Having a clogged drain can put a real crimp in your day. If you have a clogged drain, you need to be ready to take quick action to get things flowing again. A clogged sink or bathroom drain can often be easily dealt with.

Use That Plunger

Many people wrongly assume that the plunger is only for the toilet. In fact, there are plungers that are specifically built to be used with sinks and bathtub drains. However, if you only have a toilet plunger, you can use that on a sink drain too. You should just clean the plunger before you use it.

When it comes to using a plunger with a clogged sink or bathtub drain, you are going to want to run the water for a few seconds so that you have some standing water in the tub. It may seem counterintuitive to add water, but the water helps create a seal around the plunger that provides additional force that will help dislodge the blockage.

Make sure any overflow holes are covered up before you start plunging. As you plunge, apply force rapidly, keeping the seal intact. You don't want to lift the plunger up; you want to move it up and down while keeping it in place.

After a minute or so, remove the plunger. If the plunger worked effectively, all the water around the plunger should go right down the drain.

Simple Hot Water

The second trick you should try is the hot water trick. For the hot water trick, fill up a few pots with hot water, and bring that water to a boil. Using oven mitts, carry the boiling water to the clogged sink or tub, and pour the water directly over the drain. Be sure to position your face so it is not directly over the pot; you don't want the steam to burn you.

The boiling hot water can be effective at breaking up clogs and getting things flowing again. If you want to increase your chances of success, pour a little baking soda and vinegar down the drain first to break up the clog, and then follow up with some simple hot water.  

Try one of the above at-home methods for unclogging your drain. If they don't work, call in a professional plumber who offers clogged drain cleaning services. Even if you are able to get the water flowing temporarily through your drain, you may still want to call in a plumber. A plumber will be able to figure out why your drain is getting clogged and will fix the source of the clogged drain so you don't have to find yourself repeating the process of unclogging the drain on a regular basis.