The holiday season means more cooking, more guests, and—unfortunately—more strain on your plumbing. Grease in the kitchen sink, extra hair in the shower, and soap buildup can quickly lead to slow or clogged drains.
That’s why clogged drain cleanup is important. This guide from Cardinal Home Services outlines the simple steps to handle common drain issues and explains when professional drain cleaning or snaking is the best solution to keep your plumbing running smoothly.
Signs of a Drain That Needs Cleaning
Quite often, a clogged drain is easy to spot—you’ll usually notice the symptoms immediately. However, some drains develop a gradual build-up or hidden blockages that aren’t obvious at first. That’s why timely clogged drain cleanup is important, helping address minor issues early before they turn into slow drainage, backups, or more serious plumbing problems.
In these instances, you should be on the lookout for:
- Water is pooling around the drain
- Slow drains
- Foul smells from your faucets or other plumbing fixtures
- Backups appearing in your showers or other areas when flushing the toilet
Sewage backups
DIY Drain Cleaning Solutions
It is highly recommended to allow professionals like Cardinal Home Services for plumbing services; there are, however, a few DIY methods you can try:
- Hot Water Flush – Boiling water can help dissolve organic matter in your drains. This method is particularly effective for kitchen sinks clogged with grease and oil.
- Baking Soda and Vinegar – A natural, eco-friendly cleaning solution: mixing baking soda and vinegar can create fizzing that helps dislodge clogs. Pour half a cup of baking soda down the drain, followed by half a cup of vinegar. Wait an hour, then flush with hot water.
- Plunger – A plunger can be used to dislodge clogs in both sinks and toilets. Ensure a good seal over the drain and pump vigorously to create suction.
- Disconnecting Your P-Trap – If the pipes under your sink are easy to access, the issue may be a clogged P-trap—the curved pipe beneath the sink that often collects grease, food, or hair. Carefully removing and cleaning it can sometimes restore normal drainage. If the clog persists or you’re unsure about taking it apart, a professional plumber can safely take it from there.
Drain Snaking
Drain snaking is a more effective method for more challenging clogs that can’t be resolved with simple home remedies. A drain snake, also known as a plumber’s snake, is a flexible drill that can navigate through the twists and turns of pipes to break apart or retrieve obstructions.
While manual drain snakes are available for home use, professional-grade snakes operated by experienced plumbers are far more effective at breaking through stubborn blockages and thoroughly cleaning clogged drains without damaging your pipes.
Multiple Ways of Unclogging a Drain
Often, all that is necessary is to run a pipe snake or a cable down the drain to break up clogs. However, sometimes, using a cable just doesn’t get the job done. For those situations, running a hydro-jet down the drain is necessary. A hydro-jet sends highly pressurized water through the pipes to clean them and clear the drain.
Still, sometimes, even hydrojetting doesn’t work. At these times, our expert plumbers will inspect for tree roots that could be causing a problem or pipes that need to be repaired.
Why Cardinal Home Services?
Sometimes, DIY fixes and drain snaking just don’t cut it—especially when clogs keep coming back or signal a bigger issue in your plumbing. That’s when calling in a professional makes sense. Expert plumbers can properly clean up clogged drains, get to the root of the problem, and help prevent future backups before they turn into bigger headaches.
At Cardinal Home Services, we also help you stay ahead of clogs before they start. With regular inspections and routine cleaning, we make sure your plumbing keeps flowing smoothly so small issues don’t turn into costly, messy repairs later.
If you notice a drain backing up, contact our team immediately before it becomes a bigger problem.