How to Unclog a Drain Without Chemicals

September 4, 2026

Clear a slow or blocked sink, tub, or shower drain with a hair snake, hot water, baking soda and vinegar, a plunger, and the P-trap, in that order.

Applies to: ordinary household fixtures and materials. Last checked September 4, 2026. Suggest an edit

A sink, tub, or shower drains slowly or not at all. Work through these steps in order and stop as soon as the water runs freely. Most clogs clear by the third step.

Remove the stopper and pull out the hair

Lift or unscrew the stopper. Some pop-up stoppers only come out after you unhook the pivot rod under the sink. Push a plastic hair snake or a length of bent wire down the drain, twist, and pull it back up. Repeat until it comes back clean. This alone fixes most bathroom clogs.

Flush with hot water

Run the hot tap for two minutes. If the pipes are metal or newer PVC, a kettle of boiling water poured slowly down the drain works better. If you are unsure what the pipes are made of, or the home is older with glued plastic joints, stick with hot tap water.

Pour in baking soda and vinegar

Pour half a cup of baking soda down the drain, then a cup of white vinegar. Cover the drain with the stopper or a wet rag and wait 15 minutes. Flush with hot water for a minute. The fizz loosens grease and soap scum. Never do this after a chemical drain cleaner has been used, and never plunge a drain that has chemical cleaner in it. The mix can splash caustic liquid back up. Wait the time on the label and flush with plenty of water first.

Plunge the drain

Add enough water to cover the plunger cup. Stuff a wet rag into the overflow hole of a sink or tub so the pressure goes down the pipe instead of out the overflow. Plunge with 10 to 15 firm strokes, then pull up sharply. Repeat two or three times.

Clean the P-trap

Place a bucket under the U-shaped pipe beneath the sink. Unscrew the two slip nuts by hand or with channel-lock pliers, pull the trap off, and dump it into the bucket. Scrub it out with a bottle brush, check the pipe stubs on either side for buildup, and screw it back on. Run water and check both nuts for leaks.

If clogs keep coming back. The blockage is farther down the line than these steps reach. A hand-crank drain auger from the hardware store is the next move, and after that a plumber.

To keep it clear. Run the hot tap for a minute once a month and use a drain strainer to catch hair.