Whilst blockages and plumbing issues are often associated with winter due to the potential for frozen pipes, a blocked sink in summer can be particularly unpleasant.
A combination of a lack of water, strange sounds, odd smells and water that drains slowly are not pleasant issues to deal with, but whilst you should contact plumbing and heating services if you are struggling with plumbing issues, there are some blockages you can solve yourself.
Here are some easy techniques to unblock a sink.
Use A Plunger
Plungers are remarkably simple devices. Using the power of suction they can pull and dislodge blockages down a pipe.
To do this with your sink, make sure to remove any debris and standing water from the sink. This can include hair, food fragments and other bits that are hanging over your plughole, as well as unscrewing the plug and cleaning it from the inside.
Next, you want to block the overflow with either waterproof tape or an old dishcloth, before finally filling the sink with a little water and pumping the plunger up and down firmly but not vigorously.
Try Bicarbonate Of Soda
If you do not have a plunger, or the blockage is remarkably stubborn, then one solution you can try is to use bicarbonate of soda.
Start by running boiling water down the drain to dissolve grease and other organic blockages, before pouring 250ml of baking soda directly down the plughole, followed by 250ml of white vinegar to create a chemical reaction that unseats the grime.
Wait for five minutes and then pour boiling water down again to wash away the fizz.