Kitchen drain cleaning
Kitchen drains clog mostly from grease, soap and food solids that coat the trap and the branch line behind the wall. A plumber clears the trap and then cables or jets the branch line; if both sides of a double sink are slow, the clog is past the trap.
Kitchen clogs build slowly. Warm grease runs down the drain as a liquid, cools in the pipe and catches food particles, until the opening is too narrow to drain. The dishwasher and disposal usually drain into the same line, so a kitchen clog can show up as a dishwasher that won't empty.
The fix depends on where the blockage sits: in the trap under the sink, in the branch line inside the wall, or further down where the kitchen line joins the main drain.
Signs you need kitchen drain cleaning
- Both sides of a double sink drain slowly
- Water backs up into one side when the other drains
- The dishwasher leaves standing water
- Gurgling or a sour smell from the sink
How kitchen drain cleaning is done
- 1
Find the blockage
Check the trap and disposal outlet first, then test whether the clog is in the branch line.
- 2
Clear the line
A small cable clears most branch-line clogs; jetting removes grease coating the pipe walls.
- 3
Test and advise
Run hot water and the dishwasher to confirm flow, and note if the line needs inspection.
What affects the cost of kitchen drain cleaning
- Whether the clog is in the trap or the branch line
- Access to a cleanout
- Cabling vs. hydro jetting
- After-hours timing
Ask for the trip fee and the total price before work starts.
Kitchen drain cleaning: what you can do yourself
Safe to try
- • Plunge with the other basin plugged
- • Remove and clean the P-trap over a bucket
- • Run the disposal with cold water to clear it
Stop and call if
- • Water backs up in other fixtures
- • The clog returns within weeks
- • You've already used chemical cleaner, which makes the line hazardous to open
Need kitchen drain cleaning? Call now
SteadWell is a free referral service, not a plumbing company. Calling (833) 753-0180 connects you with an independent, licensed plumber who serves your ZIP code; the plumber quotes and performs the work. Calls may be recorded.
Kitchen drain cleaning: common questions
Why does my kitchen sink keep clogging?
Grease and food solids keep building on the branch-line walls. Clearing a hole through the clog doesn't remove the coating, so it returns; jetting removes it more completely.
Can a garbage disposal cause clogs?
Yes, especially with fibrous or starchy food like peels, rice and pasta, or when it's run without enough water.
Should I pour boiling water down a kitchen drain?
Hot tap water is safer. Boiling water can soften PVC joints and won't dissolve a solid grease clog.