Most of us use our kitchen sinks multiple times every single day, scrubbing down greasy pots and washing away leftover food without really thinking about it. But all that dirt, grease and food debris doesn't just disappear.
It can stick to the inside of your pipes, builds up over time, and eventually begins to smell bad or get blocked up. While a quick scrub with washing up liquid can mask the problem short-term, a plumbing expert says there's a more permanent fix and it'll cost you next to nothing. Jason Croxford, Director at Gas & Water Pipelines, said: "Most people reach for a cleaning spray when their sink starts to smell, but that only tackles the surface."
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He continued: "The real issue is what's lurking further down the drain and that needs a different approach entirely."
To fix it, you'll need just two ingredients: a cup of bicarbonate of soda and a cup of distilled white vinegar - both of which you've probably already got in the cupboard.
Start by pouring the bicarbonate of soda directly into the plughole, getting as much of it down the drain as possible. Then, pour the white vinegar on top and quickly cover the plug with a stopper.
Jason explained: "That fizzing is exactly what you want to see. It's working to break down anything stuck inside the pipe, grease, food residue, blockages, and shifting it along."
He continued: "Letting it fizz away under the plug cover gives the reaction time to do its job properly rather than just bubbling up and out of the sink."
Once the fizzing has died down, follow up by pouring some washing up liquid down the drain with some warm water from the kettle, but don't pour it straight from the boil.
"Let the kettle sit for a few minutes before you pour," Jason added. "You're looking for warm water, not boiling. Warm water helps to expand the pipes gently and flush everything through without causing any damage."
Another thing many people overlook their dishwasher, which is actually connected directly to the kitchen sink drain.
Jason continued: "Your dishwasher and your kitchen sink share the same drainage system, so if one is harbouring a build-up of grease and grime, it's going to affect the other.
"We'd recommend cleaning your dishwasher filter regularly and running a hot empty wash once a month using a cup of distilled white vinegar placed in a bowl at the bottom of the machine.
"The vinegar breaks down grease and removes odours and because it's going through the full wash cycle, it cleans parts of the system that you simply can't reach by hand."
