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How to Use Household Ammonia to Unblock a Sink

Jarrad Smith • July 20, 2020

Unblocking Your Sink With Household Ammonia



Sinks are often taken for granted by most homeowners. They would toss about any leftovers into the drain, especially to those with built-in garbage disposal. However, if people continue to treat their sinks like this, they eventually get clogged and cause more problems in their homes.


Aside from kitchen sinks, the bathroom drain is also prone to clogging. People wash their hands, brush their teeth, shave their beards, or wash their hair. Hence, the bathroom sink is subjected to hair and soapy buildup.


Another area that could be prone to clogging is the utility sinks connected to your washing machines. With all the chemicals and linen you manage, these drains are susceptible to soap and lint buildup.


To prevent clogging, ammonia can be the best product to loosen any buildup. It is a colorless, pungent-smelling gas that is an active ingredient to most household cleaning fluids. However, as effective as it may be, some precautionary measures should be observed to ensure your safety upon using household ammonia.


If you need assistance of a specialist in Newcastle or Lake Macquarie, call Jet Blaster Man Now. Our plumbing services are available 24/7 and we can beat any quote by 10%!


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Step 1: Inspect the Drain Stopper

Pull out the drain stopper in your sink and see if anything is blocking its path. Remove the debris or hair from the stopper to make sure ammonia can flow smoothly through the pipes.


Step 2: Block Other Drains

Get a few rugs and stuff them into nearby or connected drains. It's one way for you to block the ammonia from flowing to unintended pipes.


Step 3: Dilute

Boil one liter of water into a cooking pot. Add one cup of household-type ammonia into the boiled water.


Step 4: Drain The Mixture

Pour the hot water and ammonia mixture down the drain. Make sure to do it slowly. You can also leave it for thirty minutes after pouring the mixture. Don't use the sink during this period. 


Step 5: Get Lukewarm Water

Heat enough water until it's lukewarm. Pour it into the sink, but only until 3 inches full.


Step 6: Use a Plunger

Get a plunger and rub some petroleum jelly into its base — the petroleum jelly helps create better suction between the plunger and pipe. Move the plunger up and down the drain rapidly for at least ten times. Such a procedure allows air to push or dislodge the blockage.


Step 7: Have a Clean Run Down

Get the plunger out of the sink. Try running water down the sink and see if it's draining smoothly. If it's not, you need to repeat the steps mentioned. If your drain is finally working well, you can rinse the ammonia and its odor by pouring cold water down the drain.


It Still Doesn't Work

There are instances that an ammonia mixture may not be enough to treat your clogged drains. While there are many do-it-yourself ways to manage your clogged sink, you can also entrust the task to a plumbing expert such as Jet Blaster Man. They are known to be the go-to blocked drain specialist in Lake Macquarie and Newcastle. With their expertise and fair pricing, you'll see how much it can save your time, effort, and money to avail of their service.


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