Unblocking the kitchen sink

Penny-Pincher!!

Brilliant, will remember that.

PP
xx

bulchy

Well done nearlyrich. Just before I joined this forum, my bathroom sink was blocked, cost me £3.99 for a well known brand of sink unblocker. Next time I go shopping, I intend buying some extra vinegar and soda crystals, and putting them away incase of emergency, I already have both in the house, but I use them all the time, and dont want to run out.
Sue

[Deleted User]

glendam I did our shower drain last week. Bicarb and vinegar had no affect so I got on my hands and knees and had a fiddle. I removed the shiny ring and pulled out the bit below which was well and truly gunked. New one year ago and only two of us using it and both with short hair. I used to do the one in the other house with a bent piece of stiff wire. It brings up allsorts

They must get blocked fast when there are long haired folks using it

kingshir

kittie wrote:

glendam I did our shower drain last week. Bicarb and vinegar had no affect so I got on my hands and knees and had a fiddle. I removed the shiny ring and pulled out the bit below which was well and truly gunked. New one year ago and only two of us using it and both with short hair. I used to do the one in the other house with a bent piece of stiff wire. It brings up allsorts

They must get blocked fast when there are long haired folks using it

I do the same on a monthly basis (we all have long hair except OH), and I fish the wad of hair out with a crochet hook. I then follow it up with a jug full of hot bleachy water.

Kaminari_2

The wire hook is how i get the hair out my my drain too. I shed so much hair i am surprised i am not bald.

For all the people that pour fat down the sink it would be better for the environment and save unblocking it if you pour in in an empty bottle or jar and throw it in the bin.
This method is actively promoted in my home country as the sink water usually ends up in the waterway and fat deposits is definately not good for that.

inmypocketnottheirs

Kaminari wrote:

The wire hook is how i get the hair out my my drain too. I shed so much hair i am surprised i am not bald.

For all the people that pour fat down the sink it would be better for the environment and save unblocking it if you pour in in an empty bottle or jar and throw it in the bin.
This method is actively promoted in my home country as the sink water usually ends up in the waterway and fat deposits is definately not good for that.

If the fat blocks the drains imagine what it does to your arteries.

nearlyrich

I checked the prices of the well known brands in Tesco earlier, between £2.99 amd £3.84 for a 500ml bottle that you use in one application. My solution costs pennies, 51p for a kg of soda crystals and 40p for a bottle of vinegar. DH has had a talking to about putting fat in the drains.

fannyadams

I have a little plasticy thingy that traps the hair in the plugole of the bath. Just as well as HWTHMBO sheds hair like an afghan coat - i'm amazed he's not bald.
I think it's called a hairsnare or somthing. I seen them in the betterware/kleenezy catalogue.

Burlesque_Babe

My OH is always complaining about the bathroom sink being clogged - I've got long hair and we are always fishing out clumps of horrid hairy soapy gunk. :rolleyes:

I'm going to put soda crystals and vinegar on the shopping list, but wanted to ask - is it any kind of vinegar in particular, or will the cheapest available work, and how much soda crystal do you mix to how much vinegar?

SnowyOwl_2

fannyadams wrote:

I have a little plasticy thingy that traps the hair in the plugole of the bath. Just as well as HWTHMBO sheds hair like an afghan coat - i'm amazed he's not bald.
I think it's called a hairsnare or somthing. I seen them in the betterware/kleenezy catalogue.

I've got metal ones - keep one on every drain, including the kitchen sink. It stops all sorts going down, eg veg peelings, bits of pasta etc, thus much reducing the chance of a blockage if things should build up. I've never, ever had a blocked bath or shower as my hair doesn't escape through the plug hole. (I also wonder why I am not bald yet). I got mine in the local version of a 50p/pound shop, I'd be surprised if they weren't available in poundland or such like.

Keren29 - you can use any sort of vinegar, the brown stuff is usually the cheapest. I don't know about the mixture of vinegar and soda crystals, but I would suggest that prevention is better than cure. See above regarding the metal or plastic thingies to put over the plug hole. Also my soda crystal leaflet says "because soda crystals dissolve grease, they're great for unblocking drains and wastepipes. Use a strong solution to flush drains regularly to keep them grease-free". There is a note on the side of the pack about how to make a strong solution. Hope that answers your query a bit.