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Blog/Residential Cleaning/How To Unclog a Kitchen Sink as a Cleaning Service

After a delicious meal, your customers may want to get a head start on the dishes. They’ve spent hours preparing the ingredients, cooking the food, and enjoying it with their family. But, as they being to make progress on the dishes, the sink begins to fill up with soapy water. The drain is clogged! Though you’re not a plumbing company, your cleaning service may have the tools necessary to unclog a kitchen sink.

Nothing is more frustrating than being given more work to do as soon as you begin to relax. Your cleaning company can help ease the load of stress on your customers by bringing these helpful tips to the table. The following methods can help you unclog sinks without spending a fortune on a plumbing service. Time to roll up your sleeves and get to work!

Kitchen counter with a potted plant to the right and kitchen supplies in the background

Method 1: Use Drain Cleaner

Now, this method may seem obvious, but it is important to remember this option. Drain cleaners like Drano can be poured into the drain to help eliminate the build-up of food and other residues in the pipes. For a really tough clog, drain cleaners may need to be accompanied by other methods. Simply pour the drain cleaner solution into the drain and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. If the mess is particularly bad, let the gel sit in the drain longer before rinsing with hot water. Repeat this process until the drain is no longer clogged. For those of you who do not have drain cleaner on-the-ready, this next method is an affordable substitute.

Method 2: Salt & Boiling Water

Not everybody has drain cleaner available at all times. However, salt and water are things that are almost always available in a kitchen setting. For this method, do the following things:

  • Remove standing water from the sink.
  • Pour approximately 1/2 cup of table salt into the drain.
  • Add boiling water into the drain, let the solution sit.
  • Finally, flush the drain using plain hot water.

This method is much cheaper than the previous one and does not deal with toxic chemicals that can often be found in name-brand drain cleaners. If the problem persists, try the process again, then look for alternative methods that could help your cleaning service unclog the sink.

Residential cleaner in blue overalls holding a plunger above the sink with tool box open on counter

Method 3: Use a Plunger

Some people may wince at the thought of using this tool in the kitchen. However, sometimes you need to use a plunger as a last resort. Hopefully, you have a separate plunger that is used solely for unclogging drains. Now, simply use the plunger as you would on a toilet. Tightly suction the plunger around the drain and push 3-5 times. On occasion, the sink will fill with more water before it finally goes down the drain. This method is perfect for when you need to remove the sitting water in the sink before adding drain cleaner or the boiling water solution.

Once the water has completely drained from the sink, thoroughly wipe and rinse the leftover residues. This job can get fairly dirty, so we recommend wearing rubber gloves and a plastic apron if possible. This will ensure that your cleaners stay safe and won’t be afraid to get dirty.

Concluding Thoughts

Unclogging a sink is one of the more extreme case-scenarios that your cleaning service will face. To ensure that fixtures like the sink are not neglected, you can add routine maintenance to one of our Cleaning Company Checklists. Either use a preexisting list, or create your own to stay on-top of all of your cleaning responsibilities, no matter how dirty they may get. Until next time, keep on cleaning and making your customers smile.

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