Clogged Kitchen Sink? Alka-Seltzer Will Do The Trick

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Is a blocked kitchen sink preventing you from washing the fruits and veggies you need for your weekend meal prep? If you don't have a kitchen sink unblocker in your cabinet, a couple of Alka-Seltzer tabs can help loosen the food debris and cooking fats blocking the drain.

Alka-Seltzer is an effervescent medicine that comes in tablet form and contains aspirin, sodium hydrogen carbonate, and citric acid. Used to treat minor aches and pains, heartburn, and fever, the tablets need to be dissolved in water first before they can be ingested. When the tablet meets the water, bubbles of carbon dioxide are produced, which make it fizz. This phenomenon also makes Alka-Seltzer useful for unclogging kitchen sinks. The bubbly mass can help to break up the greasy deposits and bits of food that are lining the pipe under the drain.

To get started, toss a couple Alka-Seltzer tabs directly in the drain, pour in some hot water, and wait for 10 to 15 minutes. Alternatively, follow up the Alka-Seltzer with some vinegar (an antimicrobial that eliminates odors and shifts mineral deposits) to kickstart that chemical reaction and create a fizzy substance that lifts off blockages. Then, run some hot water through the drain to check the blockage has been remedied and repeat if necessary.

If you've been pouring bacon fat down your drain without a moment's thought, this Alka-Seltzer trick likely won't be as effective as using a specialist drain unblocker made with powerful chemicals that can digest organic materials and greasy buildup. However, it can work well for smaller blockages or be employed every couple of weeks or so as a preventative measure. It's definitely worth a shot if you need a quick fix and have some Alka-Seltzer in your medicine cabinet anyway. Better yet, because you won't be using harsh chemicals, you can skip the rubber gloves. If you don't have Alka-Seltzer, a vinegar hack that makes unclogging your sink easier is to combine distilled vinegar with baking soda to mimic the same fizzy reaction.

A useful coffee filter hack to prevent your kitchen sink from getting clogged again is to place the filter over the drain. The running water will be able to run freely through the paper, while the filter will catch any food remnants. Once you're done, simply toss the paper in the trash. For a long-term, reusable fix, this sturdy, stainless steel sink strainer from Amazon can be placed over your drain to catch chunky bits of food. Just bear in mind that it won't stop liquids, like cooking oils, from going down the drain. You should allow these fats to cool and harden before discarding them to prevent them from clogging your sink.