Grease is an enemy to your kitchen sink. Even if you're careful about not pouring grease directly in your sink, grease can still accumulate from dirty dishes and pans. As the sticky grease layer builds inside the drain, food bits and other debris gets stuck and cause the clog to get bigger and bigger. Here are some tips for eliminating a grease clog and how to prevent them in the future.

A Mild Clog May Be Easy To Remove

A grease clog usually builds up over time unless you accidentally pour a lot of grease down the drain at once. When the clog builds slowly, you notice the drain getting slower to empty. That's the time to take action. If you work on the clog while water still drains and the clog is small, you might be able to remove it yourself.

Things to try for DIY grease clog removal include salt, vinegar, baking soda, hot water, a plunger, and biological drain cleaners. If you opt for a drain cleaner, choose one that uses enzymes or bacteria to eat away at the grease rather than dangerous chemical drain openers.

Big Clogs May Need Drain Cleaning Equipment

If the water has nearly stopped draining from your sink or has stopped completely, you may need to call a plumber to bring in drain cleaning tools. Plumbers can use a drain snake or hydro jet on drains to get them open. Clearing a grease clog is usually a straightforward job that doesn't take too long.

A snake cuts through the grease and debris so it is removed from the sides of the drain and flushed on through the plumbing. A hydro jet blasts the grease off the sides of the drain and cleans the drain to remove all traces of the clog. Your plumber chooses the right drain cleaning method to ensure success without harming your pipes.

Drain Maintenance Prevents Clogs

Once your drain has been cleaned, you're probably eager to keep the drain flowing so you're not inconvenienced by a clog again. One thing you can do is buy dish soap that cuts grease for use when you wash things in the sink. You might also pour some of the dish soap in your drain periodically.

You can also pour vinegar and hot water down the drain when you clean your kitchen to keep the drain clean and fresh smelling. You might also want to buy biological drain cleaners for maintenance use, but you may want to discuss their suitability and safety with your plumber before you pour any kind of drain cleaner down the drain routinely.

For more information about drain cleaning, contact a local plumbing company.