Tools and materials
Manual plunger, semi-rigid wire, bicarbonate of soda, salt, vinegar and water.
Safety bucket.

If the blockage is not serious
- First determine the seriousness of the blockage. Start with the simplest trick. If the blockage is slow but exists, this may be the solution.
- Fill the sink with water. If the blockage is in the bath or sink, follow the same method.
- For better effectiveness, block the overflow grid (in the upper part of the sink) with a cloth.
- Place the plunger over the mouth of drainpipe and start pumping strongly up and down.
- You will note that the water flows more freely. Repeat the operation as many times as necessary until the problem is solved. The blocking elements will flow down with the
current to the main drainpipe.

Uninstalling the syphon
- Modern drainage pipes - the most common ones are plastic - have a screw top in the lower part known as the siphon, which prevents bad smells from escaping. This is where the heaviest materials that cannot be removed by the current tend to accumulate and eventually cause a major blockage.
- Place a bucket under the mouth of the siphon and unscrew it.
- Place a semi-rigid wire into the mouth of the drainpipe and apply pressure, moving it
up and down until the blocking elements begin to peel away.

Chemical unblocking preparations
- You can also purchase chemical preparations to unblock sinks, which are best not used for reasons of hygiene and so as not to deteriorate the pipes.
- More prosaic preventative methods that may help to unblock the sink include using bicarbonate of soda and salt mixed with hot water and a few glasses of vinegar
followed by hot water.