A clogged drain can leave you feeling helpless, especially when you still have that huge pile of dishes from dinner to wash. It can be tempting to want to call a plumber to unclog your sink and restore order to your kitchen (and by extension, your life).

However, how long would it take for a plumber to come around? Are you willing to wait that long to resolve an issue that you probably could solve yourself? Are you willing to spend all that money on professional services to get your drain unclogged? Before you reach for that phone, you may want to try one of the methods listed below and unclog your sink yourself.

1. Pour boiling water down the drain

Kitchen sinks often become clogged when oil from greasy foods solidifies and clogs up the drain. Pouring hot water will help to melt the oil. This will get your sink drain flowing once again.

Remove the excess water from the kitchen sink. Boil some water in a kettle or pan. Pour the hot water into the sink and wait for a few minutes. Watch to see if the water moves. Repeat the process if the water doesn’t move. Wait for the water in the sink to cool before you remove it.

2. Check your garbage disposal

Clogs in kitchen sinks are often caused by issues with the garbage disposal units. It’s therefore worth taking the time to check the garbage disposal before proceeding with other methods of unclogging.

Turn on the garbage disposal to see if it is working. If you hear a low humming sound, your unit could be broken or could have something jammed. Switch off the garbage disposal and stick your hand down into the unit. Try turning the blades manually in order to break up the clog. You can achieve this by using an Allen wrench. When you feel less resistance, the clog will have most likely been broken down.

Turn the power back on. Listen for the humming sound. If your disposal is working as it ought, you can test your kitchen sink to see if the drain is flowing. Turn on the faucet to see if water flows down the drain freely.

3. Reach for your plunger

A plunger is an easy solution for a clogged drain. It’s best to use a flat-bottomed plunger for the kitchen sink.

Fill the sink up to halfway with water. This will help to create a seal around the plunger. The seal is necessary to prevent the escape of water. It ensures all the water under the plunger is forced down the drain.

The plunger should be positioned over the drain. Pump up and down quickly. Remove the plunger after pumping several times. Wait to see if the water begins to drain. If the water is not draining, reposition the plunger and pump up and down once again.

4. Clear the drain with vinegar and baking soda

This is a natural alternative to mainstream drain cleaners. This solution will help to dissolve grease that may have collected in your drain and caused the clogging.

Remove as much standing water in your sink as possible. Pour one cup of baking soda into the drain. You may use a spoon or spatula to pour the baking soda into the drain. Follow this with a cup of white vinegar. Cover the drain quickly and wait for up to 30 minutes.

Flush the drain with hot water. This will help ensure that you get rid of residual grease.

5. Use a plumber’s snake

There are cases where the clog will only budge with mechanical force. You will need to reach for a plumber’s snake to get rid of this clog.

A plumber’s snake is a tool that consists of a long steel cable. Run the cable into the sink drain. When the cable comes against resistance, use the crank to push the cable and try to dislodge the clog.

Plumber’s snakes are efficient for dislodging debris that may have got into a drain. An electric snake can be used to remove clogs that require even more power to dislodge. A plumber’s snake can also be used to pull debris out of the drain.

If you don’t have this tool in your home toolkit, you can use a wire coat hanger to unclog your sink. Use a pair of pliers to unwind the hanger and straighten it into a long piece of wire. Keep the end of the coat hanger hooked. This will help to grab anything that in the way and pull it out of the drain.

Whether you use a plumber’s snake or a wire coat hanger, approach the drain a few inches at a time. Avoid pushing roughly. This may result in the clog being pushed further into the drain. Use gentle force when you hit the obstruction. Do your best to hook it and pull it up the drain. Run hot water through the drain when you’re confident you’ve gotten most or all of the debris out.

6. Clean your P-trap

Grease, food scraps and other debris can get stuck in the pipe and cause blockage. The P-trap is designed to help prevent these solids from going too far down the drain and clogging it. Debris therefore often collects in the P-Trap.

Place a bucket under the pipe and unscrew the connectors of the P-trap. The bucket will collect any water and catch any debris that may fall out of the P-trap when you open it. Clean the pipe and reconnect the trap. Turn the faucet back on to see if the water drains.

The bottom line Kitchen sinks become clogged because people aren’t mindful of what goes down the sink. Dealing with a clogged kitchen sink can be messy. The best thing to do is to treat your sink with the care it deserves. Avoid dumping grease and other solids down the drain. If your sink does get clogged, use the methods above to unclog it before you call for a professional plumber.