Everyone has experienced a clogged bathroom sink. The fact is, every heavily used bathroom sink will back up, if not given occasional maintenance. Even when we create new habits to prevent our sinks from clogging, they still may back up. The most significant problems occur from our daily routine: brushing our teeth, combing our hair, shaving, and washing hands. I’ll take you through a few simple steps to quickly and efficiently get your sink flowing again.
Take The Drain Apart
#1 Remove the stopper from the sink by removing the pivot horizontal rod and clip. Create a clean workspace by removing everything from under your sink. First, remove the spring clip, then remove the pivot rod. Then proceed by removing the stopper. The stopper should pop right out. Once you remove the stopper, you’ll have complete access to the drain. Pay careful attention to how you are removing the stopper. It might even be a good idea to take a quick picture of how the inside of your sink looks before you get started.
Remove The The Clog
#2 In most instances, it’s black slime causing your slow-moving or clogged drain. The black substance is a combination of soap, toothpaste, shaving cream, phlegm, skin cells, hair, and other bathroom products. It is a living bacteria in your drain. Once it gathers on the top of your stopper, it starts to gather hair and other particles, causing your drain to move slowly. Put a hook on the end of a metal cloth hanger, and fish out the hair and slime. A plastic Zip-It also works well and can extend as far down as 16″.
Clean The Drain
#3 An old toothbrush works excellent for cleaning the drain, especially when used along with baking soda and vinegar. Sprinkle a quarter cup of baking soda down the drain, then slightly pour vinegar over it. You’ll hear it sizzling, wait ten minutes, and repeat. Use your toothbrush to clean the drain thoroughly. Then boil water and pour it down the sink. Your drain should be as good as new.
If The Clog Is Deep Use A Plumbers Snake
#4 If your drain is still backing up, then your problem is much deeper. As long as other drains in your home are not backing up, then your slow-moving drain is isolated to your sink area. You can purchase a small auger, aka plumbers snake, from Walmart or Home Depot for less than $20. It’s better than renting one, and it’s nice to have around the home for any other drains you may need to clear in the future. Follow the simple instructions and insert the cable down the drain. When it stops, turn the snake in a circular motion while always applying pressure, this should do the trick. If the drain is still clogged, then your need to call for a plumbing expert.
Put The Bathroom Sink Back Together
#5 It’s time to put the parts back together. If you’re doing this for the first time, you’ll find it’s much easier taking it apart than putting it back together. The parts consist of one clevis strap, spring clip, pivot bar, and a pop-up stopper. You will need to line up the hole in the bottom of the stopper to the pivot bar that’s in your drain pipe. Connecting the two is what makes your stopper work correctly. When the stopper is down, it should give your drain a tight seal so no water escapes.
#6 The final step is to attach the spring clip to the clevis strap. It would be best if you placed it precisely back into the hole where it came out. When the spring clip is connected to the clevis strap, it will allow the pivot bar on your faucet to open and close your stopper. In some cases, you may need a helper on the top of the sink while you’re placing the horizontal rod in the proper hole.
Prevent Your Bathroom Sink From Clogging
Clearing a bathroom sink can be simple and does not require a plumber. You can expect a heavily used bathroom sink to experience slow-moving drains occasionally. Pouring a kettle of boiling water down the sink every couple of weeks will help your sink from clogging. An occasional mix of baking soda and vinegar will also help against black slime. When you need a plumber, call Big B’s Plumbing license #986152.
