How To Unblock Your Bathroom Sink

Bathroom sinks are one of the most useful fixtures in your home. This is the place where you brush your teeth, wash your face, clean your hands - pretty much anything you do in the bathroom, you’ll most likely use your sink. 

That’s why it can be frustrating when they’re not working as they’re supposed to. One of the causes of these malfunctions is a clogged sink which, for most, would be something challenging to deal with.

There are several problems that may arise when you find yourself having a blocked bathroom sink.

Downsides To Having Blocked Bathroom Sinks

First off, water in your sink will drain at a significantly slower rate. Or in the most extreme cases, water and other liquids won’t drain at all. Not only will this cause a hassle especially if you’re in hurry, but it can also cause water to spill over your bathroom’s floor. 

Furthermore, clogged drains might cause your sink to have a foul odor. This is especially true if the items that got stuck in our drain are those that decompose. Examples of these are food items and in some cases, insects.

Also, clogged drains would make water stay longer in your sink’s trap. The trap is U-shaped piping that can be found under your sink. The longer water stays in this area, the higher the chances it would get damaged. If you also put pressure frequently using your hands to flush out the clog without removing the cause permanently, you may also damage your pipes.

That’s why it’s important to not only keep your bathroom sink unblocked but also to use the right techniques and steps to unclog them.

In this article, we’ll discuss several ways you can do to unclog your bathroom sink. We’ll provide you with different options so you can choose one that fits what you currently have in your home and the type of clog you have. These tips will mostly involve items that can be easily found in your home.

We’ll then talk about the things you need to do to prevent clogged bathroom sinks in the future.

Pour hot water down the drain

You may not know this, but soap scum can cause blockage to your bathroom sink’s pipes. Years of use without proper maintenance can do this to bathroom sinks. Situations like these are more common for rental properties. Some building managers may do a spot check of the place for rent but won’t have time to check the pipes and plumbing especially the ones in bathroom sinks.

Before doing anything laborious such as removing your pipe’s trap, you can start by pouring hot water down the drain.

Most pipes can handle hot water being poured down them so you don’t have to worry about damaging your pipes. All you need to do is boil clean water in a kettle and slowly pour them into your sink.

Don’t pour the water all at once as this will lessen the time for the heat to work in the soap scum. A good estimate would be around 2 cups of boiling water every pour.

Use baking soda and vinegar

This method is one that has been used widely by people who don’t want to use chemicals in fixing clogged drains. It’s also easy to find baking soda and vinegar and stores - maybe you already have them in your home.

Step #1: Get a clean bowl big enough so you can put 2 cups of any liquid.

Step #2: Boil a kettle full of water and set it aside. Make sure that it stays hot as this will be used after pouring the baking soda and vinegar mix into the drain.

Step #3: Mix 1/3 cup of baking soda and 1/3 cup of vinegar in the bowl. Make sure that there are no clumps of baking soda left in the mixture. This will make the blend more effective in removing the clog.

Step #4: Once you see the mixture starting to fizz, slowly pour it down the drain. The purpose of this step is for the fizz to fully take effect inside the pipe which will then help remove dirt, grime, and hair that could have caused the clog.

Step #5: After you notice the fizz dying down, pour the hot water you boiled earlier. This can help remove other remaining items that caused the clog.

Use your bathroom plunger

One of the most common ways to unblock your bathroom sink is through the use of a plunger. You can quickly purchase one at an affordable price and immediately use them on your sink.

Step #1: Remove the drain stopper in your sink. In some sinks, these parts can’t be removed but can still be opened so that water can drain from your sink.

Step #2: Put a rubber stopper or a cloth in your sink’s overflow so you’ll create a vacuum. It’s important that this part is done properly otherwise the plunger won’t work.

Step #3: Put water in your sink’s basin. This step will help your plunger create a vacuum to effectively remove the clog. Since your sink won’t drain the water, keeping it in the basin will be easier. Then, cover the plughole with your plunger’s suction cup. 

Step #4: You can then start pushing your plunger slowly to create a seal. Once you feel that the plunger won’t easily move, that’s how you know you’ve created a seal. Start pumping the plunger vertically at a steady and controlled pace. After a few minutes, remove the plunger to let the air in.

Step #5: Check your drain for any visible debris or items that are causing the clog. If you can reach for it, do so slowly and remove the clog. Oftentimes, you won’t see the cause of the clog but it will still move and will open the pipe for water to drain.

Remove and clean your sink’s waste trap

If none of the solutions above work, then, the build-up inside your sink’s pipes must be too tough to remove. The best solution is to clean your sink’s u-trap so that you can physically remove the hard debris that’s been clogging your sink.

First, you need to prepare the following:

• Rags.
• Bucket.
• PTFE tape.
• Screwdriver.
• Rubber gloves.
• Adjustable wrench.

Step #1: Turn off the water supply to your sink. If it doesn’t have a valve, then you might need to turn off your entire house’s water supply.

Step #2: Put the bucket on top of the rags on the floor. Make sure that it’s directly beneath your sink’s trap or “u-bend”. This will ensure that no water or any other material found inside the trap will go to your bathroom’s floor.

Step #3: Using your wrench and screwdriver, loosen all the fittings and nuts that secure your bathroom sink’s trap in place. You should also put aside all the fittings, washers, and rubber seals - practically anything that’s attached to the trap so you can put them back on easily. 

Also, be ready for any water that will come out of the trap.

Step #4: Remove the trap and push out the grime, dirt, hair, and other materials that have been causing the blockage. You can also opt to use soap, water, and an old toothbrush to remove any oils and other gunk sitting in your trap.

Step #5: Once your trap is clean, you’re going to put PTFE tape on the fittings that fit into nuts to ensure that there will be no leakages once you use your sink again. Put everything back together and securely tighten all the fittings.

Step #6: Turn your water supply on and test the sink. There shouldn’t be any issues anymore as you’ve physically removed the blockages in your trap. Check to see if there are any leaks in your trap and its fittings.

What causes sink clogs?

We can sometimes be careless when it comes to the things that we drain down our sinks. We’ll discuss the more common reasons as to why sinks get clogged up. So that you can avoid draining them down the sink in the future.

Loose hair and facial hair trimmings

Hair is one of the major causes of sinks getting clogged. They’re small and sometimes hard to pick-up , especially when we’re in a hurry. That’s why we sometimes just let it go down the sink.

As much as you can, pick up all the loose hair you’ll find in your sink before it drains with the water. If you’re also someone who trims their beard in front of a mirror in the bathroom sink, put a paper towel in the basin to act as a catcher for your short hair trimmings. Make sure you throw the paper towel properly in the trash bin so it doesn’t clog your sink.

Makeup and other facial and hair products

While all these products will certainly make us look better and feel better, they might not be good for your sink. After a long day, when you wash your face, all the makeup and beauty products will go down the sink with water. Sometimes, these products stick to the insides of your bathroom sink’s pipes.

Other beauty products that can cause clogs are soaps and hair gel/wax. These items are typically not water-soluble and therefore will not be easily flushed out of your pipes with water.

To avoid this, use makeup removers first before washing your face in the sink. This is a more efficient and convenient way of cleaning your face.

Poorly installed sinks

If your sink constantly gets blocked even if you regularly clean it and avoid draining stuff down it, you might have a poorly installed one. The water flow of a sink is greatly reliant on gravity and how all the angles and falls of your pipes are strategically placed.

One wrong piping and your sink could be something that easily gets material build-up which consequently increases the chances of blockage. If you think this is the cause of your problems, you can opt to hire a professional plumber and have your sink checked for any installation issues.