The kitchen sink is the hardest-working drain in most Hollywood homes, and it is also the one that clogs most often. Grease, food scraps and soap combine in a way no other drain has to deal with. Here are the most common causes, what you can safely try yourself, and when it is time to call a professional.

The most common causes of kitchen sink clogs

• Grease and cooking oil. Liquid when hot, solid when it cools in the pipe. It builds up in layers and traps everything else.
• Food scraps. Rice, pasta and bread swell with water. Coffee grounds and eggshells settle in the trap like sand.
• Fibrous foods. Celery, onion skins, corn husks and potato peels wrap around garbage disposal blades and catch debris downstream.
• Soap scum. Some soaps combine with minerals in the water and grease to form a sticky coating.
• Small objects. Bottle caps, twist ties and fruit stickers often end up in the trap.

What you can safely try

1. Check the disposal. If the sink has a garbage disposal, turn off its power and press the reset button underneath. Never put your hand inside.
2. Plunge it. Use a cup plunger. If you have a double sink, plug the other side so the pressure goes to the clog.
3. Clean the trap. Put a bucket under the U-shaped pipe, loosen the slip nuts and clean it out. Many clogs are right there.
4. Hot water and dish soap. For light grease, pour very hot water with a squirt of dish soap and let it sit.

Avoid chemical drain openers. They rarely clear grease clogs and can damage older pipes. If they fail, you are left with a sink full of caustic water.

When to call a plumber

• Water backs up into both sides of a double sink.
• The dishwasher drains into the sink or will not drain at all.
• The sink clogs again within days or weeks.
• Other drains in the house are also slow.
• You smell sewage or grease from the drain.

A clog that comes back is usually grease buildup deeper in the kitchen line, past where a plunger or a store-bought snake can reach. That line needs a professional cable machine or hydro jetting to clean the pipe walls.

How to prevent kitchen sink clogs

• Wipe greasy pans with a paper towel before washing them.
• Pour cooled grease into a container and throw it in the trash.
• Use a sink strainer and empty it into the trash, not the disposal.
• Run cold water while the disposal is on and for a few seconds after.
• Keep coffee grounds, eggshells, rice and pasta out of the sink.

Kitchen drain cleaning in Hollywood, FL

ClogMasters clears kitchen lines for homes and businesses across Hollywood, 24/7. If your sink keeps backing up, see our drain cleaning in Hollywood service or call (754) 215-6280. For an active overflow, reach our emergency plumber in Hollywood.