How to Clean a Grease Trap in a Kitchen Sink

Your kitchen sink is slow or clogged, and you're pretty sure it's in the grease trap. Cleaning a kitchen sink grease trap isn't as scary as it sounds, and is often an excellent alternative to harsh plumbing products or messy plungers and snakes. You'll only need a couple of common household items and a few minutes to complete this chore, and before you know it your sink will be draining properly again.

Things You'll Need

• Adjustable wrench
• Bucket
• Bottle brush
• Latex gloves
• Dish soap

Instructions

1. Place a bucket directly under the "S" shaped part of the drain under the kitchen sink; this is the grease trap.

2. Remove the trap by unscrewing the connections directly above and below the "S", taking care to allow clearance so any standing liquid falls into the bucket.

3. Clean the grease trap by running a bottle brush through the opening to remove the blockage, then at a different sink run hot water through the piece of pipe to clear the rest of the debris.

4. Replace the grease trap by screwing the connections back in place and check for leaks by running water through the drain. If you see a drip at a connection, tighten until the drip stops.

5. Squeeze approximately one teaspoon of dish soap into the drain and run hot water for 30 seconds to clean out any remaining grease.

Tips & Warnings

• This method will usually work to retrieve a piece of jewelry that has fallen into the drain.