My bathroom sink had been draining slowing for a while and it was finally time to figure it out. I found a recipe on ThriftyFun for homemade Drano, using salt, baking soda, vinegar and water. It didn't go quite as planned but we were successful in the end.
First, I added 1 cup of plain salt, pouring it down the drain and letting it mound up. I then put a cup of baking soda on top of the pile.
Next, I added 1/2 cup of vinegar. I used apple cider but white would work just as well. It foamed up for a while.
This is after boiling water was added to the drain. I used a full electric kettle, probably about 2 quarts. I was a bit concerned about the porcelain cracking, as is reported sometimes with toilets. I think it is the temperature difference that causes the porcelain to expand. But the sink seemed fine.
The initial water is yellow because of the apple cider vinegar but later is due to the clogged pipe. The boiling water would also make it foam up.
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I let it sit for about an hour and then repeated the process as it was obviously doing something. Nearly all the water had drained out but there was a lot of gunk that had bubbled up. I had an appointment that afternoon so I figured I would leave it and deal with it when I got home.
Somehow, the sink looked WORSE when I got home. It hadn't drained nearly as much as the first time and wasn't draining at all now. It was also disgusting, with dead drain flies and rusty colored sludge. My husband had left for work but there was evidence that he had cleaned up some new mess in the bathroom. I got out the plunger to see if I could unblock it and discovered what mess he must have cleaned up. Water shot directly out of the overflow drain all over the backsplash. He was at work until late and I have little plumbing experience so I decided to leave it until he got home and discuss it with him later.
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Hours later, the water level looked basically the same. I was inclined to go and buy a plumber's snake but my husband recommended removing the P-trap under the sink first. If the blockage was past the trap, we could then snake farther down the pipe.
We first placed a dishpan and towel under the sink, to catch the water that was definitely going to drain out.
The P-trap simply unscrewed, requiring no tools. I probably would have attempted this the night before had I realized how simple it was. The gross dirty water all dumped down into the dishpan.
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There was a sizeable chunk of hair in the trap, as you can see. I have long hair and both of my teenage sons do as well. We also have a dog that sheds everywhere. I suspect they have not been too careful about making sure the hair doesn't get in the drain and it accumulated. It probably was mostly on the sides of the drain before I used the homemade Drano.
Once everything was back together, the sink drained perfectly. I'm going to use the homemade Drano recipe on a regular basis to keep this from getting clogged again. I also did my bathtub at the same time, just in case.
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Next, I need to bleach the worn porcelain, which has some dirty yellow spots. I'm planning on painting the sink and replacing the faucet, which we purchased months ago. I will post about that when it gets done (assuming it turns out).
Find the overflow outlet for the sink. Then cover the overflow outlet using duct tape or something similar. Get some water in the sink bowl and use a plunger. The tape over the overflow vents will stop air from entering as you are using the plunger. This will work for a bathtub.
If your sink is not draining you may need to call a plumber but a good plunging may do the trick. This is a page about how do I clear standing water in bathroom sink drain?
I have a bathroom sink that is extremely slow in draining and backs up. I've heard of certain things like boiling water and dishwasher soap poured down as a possible remedy.
I need help de-clogging my sink drain. I have a double sink, I just finished a load of clothes and both sides of the sink are clogged. Both sinks are full of water.
How to unclog bathroom sink drain, would bleach help? Water just takes too long to drain. I just hope it wont need to be taken apart. if so, maybe a little help there too.
My daughter and I have thick hair and constantly are clogging up our bathroom sink. I could not pull out the hair gunk with a tweezers because it is too deep. A light bulb went off in my head.
I use a large pot of boiling water with a good shot of dish soup. Pour in sink and let set for a min. and take a toilet plunger and push the water down the drain. You may have to do it more than once. No need for chemicals.
Suntydt Bronze Feedback Medal for All Time! 109 Feedbacks
January 8, 20100 found this helpful
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A plumber once told me if you can't clear out a drain with a plunger you need a plumber.
A bathtub normally has a trap that collects gunk going through the drain. If you can access the trap you can clean it out and your problem is solved.
A sink clogs in the pipe that is shaped like a sideways S. Sometimes this pipe is connected with easily turnable tabs/nuts and you can clean out the clog after removing it and easily put it back. It usually makes a mess when you remove it so put down some towels.
Vi Johnson Silver Post Medal for All Time! 288 Posts
January 14, 20100 found this helpful
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Just this week I had the kitchen sink/garbage disposal side, back up. I poured a cup of baking soda ( in both sides of the sink ) followed by about 3-4 cups of white vinegar( I just poured if from the gal. jug) in the water that was standing there and turned on the hot water and garbage disposal and that worked right away. I let the water run in the disposal and then poured a couple of tablespoonsful of liquid dish soap with it. Worked and No Plummer bill. GG Vi
My bathroom sink had been draining slowing for a while and it was finally time to figure it out. I found a recipe on ThriftyFun for homemade Drano, using salt, baking soda, vinegar and water. It didn't go quite as planned but we were successful in the end.
