clogged up bathroom sink help!

[santamariasteve]

Hair in the plumbing often is the main villain. The stoppage has no connection to wet shaving per se. And when I say hair I'm not referring to tiny cut whiskers, but to the longer hairs from one's head.

Preventive maintenance is the key. Several times a year run an appropriate commercial product down the drain per directions, let it do its work, and then thoroughly flush with water.

Also use the plunger occasionally before you need to use it.

Preventive maintenance.

 

[Bookworm]

Ah - another tool to use is sodium hydroxide - aka lye. "Red Devil" is a common one, but the drano crystals in a steel can are basically lye. It reacts with fats, especially. (well, that makes sense - you'll be making soap in the drain!)

 

[John Rose]

The super and a plumber were on the other side. As they came in and stepped over a half dozen young ladies still sleeping in my living room from the girlfriend's pajama party from the night before, (got some nods from the plumbers) they made their way to my kitchen.

Pics or it didn't happen.

You can buy a plastic trap cleaner that is about 3 or 4 feet long plastic with barbs on it. You jam into a drain and hopefully catch the clog when pulling it out.

+5.
I haven't used any chemical drain cleaners in decades. It's always been hair, and the barbed plastic thingy worked every time.

 

[Saxonbowman]

I never heard of the plastic thingy but I'll have to get one. I usually use a coat hanger section with a hook bent in the end. Works well for pulling out hair.

 

[John Rose]

They're like this, with some variations in length etc.:

 

[Eveningcoffee]

One of these helps if you ever have to unclog a p-trap. Unscrew the cap and clean out. One other tip is to only use warm or better hot water ( never cold) to rinse the sink after shaving.

 

[Senate515]

They're like this, with some variations in length etc.:

My wife has long hair that clogs drains, Since I started shaving with a brush and soap I notice the drain running slow I use one of these, no chemicals, takes 10 seconds, I have one that permanently lives in my bathroom vanity, $5 will last my lifetime.

 

[Saxonbowman]

They're like this, with some variations in length etc.:

Certainly looks more efficient than a bent coat hanger!

 

[Highspeedlane]

Yes, be cautious with overuse of chemical drain openers. On my previous sink I used it frequently for hair/soap build up and eventually dissolved the lifter arm that raises and lowers the drain plug. Going a few years farther back I had some galvanized drain lines leaving my kitchen sink develop pin holes (those are all PVC now

As crazy as this sounds, once I started using a synthetic brush my bathroom sink runs much better for longer periods of time. I think the natural hair brushes shed quite a bit when new.

 

[dfoulk]

They're like this, with some variations in length etc.:

We have double sinks in the bathroom. I always use the same one and my wife always uses the other. I have short hair and she has long hair. I wet shave every day and have had to clear my sink exactly zero times. I have to unclog here slow drain and my oldest daughters about every other month. What I find is a combination of hair and hair spray residue that comes out looking like a dead rat. I used to put a bucket under the sink and remove the p-trap then pull out everything that I could grab a hold of from the open pipes. I then reassembled everything and looked for leaks. This method was very effective and worked every time. The benefit of this reusable gadget (about two dollars or less) is that it allows you to remove the hair without completely taking the sink apart.

All the drain cleaners are doing is using chemicals to slowly break down the hair. These have a purpose but for me it's not to clean a p-trap out. The plungers are attempting to push the hair though the pipes which sometimes works but then again you can make things worse before they get better. I'd rather just remove the blockage than try to push it down the pipes or dissolve it with chemicals. With the wire thing it's best to remove the sink stopper before using it, but that's easy and takes about two seconds. After that just jam it in there a few times until it's not bringing out any more hair and then check how fast your sink drains. Once done put the stopper back and you're good as new.

 

[Raissermesser]

Have never had much luck with chemicals unstopping clogs. All it did was make it messier removing the p-trap. Lye and lye based products will create heat, sometimes a great deal of it, so keep that in mind. My method these days for clogs are:

1. Put a bucket under the p-trap, remove it and clean it by hand.
2. Running a coat hanger or clean-out drain snake down drains where the p-trap is inaccessible.
3. Plungers for commodes. The trick with these is to remember that air is compressible but water isn't. You want to get as much air as possible out of the bell and make a solid seal before pressing down. Since water isn't compressible, that puts pressure directly on the clog, hopefully dislodging it.

For sewer lines themselves, I've rented and borrowed the large snakes, and have had good results with the pressure bulb that attaches to a hose, but this is outside the house. There's probably a risk of breaking seals on joints, so be aware of that.

 

[Bookworm]

1) Never had to remove the p-trap to clear it. Only to replace parts, or retrieve a lost item. I use a snake, plus enzymes and hot water. Lye when I need the heat and chemical reaction to melt stuff - I'd have to do that even if I pulled the trap apart.
2) See #1.
3) Agree with plungers. Never had good luck with the weird bell shaped ones, however. Standard wide rubber seals well if you take your time. Also use a push AND pull, because you can sometimes rattle the clog apart. Just don't use it like you're trying to dig a hole with a post hole digger. If you do, you'll be cleaning the walls and ceiling.

 

[Chuckaluck]

Update 4 years late: The drain finally cleared after using some Liquid plumber in the yellow bottle. I now use the stuff once per week to keep it clear! Preventive maintenance.

 

[Dave in KY]

Update 4 years late: The drain finally cleared after using some Liquid plumber in the yellow bottle. I now use the stuff once per week to keep it clear! Preventive maintenance.

Save some money and get the "Mister Plumber" from Dollar Tree for a buck and works just as well for me.

 

[BobbyB]

I like Patrician's idea in part. I keep the sink basin full of water while I shave--using it to rinse the razor. When I drain the sink, I swirl the water around to keep the soap bear particles from coagulating. I also read in another forum that pouring a saucepan of clean boiling water down the drain, will melt shaving soap / beard residue.

 

[Chuckaluck]

Save some money and get the "Mister Plumber" from Dollar Tree for a buck and works just as well for me.

Thanks! I use a product called The Works. It comes in a 2 quart bottle for 3 bucks. So far, so good!

 

[Dave in KY]

Thanks! I use a product called The Works. It comes in a 2 quart bottle for 3 bucks. So far, so good!