There may be more than one way to unclog a clogged bathroom sink depending on what is causing it to clog. You can either use vinegar and baking soda to clear soap scum clogs in the sink, or tweeze hair to remove them.
If the clog is really big, then use a plunger or drain snake. In order to find out how to unclog a bathroom sink, you have to figure out why it is clogged in the first place.
In this article, we will discuss six methods for unclogging a sink drain. A lot of them are useful for drains in kitchens and bathrooms as well.
So, it is time to put on your gloves and do the job. When your bathroom sink is completely clogged or you notice that it is filled with water and it won’t flow, don’t worry, you can call a professional to fix this problem.
But before you call the plumber, try out the following methods to fix the problem on your own.
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What is the Reason for Clogged Bathroom Sink ?
You have a slow running drain if the water in your sink did not drain completely after a few minutes. Slow drains in bathrooms are caused by a range of factors, such as low water pressure and clogged pipes.
A buildup of hair, soap scum, and larger particles of debris can gather on drains, creating a mass that can block the flow of water.
It is common for people to put off taking care of a slow drain until it becomes more serious. When it comes to unclogging a sink, you don’t have to be a mathematician or a chemist to figure it out.
In this article, we investigate some of the most common causes of clogged bathroom drains.
Our first step will be to discover which problem you have. To do this, you will want to consider the following:
Soap scum
- There are many soap scum problems associated with hard water.
- Over the course of time, it can accumulate in your pipes and cause mold and mildew to grow.
- The simplest way to remove soap scum from the drain is to pour boiling water down it or to use baking soda and vinegar.
- But if the soap scum still refuses to go away, you may plunge it with warm water.
Broken pipes
- Over time, rust, corrosion, and other types of pipe damage could result in a clogged drain.
- If your pipes are old and rusted, make sure you replace them before they become clogged with debris.
- If temporary solution is needed, you can plunge them or snake them.
Hair Stuck
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- In the event that hair gets caught inside your sink drain, it will clump together and end up stuck to the drain’s walls as well as getting tangled up in its components.
- For better results, use a zip-it tool or long tweezers to remove the hair.
- However, if either method doesn’t work, you should disassemble the drain altogether.
P-trap Stuck
- In your bathroom sink, the P-trap is the long, curving pipe connecting to the wall pipe, which is located beneath the basin.
- It serves to prevent hazardous sewer gasses from being emitted when the sink drains.
- The p-trap under the bathroom sink should be disconnected and any hair or other debris that has gotten stuck should be removed.
How to Unclog a Bathroom Sink
It is pretty easy to unclog a bathroom sink with a few household items. No matter if you have never worked on plumbing repairs before, you can still fix a clogged pipe.
Find out more about how to unclog a bathroom sink by reading this article.
1. Baking soda and vinegar
Traditionally, vinegar and baking soda have been helpful for cleaning stubborn drains for a long time.
In addition to being non-toxic and household friendly, this solution is also significantly safer than chemical drain openers.
- Make sure the sink drains completely before you begin to apply this solution.
- Even though it may seem to take a long time, the clog will eventually stop.
- You will need to pour 1/4 cup of baking soda down your drain.
- A funnel can be used to ensure that all baking soda is deposited down the drain.
- Now use the same funnel to add 1 1/4 cups of white vinegar to the drain.
- Plug the drain with a sink stopper as you do so. If for some reason you do not have a sink stopper, you can also utilize a towel.
- If possible, allow this mixture to sit for approximately twenty minutes.
- Gently flush the pipe with boiling water. You may have to repeat this procedure.
2. Plumbing Snake
In some instances vinegar and baking soda are not effective in restoring the proper drainage of a bathroom sink.
To solve this problem, you may need to use tools that are capable of clearing the blockage.
Plumbing snake, also known as a drain snake or plumber’s snake, is a specialized tool that is designed to clear thick clogs, no matter how difficult it might be.
The following are some tips on how to use a plumbing snake to fix a clogged bathroom sink.
- Identify where the P trap is located under the sink. An interesting aspect of this pipe assembly is that at the bottom of the assembly there is a curve.
- Make sure you put a bucket under your sink’s P trap.
- Once you have done this, take out the P trap. If your sink has the screw type, you will need a screwdriver in order to remove the screws that hold it together.
- You will also need a wrench in order to remove the slip nuts that secure it at both ends.
- You should disconnect the P trap slowly to prevent water from spilling out.
- The P trap must be checked to determine if the clog is inside or outside.
- In that case, a bent wire hanger can be used to clear the obstruction. In this case, you must make use of your plumbing snake to remove the obstruction.
- Follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer to insert the plumbing snake into the opening of the pipe.
- Continue until you feel that something has been hit. For the most part, this is the source of the obstruction.
