If the water in your sink is draining slowly or has a horrible smell then you are likely dealing with a clogged drain, but luckily it is very simple to fix. 

It is not surprising that drains become blocked as food pieces, soap, oils and grease go down the pipes daily, and will eventually cause a build-up. 

However, the experts at Bright & Beautiful have shared that the best way to deal with a clogged drain is not a chemical cleaner, baking soda or vinegar but soda crystals. 

They said: “There’s no need to call a plumber for most ordinary or non-severe blockages. 

“Try pouring boiling water down the sink, once it has drained away, fill a mug with soda crystals and pour it down the plughole.”

Why are soda crystals so effective? 

White vinegar and baking soda are used in cleaning regularly, but the chemical reaction when both are mixed will not be strong enough to dislodge the fatty grease in drains. 

They cannot dislodge food or soap particles as vinegar is an acid, while baking soda is a weak alkaline substance, so you will be left with fizzy salty water instead of a blocked drain. 

Soda crystals are strongly alkaline, which means they will be able to break down the acidic grease and fat so that they will dissolve easily in water. 

What is great about soda crystals is that they can dissolve organic build-ups as well so you can also use it in a bathroom sink blocked with hair or soap scum.

How to use soda crystals to unblock a drain

All you need to do is boil the kettle and then pour the boiled water down the drain.

Wait for the boiled water to drain away then fill a mug with soda crystals and pour them down the drain as well. 

Leave the sofa crystals to sit for five to 10 minutes as it will need to time to break up the greasy blockage. 

Boil the kettle once again and pour it slowly down the drain to rinse away the soda crystals plus the broken-down grease and fat. 

The expert said: “To be extra sure your blockage has completely gone, empty a full kettle of hot water down the sink. 

“Et voilà – your sink should be blockage-free! If you sink still doesn’t drain, you should contact a plumber.”