Whether it’s a slow-running faucet or a cracked drain, you may find your kitchen sink draining slowly. It could be because there are small kinks in the pipes that need to be worked out.
Or it could be that you’ve got other issues at play such as an overactive garbage disposal or excess water behind the wall. Regardless of the cause, it’s frustrating to have a slow-running kitchen sink.
You can have an efficient and well-organized home with only one working kitchen sink if you fix these problems fast!
In this post, we have shared the 5 easy solutions to fix a slow draining kitchen sink and get it running faster again
Table of Contents
Make Sure There’s No Garbage Disposal Glugging
Yup, that annoying gurgling sound you’re hearing is the sound of wasted food. Since the garbage disposal is running, it’s also losing power.
If you’ve got a slow-draining sink, this is the most likely cause. You’ll need to clean your disposal and add a little extra push to get it going again.
If the gurgling stops but starts up again, you’ve got a clogged drain. This can be prevented with monthly cleanings, and you can add a few drops of dishwasher detergent to the drain to help get things moving.
Add A Faucet aerator
If your faucet is running at a slower pace than the other taps in your home, it’s likely that the aerator is stuck or damaged. You can check this with a flashlight to see if there’s debris. If you have a little time, you can unscrew the aerator and clean it.
Otherwise, you can get a tool that opens breaks and replaces aerators. It’ll only take a few seconds and will help get your sink pumping again.
Clear Out the Drainage
Your sink is draining from more than one place, isn’t it? Remember that the sink itself is draining from the bottom and the base.
The pipes that lead to it need to be clear of any blockages too. This can be below the sink in the drain or under the sink in the drain pipes.
You can remove any excess grease from the bottom of the sink with a rag or sponge, and remove any excess water that’s blocking up the pipes. You can pour some vinegar down the pipes to help get things flowing again.
Use a Plunger or Skimmer to Catch Hair and debris
If your sink is slow-draining, you may have hair stuck in the drain or a lot of debris building up. Use a plunger with a screen to remove any hairs before plunging, and a skimmer to remove any larger debris. You can also pour a little vinegar down the drain to help with the smell.
Add an Overflow Preventer
If you’ve tried all of the above, but your sink is still slow-draining, you’re likely suffering from an overflow. Overflows can happen when you don’t have the water turned off in the sink, or if the overflow is damaged.
You can add a stopper in the overflow pipe to stop this from happening. This is an easy fix that’ll get your sink running again.
Change the type of paper towels you use.
A lot of paper towel waste ends up in the sink. If this is the case, you need to change the type of paper towels that you’re using.
You can buy waterproof ones that are designed to be thrown away after one use. This is a great way to keep your kitchen sink free of blockages.
Add a plug for a slow drain.
This is a cheap and easy option for a slow-draining sink. You can buy a $10 plug from any hardware store that’ll help get your sink back on track.
Don’t forget to label it “sink” so that your garbage disposal knows to ignore it.
Drain your sink first.
This may sound crazy, but drain your sink first! This is the most likely cause of a slow-draining sink, so get it draining as soon as possible. Once it’s free-flowing again, it’ll be easier to see the source of the problem.
Now that you’ve got your sink running at full speed again, you can try out some of these other solutions to get your sink draining again if it’s still slow.
Keep in mind that it’s best to try and fix these issues fast. Stop trying to fix a clogged drain if you’re only causing more problems!
