How to Unclog a Drain Without Chemicals (Sink, Shower, and Tub)

Most bathroom clogs are hair and soap. Most kitchen clogs are grease and food. Both are usually close to the drain, so you can clear them without chemical drain cleaners, which can damage pipes and are dangerous to splash.

In this guide

1. 1. Remove the stopper and pull out hair
2. 2. Hot water (kitchen grease)
3. 3. Plunge
4. 4. Use a drain snake
5. 5. Clean the P-trap (sinks)
6. Does baking soda and vinegar work?
7. Prevent clogs

1. Remove the stopper and pull out hair

Most sink stoppers lift out or twist off. On some bathroom sinks, you unscrew a nut behind the drain pipe under the sink to release the rod. Pull out hair with a plastic barbed drain strip (a few dollars at any hardware store) or a bent wire hanger.

2. Hot water (kitchen grease)

Pour a kettle of very hot tap water down a kitchen drain to soften grease. Don’t use boiling water on PVC pipes or porcelain toilets. Follow it with a squirt of dish soap and more hot water.

3. Plunge

1. Use a flat cup plunger for sinks and tubs.
2. Block the overflow hole with a wet rag. Otherwise, the pressure escapes through it.
3. Put an inch or two of water in the sink so the plunger seals.
4. Plunge straight up and down 10 to 15 times, then pull off quickly.

4. Use a drain snake

A hand snake (drain auger) is inexpensive. Push the cable into the drain, turning the handle as you go. When you feel resistance, keep turning to hook the clog, then pull it out. Run hot water afterward.

5. Clean the P-trap (sinks)

1. Put a bucket under the U-shaped pipe below the sink.
2. Loosen the two slip nuts by hand or with pliers.
3. Remove the trap, empty it, and clean it out.
4. Reassemble, hand-tighten, and run water to check for leaks.

Does baking soda and vinegar work?

It fizzes and may help freshen a slow drain, but it rarely clears a real clog. Hair removal, plunging, and a snake are more effective.

Prevent clogs

• Use a hair catcher in showers and tubs.
• Don’t pour grease down the sink. Let it cool and throw it in the trash.
• Run hot water after each use in the kitchen.

Call a plumber if several drains are slow at once or water backs up into a tub or floor drain. That points to a main line clog.