How to Unclog a Sink
Toothpaste, hair, soap, scum, and other grooming chemicals can all form a nearly dense clog in bathroom sinks.
If you need to unclog your bathroom sink, it can be difficult to clean because hair, soap scum, toothpaste, and other commercial drain cleaners can form a very dense clog. Nevertheless, prior to calling professional plumbers, there are a cheaper and simpler alternatives that you should consider,
Our traditional ways to unclog a sink can only help with minor clogging in our sink bowl. And we will undoubtedly teach you how to unclog your drain; before you call a plumber, consider a few simple and, most importantly, low-cost alternatives.
Clogged Bathroom Sink? Here Are Some Methods For Unclogging Bathroom Sinks
Don’t even think of dialing a plumber immediately you have a clogged bathroom sink or run to use caustic chemical drain cleaners. Do not even assume the caustic chemicals are a quick fix when trying to unclog a bathroom sink because they can increase the damage done to your already clogged drain.
In addition to a splash of the contents causing the blockage, a commercial drain cleaner can harm your eyes and skin. There are other better clog repair methods that require ordinary household objects and methods that can help you stay away from disaster.
You have a high probability of fixing your bathroom clog your self with just a single method from the following:
Bring In Your Boiling Water
This procedure is sufficient for clogging in some bathroom sinks, especially with soap scum caused by washing, grease, and other debris. If the drainage is beginning to be slow and there is not enough tepid water in the bathroom sink, boiling water is the best method. It may be all that is necessary for clearing up the clogged sink. Therefore you can carry out a trial first to unclog your sink.
The simple steps to take are as follows:
- Fetch 2 liters of water, put it in a kettle or large pot, and boil till it is bubbly on the stove.
- Carefully pour the boiling water directly into the opening of the sink.
- Confirm if the sink drains perfectly by turning your faucet on.
- Repeat the procedure if the sink is still blocked or draining slowly.
Points to Note
Please do not use this method with PVC pipe fittings because the plastic pipes may be destroyed and leak water.
However, after attempting to unclog your sink a few times with no positive result, try some other method. You probably have a clog that is firmly stuck and would probably not disappear with only boiling water.
Investigate Sink Drain Garbage Disposal
This procedure is meant for those sinks with the garbage disposal. Garbage disposals are sometimes the culprit behind drainage issues. Check if the blockage has been cleared; switching it on sometimes unblock sinks.
For torrid devices or garbage disposals that have broken down, they may have problems turning on. However, you can reset it by pressing the switch on the bottom or side of the device. Try to turn it on after resetting.
Immediately after the device is switched on, check to hear any sound. If you notice an indistinct humming sound, your device may have also been clogged or even damaged. Always ensure that you unplug the device before you carry out any removal of the waste. Allow the blade to rotate manually to loosen the blockage.
You will have to insert into the hole at the bottom of the waste container a hex wrench and twist it until there are no longer hard to turn. After that, the clog would begin to disappear. As soon the sink is no more clogged, test and power cycle for disposals.
However, should in case everything is fine, and they’re no indistinct sounds, switch the faucet on and observe the drainage from the sink to see if everything is perfectly normal.
Clear The Blockage With A Plunger
If you have made confirmations that the garbage disposal is working perfectly well, you can now use your toilet plunger if that’s all you have at the moment. You will need a plunger and a wet rag.
Follow these steps to unclog a bathroom sink with a plunger
- Boil water and pour the hot water into the sink until it is almost full, then block the drain.
- Put the plunger head on the drain, and start raising and dropping the pump very fast.
- Do this frequently, then remove the plunger.
- Wait to see if the water would drain.
- Continue with this process until the drain is completely free of blockage.
Points to Note
By now, it should be obvious that If this procedure is not effective, we’ll have to try another method.
The Vinegar and Baking Soda Method
This process is an organic alternative instead of making use of very dangerous cleaners filled with chemicals that can damage your plumbing system. They are also products usually present in the kitchen at home, and so, it is convenient to use. The solution of baking soda and vinegar works like magic using the following steps and—poof! Blockage gone.
- Fetch out standing water in the sink, making sure you pack out every drop you can and can even dry vacuum the sink.
- Pour a cup of baking soda into the drain; about a cup will do.
- Pour in the same amount of white vinegar into the same drain, and a fizzing action would occur.
- Place a tight seal over the drain to block every open space.
- Wait a while for about an hour, and remove the sink stopper.
- Pour over about two liters of hot water down the drain.
- The stubborn clog would be broken down by very serious blockage.
Points to Note
This baking soda and vinegar solution have a good success rate; however, it is not 100%.
You can repeat the process to unclog the sink, but if it doesn’t work out, try out the next procedure.
Bring In The Plumber`s Snake If The Bathroom Sink Is Clogged Terribly
The bigger clogs that positioned up combat would require the power of a plumber’s snake to unclog a sink. You can get this at your local hardware store. The equipment has a slender drain snake that goes down into the sink drain. Immediately the auger touches a blockage, Crank up the handle to force out the particles and remove them from the drain. Electric snakes percent even extra electricity to address clogged drains.
For those that lack a plumber snake, you can make a DIY snake with your wire hanger. Simply use a couple of needle-nostril pliers to unwind the hanger into a protracted piece of twine. Keep the hooked end, as that is what you will use to seize onto the particles. If necessary, you may use the pliers to modify the attitude of the hook in order that it is able to be effortlessly healthy via the drain opening.
Points to Note
Depending on which device you are using, genuinely feed it down the drain some at a time. Ensure you do not forcefully push, as you may by chance, equally push the clog down the drain. When you experience the top of your device hitting an obstruction, hook it on and pull the particles up via the drain. Keep doing this till you experience assured that the blockage is gone. Run warm water down the drain to see if you are right.
Clean The P Trap When The Bathroom Sink Is Blocked
If the water still does not drain properly and the sink is still clogged, there may be a blockage in the trap known as the arched pipe under the sink. Food, grease, and other debris can clog the pipes and catch water along the way, slowing or even eliminating sink drainage.
The solution is to disassemble the pipe and remove the debris causing the blockage.
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Points to Note
Please get rubber gloves, goggles, and towels as this can be a bit tedious. After this, follow these steps to clean the trap. Place the bucket under the Pipe. This catches accumulated water and debris that can fall when the trap is opened. Loosen the siphon connector that holds the bends in the vertical and horizontal drain pipes. There should be slip nuts on both ends of the trap. Remove the trap and remove all debris, dirt, and debris from the pipe. Reconnect the U-trap to the plumbing fittings and turn on your tap to allow water to drain into the sink.
Conclusion
Finally, after having your bathroom sink unclogged with the above methods, ensure that you hinder the reoccurrence of blockage. Try your best, so materials that can block the sink are not thrown into the drain, for example, skin flakes, exfoliating materials, papers, rubber, toys, hair, soap residue, shavings, and so many more. It is also advised to make equal amounts of vinegar, baking soda, and water solution and deposit them in the ice tray for future use. In subsequent times, grab some ice and break them down the sink to keep it fresh.
Another good habit of keeping up is to use hot tap water to flush soap scum clogs in the bathroom to keep it clean. You can also use a drain cover to protect the bathroom pipes.
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