How to get a backed up sink because of grease build up unclogged?

Bev stroud
by Bev stroud

My sink drains very slowly because of grease build up used a drain eel but too much grease went through and put a little hole through it only can’t get all the grease


  15 answers
  • Peggy L Burnette Peggy L Burnette on Sep 06, 2020

    Hi Bev, sorry your sink is clogged. Hope this helps you.

    Frank Newton

    Answered November 13, 2018


    If your sink is clogged with grease it’s actually an easy fix especially if the grease just went down the drain. All you need is dishwashing liquid and vinegar but the thing that can actually get it down is hot boiling water so as long as you got a tea kettle or one of those big pots that you cook spaghetti in you’re good. You just need to boil some water at least three times and pour it right into the sink drain and that’s it. You should start seeing it flush down after the 3rd time you drain it down if not try it again until you drain it down. Sometimes it helps if you pour the dishwashing liquid or vinegar at the same time you’re pouring that’ll loosen the grease up quite a bit.

  • Cynthia H Cynthia H on Sep 06, 2020

    Hi! I don't like using chemicals, but, a product like Drano will really help at this point. The way you can avoid buildup in the future is to do some preventative methods. Never pour grease down the drain. I scrape excess grease into the garbage before washing. After washing a greasy pot or pan I flush the drain with hot water and Dawn dish detergent. A little extra work and water, but, it helps things stay clean.

  • Thomas Mycal Powell Thomas Mycal Powell on Sep 07, 2020

    Use sodium hydroxide. NaOH. Drop 1/2 cup crystals down drain. Wait 3 hours or more and run water. Powerful, ergo Dangerous, chemical, read up on it. It will dissolve all organic materials (hair, grease, food deposits). Never use with aluminum: disolves aluminum and creates Hydrogen gas (explosive), except I do use to clean alum cookware when it turns black. I always keep a tub around of NaOH around the house for its multiples uses.

  • You can put a cup of bicarb down and then some vinegar. It will fizz up but if you put the plug in it will keep it in the drain. This will opened the blockage. To clear the rest I turn my water temp up high and let the water run hot down the drain. Some might say this is a waste of water, but it is cheaper than a plumber and it works.


  • Johnavallance82 Johnavallance82 on Sep 07, 2020

    Hello Bev,

    What you need is someone to get down and dirty. Cutting out a lot of the fat and grease Then use Washing up liquid and hot water to try to disperse the rest. Best of luck! Otherwise call in a Drain expert to do it for you.

  • Redcatcec Redcatcec on Sep 07, 2020

    Your best bet is to dissolve the grease, to do this use Blue Dawn dish soap and hot water, hot enough to melt the grease. If you use boiling water and have pvc piping under your sink, it may dissolve you plumber"s glue. Drano might work too.Baking soda and vinegar do not dissolve grease, so I would not recommend it for your circumstance.

    Cynthia H has some good preventative measures.

  • Here's what I do:

    Pour boiling water down the drain. Then add a half cup of baking soda and let it sit for a minute. Pour a cup of vinegar and a cup of hot water down the drain. Cover loosely and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. Pour another pot of boiling water down the drain to flush out the clog.

  • Chloe Crabtree Chloe Crabtree on Sep 07, 2020

    The most common homemade cleaner is a mixture of hot water and vinegar in 1:1 ratio. This mixture works in the same way as a caustic cleaner, but vinegar and water are non-toxic and less corrosive. Adding boiling hot water will increase temperature inside grease clogged drain, and help to melt the clog.

  • Em Em on Sep 07, 2020

    Most household concoctions like vinegar and baking soda won't do much for a grease clog.

    People underestimate how useful warm water can be, especially in this situation. You’ll find there’s little that’s as effective as warm water combined with something else, in fixing the issue of your drains being clogged by grease.

    What you’ll need:

    A half-gallon of boiling water (about 2 liters).

    Some dish soap made for degreasing or some salt, about a small cup’s worth at the most.

    Keep in mind that these methods only work if there’s some movement, still. If there’s a complete clog use plunger first then snake to make drainage possible.

    This works because the water helps to melt any blockages slowing things down, while the dish soap further aids that or in the case of salt, acts as a way to scour things even further.

    Ideally, you’d use both methods, dish soap then salt.

    With dish soap, you need to boil the water and then mix it in. Pour that down the drain without rushing.

  • Pour some dawn soap down and then wait a while. THen pour a kettle of hot water. Wait and then repeat as needed.

  • Mogie Mogie on Sep 07, 2020

    How to Unclog a Grease Clogged Drain

    1. The Plunger

    It’s not exactly glamorous or exciting, nor do many people like using it. However, this is usually your best first bet.

    It’s simple and it can usually help if it seems like there’s a complete clog or a fairly heavy partial one. Most of the time, it’s in the P-trap and a plunger is ideal for dealing with that.

    It works because its suction and back and forth motion allows it to both draw in and then push out stuck particles. Be it grease or food chunks, this is usually how you can fix the problem.

    The use is simple:

    1. Clear the surrounding area. Splashing and a general mess is very possible.
    2. Fill the sink roughly half of the way up with warm water.
    3. Plunge away until you feel a definite improvement. It’s usually signaled by louder and easier plunging that sounds like you’re just moving air.

    2. A Plumber’s Snake or even just a Wire Hook

    A bit of a step up in terms of finesse, this operates on a similar principle to the plunger. You want to make sure the blockage is dislodged.

    While primarily used with bathroom sinks, this can also be used with kitchen ones if it seems like you have a small but stubborn clog. Usually, this can be the result of heavy fat or grease accumulating in one spot, which makes this targeted approach ideal.

    It works because it punctures a hole or even removes the obstacle entirely. Be wary of being too hasty using this.

    Generally speaking, you just remove the cover for the sink and then slowly insert the snake or wire. Prod and poke until you sense no resistance left but always be extremely careful and slow.

    3. Warm Water and Dish Soap or Salt

    People underestimate how useful warm water can be, especially in this situation. You’ll find there’s little that’s as effective as warm water combined with something else, in fixing the issue of your drains being clogged by grease.

    What you’ll need:

    • A half-gallon of boiling water (about 2 liters).
    • Some dish soap or some salt, about a small cup’s worth at the most.

    Keep in mind that these methods only work if there’s some movement, still. If there’s a complete clog, use the other 2 methods first.

    This works because the water helps to melt any blockages slowing things down, while the dish soap further aids that or in the case of salt, acts as a way to scour things even further.

    Ideally, you’d use both methods, dish soap then salt.

    With dish soap, you need to boil the water and then mix it in. Pour that down the drain without rushing.

    With salt, you need to dump it down the drain first, and then follow up with the boiling water, again poured slowly.

    In both cases, multiple repeats may be needed and should be expected. For best results, do one or two rounds of both, swapping between them.



  • Simple Nature Decor Simple Nature Decor on Sep 07, 2020

    I would try basic drano and if this does not work. I would contact a plumber.

  • Morgan McBride Morgan McBride on Sep 07, 2020

    I use draino