Bathroom Tips to Help Unclog Your Sink

Do you want to know how to unclog a bathroom sink? Don’t worry; Pro Plumber San Diego will teach you how to unclog your sink in no time!

Is your bathroom sink backed up? A blocked bathroom sink is one of the simplest plumbing issues to fix! All you need is a little knowledge, the proper equipment, and a willingness to get your hands filthy. In this piece, we’ll look at the most common and successful methods for unclogging your bathroom sink. Unclogging your blocked bathroom sink doesn’t have to be difficult (and certainly shouldn’t take all day!). From basic chemical remedies (such as vinegar and baking soda) to more complicated ones, such as snaking your drain, after reading this article, you’ll have a better understanding of how sinks function and how to unclog your bathroom sink drain.

Do you have a tough sink blockage that keeps reappearing? Perhaps the situation is more serious than you think. Check read this post to learn why you should have a sewage line camera inspection and how much it costs.

 

What causes clogs in sinks?

Washing your face, shaving, and other activities that result in hair shedding over your bathroom sink may be hazardous to your sink drain!

Grease: Over time, oil and grease may accumulate on the inner surfaces of your bathroom sink, making it more prone to poor draining or even entirely blocking up.

 Trash Toiletries and other: Cotton swabs, dental floss, paper towels (which should never be in your drain in the first place! ), and other items that add bulk to the pipes all contribute to slower draining sinks.

Soap and soap scum: If you have a blocked bathroom sink, the most likely reason is your soap. Liquid bath soaps produce suds that drain and accumulate in pipes, causing clogs in no time!

Something got stuck somewhere along the way: Your bathroom sink drains into your sewage system, and if there is a blockage farther down the line, it will be difficult to clear.

Damaged pipes: If your bathroom sink drains slowly or not at all, a faulty pipe or pipes may be at blame. Calling a professional plumber to evaluate whether or not this is the case may be the best choice.

What equipment do I need to unclog my bathroom sink drain?

Clearing your bathroom sink drain requires just a few basic items:

• Drain auger or snake (snake for sinks)
• Plunger
• a bucket and a sponge
• lidded trash can
• Gloves and safety eyewear are optional (but recommended!).
• rags and towels (may get nasty!)
• How do you clear a clogged bathroom sink drain?

Here are eight things you may do right now to unclog your bathroom sink drain. If you are unsure about any of these methods, please contact Western Rooter & Plumbing to have a professional plumber come to your home as soon as possible to solve your blocked sink drain!

1. To eliminate hair clumps, use a “Zip-It” drain cleaning tool.

Hair clumps cause 9 out of 10-bathroom sink drain blockages. If this is the case, a “Zip-It” drain cleaning tool should suffice before proceeding with the next instructions!

A “Zip-It” drain cleaning gadget is a flat, thin strip of flexible plastic with a number of teeth on it. Simply insert the tool as far as possible into your bathroom sink drain (don’t worry if you can’t get beyond the blockage at first), rock it back and forth to remove any hair or other debris that has accumulated in your pipes, and then carefully pull out.

This should be done multiple times. You may notice that more and more hair is being drawn up from the drain each time. Repeat until you can insert the tool into the drain and draw it out with no hair on it.

 

2. Pour boiling water down the drain.

Pour boiling hot water down the sink drain next. This should be sufficient to melt through any debris in your drain and free any obstructions.

Simply bring a saucepan of water to a boil on the stove. After it has boiled, gently pour the hot liquid down the sink drain, being cautious not to contact it with your hands! If you can’t get near enough because your bathroom sink lacks handles or sides, consider using a turkey baster instead. Most drains should be unclogged immediately… If it does not work immediately after putting in hot water, wait a few minutes before trying again.

 

3. Experiment with vinegar and baking soda.

If hot water does not clear the clog, the next step is to use vinegar and baking soda to dissolve the blockage. The chemical interaction between the vinegar and baking soda will quickly clean up your blocked sink, and here’s how:

 

Twelve cups of baking soda should be poured down the drain. Pour enough vinegar on top of the baking soda to watch it start bubbling up around the drain’s edges. Allow this to settle for a few minutes – if feasible, leave it overnight to maximize the impact! If necessary, retry your solution after allowing it to settle.

 

Note: You may want to try using a funnel during this stage to avoid spilling chemicals on your tabletop!

 

4. Try unclogging the drain.

Plungers aren’t only for toilets, did you know? To eliminate obstructions in your bathroom sink drain, use a plunger! Simply lay the plunger’s rubber component over the top of your drain hole to do this. Push down with both hands firmly, then draw back up to suck obstacles upwards. Allow some time before repeating if necessary – and be cautious not to press too hard since this might harm the pipes if they are old enough!

 

5. Disassemble and clean your P-trap

The P-trap is the curved piping part under your sink. Pop off the P-trap if you can reach it and clear out any hair or debris that has been caught in there over time!

Simply twist the plastic screw that holds your P-traps in place on each side of your bathroom sink drain until both sections are removable. Once removed, use a small pail to collect filthy water while cleaning your pipes with soap and hot water; take care to reach all surfaces, even within the bend underneath.

But don’t put your P-trap back together just yet… There is one more thing you may do to clean your sink drain:

6. Snake your drain using a drain snake (or a plumber’s snake).

A drain snake is a long metal spiral instrument that you run down your drain to dislodge any stuck objects within. It is also known as a plumber’s auger, plumbing snake, drain auger, or simply an auger. The snake features a corkscrew-shaped on one side and a hand-crank on the other side that is used to drill it through obstacles. If the prior approaches haven’t worked, this is an excellent alternative!

Since you still have your P-trap removed from the previous step, gently put your drain snake into the pipe in the wall where your P-trap was previously connected. Turn the crank to move the drill ahead, possibly unclogging any debris within.

 

Reattach your P-trap and check to see whether the problem has been resolved. If they have not, you should proceed to the next stage.

 

7. Contact a plumber!

If you’ve gone this far, the issue is most likely so deep down the line that a standard drain snake won’t reach it. This suggests that it might be invasive tree roots looking for water and minerals in your pipes. In this instance, you should contact a plumber to unclog your bathroom sink drain.

 

Is your sink drain clogged? Pro Plumber San Diego can assist you.

Pro Plumber San Diego specializes in the removal of tree roots from drain pipes therefore, send us a note or give us a call if you think a nearby tree is causing your plumbing problems! We will send a plumbing professional to your home to evaluate your bathroom sink drain and see whether the underlying issue can be identified.