How to Unclog a Drain Without a Plumber

Try these in order

1. Remove what you can see: lift the plug or strainer and pull out hair and debris.
2. Hot water: pour a kettle of very hot water down slowly.
3. Plunger: the most effective tool for most blockages.
4. Drain snake: a cheap plastic barbed strip or a coiled metal auger.
5. Clean the trap under the sink.
6. Call a plumber if none of these work, or if several drains are blocked at once.

Wear rubber gloves, and do not use chemical cleaners before plunging. Splashed chemicals can burn.

1. Remove visible debris

In showers and bathroom sinks, hair is the usual culprit. Unscrew or lift out the drain cover or pop-up plug. Many sink plugs lift straight out, or are released by a rod behind the tap. Pull out the hair with your fingers, tweezers or a bent wire.

2. Hot water

For kitchen sinks blocked by grease and soap:

• Pour very hot water slowly into the drain in two or three stages, waiting a few seconds between each.
• Use boiling water only with metal pipes. For plastic pipes and porcelain fittings, use hot tap water or water that has cooled for a few minutes.
• Never pour boiling water into a toilet bowl; it can crack.

3. Use a plunger

Plungers work by pushing and pulling water to dislodge the blockage.

• Cup plunger (flat rubber cup): for sinks, baths and showers.
• Flange plunger (with a soft extension at the bottom): for toilets.

How to plunge a sink:

1. Leave a few centimetres of water in the sink so the plunger seals.
2. Block the overflow hole with a wet cloth, and in a double sink, block the other drain. Otherwise the pressure escapes there.
3. Place the plunger over the drain and push down gently to expel air.
4. Plunge firmly up and down 15 to 20 times, keeping the seal.
5. Pull it off sharply and see whether the water drains. Repeat a few times.

How to plunge a toilet: fit the flange into the outlet, push down gently, then pump firmly about 15 to 20 times. Do not flush repeatedly while blocked, which can overflow the bowl.

4. Use a drain snake

For blockages deeper in the pipe:

• Plastic drain snakes (thin strips with barbs) are cheap and excellent for hair in showers and bathroom sinks. Push it in, twist, and pull out the hair.
• A drain auger (a coiled metal cable with a handle) reaches further. Feed it in until you feel resistance, crank the handle to break up or hook the clog, then pull it back.
• Toilet augers have a protective sleeve to avoid scratching the bowl.

A straightened wire coat hanger with a small hook bent into the end works in a pinch, but be careful not to scratch fittings.

5. Clean the trap

The P-trap or U-bend is the curved pipe under a sink. It holds water to block sewer smells, and it also catches debris.

1. Put a bucket under the trap and lay down a towel.
2. Unscrew the slip nuts by hand (or with pliers wrapped in cloth).
3. Remove the trap and empty it into the bucket.
4. Clean it out with a brush and hot soapy water.
5. Refit it, hand-tight, and run water to check for leaks.

Bottle traps under bathroom basins usually have a base that unscrews.

Baking soda and vinegar

This popular method is gentle maintenance, not a cure:

1. Pour about half a cup of baking soda into the drain.
2. Follow with a cup of white vinegar and cover the drain for 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Flush with hot water.

It can help with light build-up and smells, but it does little against a solid clog. For regular upkeep, enzyme drain cleaners, which break down organic matter, are another gentle option.

Chemical drain cleaners: a last resort

Caustic and acidic drain cleaners can dissolve some blockages, but:

• They can burn skin and eyes, and fumes can be harmful.
• They can damage old metal pipes, plastic pipes and septic tanks.
• If they do not work, the sink is left full of a dangerous chemical.
• Never mix different drain cleaners, or use them with bleach.

If you do use one, follow the label exactly, ventilate the room, and tell a plumber if you have used chemicals before they work on the drain.

When to call a plumber

• Several drains are slow or blocked at once, or water backs up in a shower when you flush the toilet. This suggests a blockage in the main sewer line.
• Sewage smells or gurgling from several fixtures.
• Water leaks from pipes, or water appears in unexpected places.
• The blockage returns repeatedly.
• You have tried everything above.

Preventing blockages

• Never pour fat, oil or grease down the sink. Let it cool and put it in the bin.
• Use strainers in kitchen sinks and showers.
• Scrape plates into the bin before washing.
• Flush only toilet paper. "Flushable" wipes, cotton buds, nappies and sanitary products cause many blockages.
• Run hot water through drains weekly.

Slow, smelly drains also attract flies. See how to get rid of fruit flies if that sounds familiar. For other household fixes, see how to remove common stains.

Key takeaways

• Remove visible hair and debris, then try hot water and a plunger.
• Block the overflow when plunging a sink.
• A cheap drain snake or cleaning the trap clears most remaining clogs.
• Call a plumber when several drains are blocked at once.