- Make sure the snake handle is secure by tightening the nut assembly.
- The snake can now be twisted to catch the clog and take it out of the drain.
- The drain will then run smoothly after the clog is removed.
- Return the P trap to its original position and ensure the sink is functioning. Your sink will operate in a normal manner after the clog has been removed.
3. Plunger
The plunger is an affordable and useful tool in your household that can be used to fix a lot of household problems. For this method, you should use a smaller plunger.
I will demonstrate how to unclog a bathroom sink with a plunger in the following steps:
- If you have a cup plunger, you can use it.
- Take off the stopper.
- Use a piece of tape or a rag to seal the overflow outlet in your sink.
- Place towels or rags around the sink to prevent the water from leaking into your home.
- Add warm water to the sink.
- Seal the drain with the plunger’s cup to ensure airtightness.
- Be sure to pump the plunger’s seal rapidly and sharply.
- See if the clog is eliminated by testing the drain.
- If needed, repeat the process.
4. Boiling water
It is not possible to remove a clogged bathroom sink with just one single solution. Although there are a variety of options that can be used, there are a few pretty easy ones that can be used.
This is because it needs only a few common household items that are already at home.
It is pertinent to note that if these two methods do not fix your clogged sink, then you need to try the next few options below.
This fix can’t be used with porcelain sinks because boiling water can crack the porcelain, so this cannot be used with porcelain sinks.
Make sure your sink is completely drained before you begin to use it. A slow running drain will be very difficult to drain in a short amount of time.
- Ensure that your drain is completely clear before you begin, so avoid using the sink before proceeding. Put water in a pot or kettle.
- Put it on the stove to boil.
- Gently pour it down the drain.
- Be careful not to flush it.
- You can add the rest of the water without filling the basin after the water starts to clear the clog.
- Wait until it drains.
- You can repeat the procedure if the bathroom sink does not drain. In case it doesn’t work, you’ll have to try another solution.
5. Eliminate bathroom hair clogs
- Take out the stopper.
- Hold a flashlight up to the drain and discover the cause of the clog.
- For the best results, use long-nosed tweezers to pick out any visible hair.
- When you cannot see the hair, use a zip-it tool or bend the wire hangers and insert them into the area where you can see them.
- It is necessary to slide the tool up and down the drain in a smooth, natural motion.
- Be careful not to press too hard.
- Insert it at various angles.
- Rotate it around so you can catch more hair.
- Follow this process multiple times, and rinse with hot water between each cycle.
6. Wet-dry Vacuum
In some cases, you have to use suction in order to open a blocked bathroom sink. In such a case, a wet and dry vacuum can be useful.
This guide will show you how to remove a clog in your bathroom sink with a wet-dry vacuum and get your sink unclogged once again.
- You need to place a bucket below the P trap.
- If you have a screwdriver or wrench, remove the P trap. Don’t lose the screws or fasteners.
- Fix the stopper pipe to the wet-dry vacuum hose. Your sink basin is connected to this stopper pipe.
- The other end of the wet-dry vacuum hose should be plugged into the vacuum.
- Select the “wet” or “liquid” setting on your vacuum.
- Connect the sink stopper to the drain. For sinks without stoppers, you can seal the opening with a towel or rag.
- Activate your wet-dry vacuum. You may want to pulse on and off the power a few times to clear the clog.
- Occasionally, the whole clog will be removed by vacuum.
- The clog can also be removed manually from the drain opening if this is the case.
- Simply install the P trap again and run your sink.
How to Prevent Clogging in Bathroom Sink
It can take a lot of time to clean a clogged bathroom sink. If the problem persists then you may need to try several methods.
The easiest way to prevent this task is to keep your system free of clogs in the first place.
Below you will find some tips that you can use to avoid the repeated clogging of your bathroom sink:
- It is recommended to install a screen or grate in sinks that receive heavy use. You can use these devices to prevent hair and soap scum from entering your drains.
- Therefore, you must regularly clean the stopper of your sink. Hair and debris can accumulate on the stoppers, but removing these is not too difficult. The problem will eventually lead to the drain if it remains unaddressed.
- Finally, rinse thoroughly with hot water. Running hot water can help to reduce buildup.
- It is advisable not to flush your hair down the drain after shaving. In the beginning, you may not see your sink getting clogged, but over time, those small hairs can build up and cause clogging.
- If you’re finding that soap scum and other small bits of black residue are building up in your drain, periodically use boiling water to dissolve them. This will also help to prevent problematic clogs.
- Keeping your sink clear with baking soda and vinegar is another option.
Conclusion
You can easily learn how to unclog a bathroom sink by following a few simple steps. Most clogs can be cleared with basic household items within minutes.
If the obstruction is particularly difficult, call a qualified plumber to restore your sink to its previous condition.
