How to unclog a drain without calling a plumber

The short answer: how to unclog a drain depends on where the clog is: most are hair in bathroom drains or grease and food in kitchen sinks.

• Start with a hot water flush or by cleaning the stopper
• Plunger: for most sink, tub and shower clogs
• Clean the P-trap under kitchen and bathroom sinks
• Chemical cleaners are a last resort
• Next step: Plan it with the Home Maintenance Log ($5.99).

How to unclog a drain depends on where the clog is and what caused it. Most household clogs are hair in bathroom drains or grease and food in kitchen sinks, and most clear with a plunger, a cheap plastic drain tool or a few minutes under the sink. This guide covers the kitchen sink, bathroom sink, shower and bathtub, how to use a drain snake safely, why chemical cleaners are a last resort and when to call a plumber.

Why drains clog

Drains rarely clog all at once. Buildup narrows the pipe over weeks until one last bit of hair or grease blocks it. In bathrooms, hair binds with soap scum and toothpaste into a sticky mat just below the stopper. In kitchens, warm grease flows down easily, then cools and hardens on the pipe walls, trapping food and coffee grounds. Hard water can add mineral scale. Knowing which one you are dealing with tells you which tool to reach for: a hair tool for bathrooms, heat and plunging for kitchens.

Start with the least invasive fix

Work from gentle to more involved. Each step takes a few minutes, and most clogs give up early.

How to plunge a drain properly

A cup plunger, the flat-bottomed kind, works on sinks, tubs and showers. A flange plunger is for toilets.

1. Remove the stopper or drain cover.
2. Run 2 to 3 inches of water so the plunger cup is covered.
3. Stuff a wet rag into the overflow hole. In a double kitchen sink, block the other drain.
4. Set the plunger over the drain and push down gently to push out air.
5. Plunge firmly up and down 10 to 15 times, keeping the seal.
6. Lift off quickly and see if the water drains. Repeat a few times if needed.

How to unclog a kitchen sink

Kitchen clogs are usually grease, coffee grounds and food scraps. Plunge first. If you have a garbage disposal, turn it off at the switch, never reach inside, and check whether the disposal is jammed rather than the drain.

If plunging fails, clean the P-trap, the curved pipe under the sink:

1. Put a bucket underneath and lay a towel down.
2. Loosen the two slip nuts by hand or with pliers.
3. Remove the trap and empty it into the bucket.
4. Clean it out with a brush, then check the pipe going into the wall.
5. Reattach it, hand-tighten the nuts and run water to check for leaks.

If the trap is clear, the clog is further down. Use a hand snake through the pipe into the wall.

How to unclog a bathroom sink

Bathroom sinks clog with hair, toothpaste and soap. Most pop-up stoppers lift out, or come free when you loosen the nut on the pivot rod behind the drain pipe. Clean the gunk off the stopper, then push a plastic drain tool down the drain and pull up. You will likely be surprised at how much comes out. Run hot water for a minute to finish.

How to unclog a shower drain

Shower drains collect hair faster than anything else in the house.

1. Unscrew or pry off the drain cover.
2. Pull out visible hair with gloved fingers or a bent wire.
3. Push a plastic barbed tool down and pull it back up, then repeat.
4. Plunge with a little water if it is still slow.
5. Use a hand snake if the clog is deeper.
6. Put a hair catcher over the drain when you are done.

How to unclog a bathtub drain

Bathtubs have different stoppers. A lift-and-turn or push stopper usually unscrews from the top. A trip-lever tub has a lever on the overflow plate; unscrew the plate and pull out the linkage, which is often wrapped in hair.

Clean the stopper or linkage, then block the overflow opening with a wet rag and plunge with a few inches of water in the tub. Blocking the overflow matters, since otherwise the plunger just pushes air out through it.

Using a drain snake

A hand drain snake, also called an auger, reaches clogs that plungers cannot. Feed the cable slowly into the drain while turning the handle clockwise. When it stops, keep turning to bore through or hook the clog, then pull back slowly. Wipe the cable with a rag as it comes out. Go gently in older pipes, and do not force it around tight bends. Through a sink, it is often easier to remove the P-trap and snake straight into the wall pipe.

Baking soda, vinegar and boiling water

Baking soda and vinegar fizz, which looks impressive. It can loosen small, soft buildup but rarely clears a real clog alone. Use about 1/2 cup of baking soda and 1 cup of vinegar, wait 15 to 30 minutes and flush with hot water.

Hot water can melt a light grease clog. The U.S. EPA's page on caring for a septic system suggests boiling water or a drain snake instead of chemical drain openers. Use very hot tap water instead of boiling if your pipes are plastic or the sink is porcelain.

Chemical drain cleaners: use with care

Chemical drain cleaners are caustic. MedlinePlus explains in its page on drain cleaner poisoning that many contain sodium hydroxide, which can badly burn the skin, eyes, mouth and throat. If you use one, follow the label exactly:

• Wear gloves and eye protection, and ventilate the room.
• Never mix two products, or follow one with another.
• Never plunge or snake a drain after adding a chemical, since it can splash.
• Store it locked away from children.
• For an exposure, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 or 911.

If you have a septic system, the EPA advises avoiding chemical drain openers because they can kill the bacteria the system needs.

Tools worth keeping under the sink

A small kit handles most clogs for less than the cost of one service call:

• A cup plunger for sinks, tubs and showers, kept separate from the toilet plunger.
• A pack of plastic barbed drain tools.
• A 15 to 25 foot hand drain snake.
• Rubber gloves, a bucket and an old towel.
• Adjustable pliers for P-trap slip nuts.
• Hair catchers for every shower and tub.

If you rent, check your lease before taking apart plumbing. Many landlords want to hear about clogs that keep coming back, and some prefer to send their own plumber.

When to call a plumber

How to keep drains clear

A slow, smelly drain can attract small flies too. Here is how to get rid of fruit flies and drain flies.

• Use hair catchers in every shower and tub.
• Scrape plates and pans into the trash, and never pour cooking oil or grease down the drain, as the EPA warns.
• Run hot water for 30 seconds after washing dishes.
• Clean bathroom stoppers once a month.
• Keep wipes, cotton swabs and paper towels out of toilets.

Keep a record of what you fix

A drain that clogs every few months is telling you something. The Home Maintenance Log ($5.99, printable PDF) has Home details, Monthly, Seasonal and Annual Checklists, an Appliance Log, Service & Repair Records, a Home Improvement Log, Contractor Contacts and a Paint & Finishes page. Note the date, the drain, what you found and what fixed it, and add "clean stoppers and hair catchers" to the monthly checklist. If you call a plumber, their details go on the contractor page for next time.

See also our home maintenance checklist.

Once the water drains freely, keep it that way with our guide on how to clean a shower drain, which covers monthly hair removal, baking soda and vinegar, and fixing drain smells.