If water is draining slowly or there is a horrible smell near your sink then you likely have a blocked drain (Image: Getty)
Sinks can easily become clogged due to food and soapy residues going down the drain daily, and you need to use a product that can easily break down greasy oils to clear it.
Grease is an acidic substance which means popular homemade cleaning solutions like white vinegar will not work to unblock a drain as you need something that is strongly alkaline.
Daniel Smith, an expert from , has shared that baking soda is mildly alkaline so it could work, but you are much better off using an item with a higher alkalinity like washing soda.
He said: “If baking soda does not work and you want a stronger DIY option, washing soda is the next best option.
“Sodium carbonate, sometimes known as washing soda, is a common item in cleaning household goods and an excellent do-it-yourself drain unclogging ingredient.
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Soda crystals are natural but powerful way to unclog a drain (Image: Getty)
“Its alkalinity is higher than baking soda’s and is thus a more effective drain cleaner.”
Washing soda, also known as soda crystals, has a pH level of 11 which means it is much better at breaking grease, fat and other acidic substances which are the most common causes of clogged drains.
This is a simple yet much more potent solution than vinegar or baking soda to flush away blockages, but is also a natural product so you will not be using harmful chemicals near your sink.
How to use washing soda to clear a blocked drain
All you need to do is fill the kettle, boil it and then pour the boiling water down the sink; this is to help loosen the fat, slime and grime that is blocking the drain.
First, boiling water needs to be poured down the clogged drain (Image: Getty)
Next, sprinkle a generous amount of washing soda and one cup of hot water down the sink. Both the heat and alkaline pH levels of the washing soda should dissolve most of the greasy buildup.
Wait at least five minutes to give the solution time to remove the clog; you can let the mixture sit for 15 to 30 minutes.
Once the time is up, fill and boil the kettle again. Pour it down the sink again and it should flush any remaining debris in the drain.
The sink should be completely clear with the water running a lot more smoothly and no horrible smells.