The best sink & drain unblocker you can buy in the UK (for kitchen & bathroom drains)
A blocked drain can grind your entire life to a halt in a way that few things can - when you can't even run water down a sink, it prevents you from doing all sorts of daily activities that you take for granted, from washing the dishes to taking a shower.
When there is a blockage in the drain, you need something to deal with it quickly. Luckily, there are lots of excellent sink unblocker products that you can buy in the UK. We thought we'd round up the best sink unblockers you can buy, based on our own experiences and third-party reviews. Let's get into it:
HG drain and plug unblocker
Mr Muscle drain gel
Mr Muscle is a household name when it comes to cleaning products, and the drain gel from this brand is one of the most popular sink unblockers you can buy. You'll find it stocked at most supermarkets, and it generally does a very good job of clearing blockages. The gel is safe to use on all kinds of pipes, and will also deal with the odour of the blockage. It'll also sink right through standing water so can deal with severe blockages. Learn more and buy it here - tesco.com
Cillit Bang unblocker gel
Cillit Bang has become a bit of a meme over the years, but there is no denying that this brand makes some excellent cleaning products. The Unblocker Gel from Cillit Bang is not only designed to deal with tough blockages (even working in standing water) but it's also designed to deal with the odour of blockages too. Learn more and buy it here - wilko.com
Essential Waitrose
As far as own-brand cleaning products go, Waitrose is definitely one of the best supermarkets to buy them from in the UK. The Essential Waitrose Sink & Drain Unblocker isn't as fancy as some of the other options we've included in this list, but it certainly does the job. This product has a very high rating of 4.3 stars out of 5 over on the Waitrose website, which is really impressive given that more than 65 customers have reviewed it. And at £2.30 per bottle, it's cheaper than some of the branded options too. Learn more and buy it here - waitrose.com
Buster plughole unblocker (kitchen & bathroom)
The Buster range of plughole unblockers is actually quite interesting because the one designed for bathroom drains and the one designed for kitchen drains are actually very different, but they're both very good. When you use the kitchen Buster unblocker, the first thing you'll notice is that the bottle is full of tiny balls rather than a liquid. This is because the balls are designed to deal with blockages of fat, which are more common in kitchen drains. The bathroom Buster unblocker (pictured) is just a liquid and is designed to deal more with hair blockages. We think both are excellent options, and to be honest you could use either unblocker for any sort of drain and notice a difference. Learn more and buy them here - sainsburys.co.uk
Mr Muscle drain foamer
The alternative to the standard drain gel from Mr Muscle is the slightly fancier (and more expensive) drain foamer, which offers a deeper clean compared to the standard drain gel. As you pour the liquid down the drain, it quickly expands into a foam which can reach the entire pipe wall, giving a more thorough clean and removing all of the gunge in there. It might seem like overkill, but if you've got a particularly bad blockage or want to give your pipes a really good clean, it's a good choice. Plus, it's only £1 more compared to the standard Mr Muscle drain gel. Learn more and buy it here - tesco.com
Duzzit Drain Dway
The Duzzit drain away sachets are suitable to use on blockages of sinks, showers, and baths, so are really versatile. These are granules rather than a liquid, and all you have to do is pour one of the sachets of granules down the drain you want to unblock, then chase it with hot water. You can buy this pack containing 2 sachets for less than £4, so it actually makes this probably the cheapest sink unblocker you can buy, but it's still an effective product. Learn more and buy it here - amazon.co.uk
Asda drain unblocker gel
We mentioned that the drain unblocker from Waitrose was really good, and we feel similarly about this drain unblocker gel from Asda. Reviewers on the Asda website seem very happy with the effects of this unblocker gel, particularly on shower drains. In fact, this product has a rating of 4 stars out of 5 from more than 50 reviews. On top of that, it's only £2 per bottle. Learn more and buy it here - groceries.asda.com
Hopefully, this guide helps you to find an effective sink unblocker to fit your needs and budget. Let us know if you've tried any of these or if you have any other recommendations!
Finn H
Finn is the editor of You Well and has been writing about travel, health, and more for over 10 years.