Unclogging a Kitchen Sink Using a Plunger

Before beginning any home improvement project you want to make sure that you have all of the tools necessary to complete the job. For this activity you are going to need a plunger, some petroleum jelly, and a few hand towels. The plunger is the main tool that you are going to be using to fix this problem. The petroleum jelly is going to be used to form more of an air-tight seal than you would normally be capable of. Finally, you want to use the towels for cleaning up any dirty water that may get splashed around while using the plunger.

You are going to need a plunger that has a large suction cup. This is so that it can completely cover the entire drain opening in your sink and provide the proper amount of suction needed to remove the blockage in the drain.

Check the water level in the sink. There needs to be enough water to cover the cup of the plunger. It's not just the bottom of the cup, but the entire cup. If there is not enough water to do this, then add some water.

You are going to want to make sure that any and all extra drains are blocked up. If you have one of the popular double-sink models, this means that you want to use the stopper or something else like a wet rag to block the drain in the other sink. This provides maximum amounts of air pressure to build up and be used against the blockage.

After checking the water level, and making sure that all other connected secondary drains are blocked, follow these steps:

1. Smear some petroleum jelly around the edge of the plunger cup. This, as mentioned earlier, enables a tighter seal to form when you use the plunger.
2. Place your plunger into the sink around the drain's opening. You are going to want to angle this so that there is no air under the cup once you have placed it into the water.
3. Utilizing around twenty repetitions thrust the handle up and down repeatedly. This should remove the blockage, but in the event that normal water flow does not resume immediately repeat this process a few more times before moving onto a different method.
4. After either removing the blockage, or deciding to use a different method to do so, use the towels to clean up any and all mess made during your project.