How to unblock kitchen pipes

Every time you do the washing up, scraps of food get washed down the plughole and gather together in the U-bend. This is the main cause of water draining slowly and unpleasant smells.

Follow our five-minute fix to get your kitchen pipes free-flowing and fresh again.

Step 1: Alka Seltzer

Crumble three Alka Seltzer tablets down the plughole.

Step 2: Vinegar

Pour in about 250 milliliters of vinegar. You'll be able to hear fizzing as the chemical reaction happens; it might even foam up into the sink.

Step 3: Leave for two minutes

Leave for a couple of minutes then run the hot tap to rinse.

This quick tip should do the trick, but if you've still got drainage problems then check out our advice on how to unblock a sink.

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