Published on May 15th, 2014 | by Peter Young

How to Unclog a Drain Using a Sink Plunger

It’s never convenient, and its happened to just about everyone you know. A clogged drain. Conventional wisdom would say reach for the drain-o. But the problem is that products such as drain-o contain many harmful chemicals than can contaminate local ground water and aquifers. Instead, try using a drain plunger. Not only will you avoid adding all those harmful chemicals to the environment, you’ll still unclog your drain and at a fraction of the cost! Just follow these steps to get your drain working again.

Tools you’ll need for the job:

A sink plunger
A towel
A pair of rubber gloves

Instructions: unclogging the sink with a sink plunger

1. First, make sure you won’t overflow the sink by putting the sink plunger into the water. If the water level is already at or near the top of the sink go ahead and bail some of the water into a bucket or container. This way you won’t have to deal with any additional, potentially foul, water clean up.

2. Gently lower the sink plunger into the water. Be mindful of the water level as you’re lowering the plunger down to the drain. Putting the plunger in will displace some of the water, just make sure you have some room to work with.

3. With a firm grip on the handle, push down down on the plunger. This will create a seal around the clogged drain. Now just work the plunger up and down until you either hear or feel the drain unclog. During this process you might pull hair or other material up to the sink. If this is the case, don your gloves and pull the obstruction out of the drain. Toss whatever was obstructing the drain into a trash can.

4. By now the water should be draining from the sink. If so, then you’ve successfully unclogged your drain with the sink plunger! Plus, you’ve avoided pouring harmful chemicals down your drain.

Unfortunately not all clogged drains are created equal. Sometimes you’ll need more than just a sink plunger to get the job done. If so, try using this natural drain cleaner recipe for an at home, eco-friendly drain cleaner.

Check out this video for proof that it works!

Be sure to check out some of our other green home improvement projects: Green Living Ideas, after all, is a top 20 home improvement website!

Photo courtesy of Shutter Stock

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Tags: Clogged, Drain, eco-friendly, Plunger, sink

About the Author

Peter Young graduated from Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) with a degree in journalism and has made sustainability and eco-conscious living mainstays of both his professional and personal life. It was during his time at PLU that he began his journey with sustainability and it's what has led him to writing for Green Living Ideas. He currently resides in Honolulu and works for Pono Home, an energy efficiency company focused on reducing carbon emissions and promoting a healthier, greener lifestyle.