It is no wonder sink drains become blocked as they have to deal with huge amounts of leftovers, oil, soap and other grime going down the pipes daily. Unclogging drains can be tricky as grease will harden over time, and when mixed with soap or food, it will create a sticky substance that will not budge no matter how many times you use a plunger.
However, Holly-Jay Smith, a money-saving expert and founder of Coupon Queen, has shared that a simple yet very effective way to unblock drains is to use soda crystals. She said: “Food, grease and debris can quickly clog your sink. If this happens, you’ll notice water takes longer to drain, followed by an unpleasant smell. Instead of using toxic and expensive drain unblockers, use soda crystals.
Holly added: “Just pour a cup of soda crystals down the plughole, followed by hot water. This will flush the crystals down and unblock your sink.”
Soda crystals are one of the best methods for unblocking a drain since they are strongly alkaline, which means they can naturally dissolve acidic grease, fat, and oil.
When soda crystals react to grease, they turn the grease into a soapy substance that is easily washed away when water is poured down the sink.
Not only are soda crystals effective at removing grease, but they also help break down soap and food, so they can be used for bathroom or kitchen sinks.
White vinegar and baking soda are often recommended to unblock drains as they create a fizzy reaction when mixed, which can dislodge weaker clogs but tends not to be strong enough to remove grease.
Soda crystals can be bought in most British supermarkets such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s or Asda for £2 but can also be bought at Morrisons for £2.35.
How to use soda crystals to unblock a clogged sink
To begin, let the kettle boil and pour the hot water down the sink. This will help loosen the build-up to make it easier to dislodge.
Then, pour roughly 200g of soda crystals directly down the plughole, then wait five to 10 minutes as you need to give the cleaning solution time to break down the grime.
Once the time is up, fill up and boil the kettle again, then pour the water down the sink again to help rinse away the loosened grease.
The water should run smoothly, and your drain should be completely unclogged after trying out this simple procedure.
However, for particularly stubborn clogs, you may need to repeat this process once or twice to completely unblock your sink.
