Fast and Reliable Techniques to Clear a Bathroom Sink Drain

The bathroom sink is one of the most inconvenient spots for clogs. A clogged bathroom sink drain can make your bathroom nearly unusable until the clog is cleared. Hair, dirt, skin flakes (yes, really), and other materials can combine to create a large clog. Thankfully, there are numerous prevention tips and reliable techniques you can use to clear a bathroom sink drain. 

Airco Service is here to pass along some helpful tips and techniques on how to unclog a bathroom sink. This way, you can be better prepared to prevent clogs in your bathroom sink drain and understand the options available to you.

Preventing Clogged Drains: Key Tips

Here are some key tips to prevent a clogged bathroom sink drain: 

Clean Your Drain Stoppers Regularly

Drain stoppers are one of the most effective ways to prevent clogging. Hair and soap scum can still build up on and in these stoppers, so it’s important to clean them regularly. Avoid slow drainage and prevent clogs with regular drain stopper cleaning. 

Brush Your Hair Away From the Sink

It’s common to brush your hair in front of the bathroom mirror over the sink. In reality, hair strands can end up clogging your bathroom sink drain. While a few hair strands may not feel like a big deal, they can add up. Going forward, brush your hair over the trash to better prevent clogging in your bathroom sink drain. 

Be Mindful of Your Toothpaste 

Be mindful that you’re not using huge amounts of toothpaste when brushing your teeth. Too much volume of toothpaste going down your bathroom sink drain can contribute to clogging. 

Be Careful with Hair Care and Personal Care Products

Hair care and personal care products are not meant to go down the drain. Various hair care and personal care products like waxes and gels can either be harmful to your home’s piping or are too thick to casually flush away. When you’re using hair care or personal care products, be careful with how much is going down your bathroom sink drain. 

Use Bacterial Drain Cleaners Regularly

Another way to prevent clogging in your bathroom sink drain is using bacterial drain cleaners. These products do an excellent job of dissolving and breaking down organic matter that is known to clog drains. By using these products once a month, your drain will be properly maintained and free of clogging issues. 

The great thing about bacterial drain cleaners is they aren’t corrosive. They actually happen to be biodegradable. You can feel assured your pipes aren’t being damaged, unlike using chemical drain cleaners.

Reach out to the Plumbing Professionals

Even if you practice all of these preventive measures, a clogged bathroom sink drain can still occur. If your bathroom sink drain becomes clogged, reach out to the plumbing professionals at Airco Service. Contact us to learn more about preventive measures and other plumbing services. 

What Causes Sink Clogs?

Bathroom sink drains can become clogged due to various culprits. Here are some of the repeat offenders: 

Hair

Common bathroom activities like washing your face, shaving, and brushing your hair over the bathroom sink are among the most common reasons for a clogged bathroom sink drain. Over time, the accumulation of hair can cause a difficult clog. 

Grease

While oil and grease aren’t commonly put down bathroom sink drains, they should still be avoided. Oil and grease can build up on the inside of your bathroom sink drain and lead to slow drainage or a complete blockage. 

Toiletries & Other Debris

Toiletries should never end up in your bathroom sink drain. Make sure to properly dispose of cotton swabs, dental floss, paper towels, and other materials. These toiletries can lead to slow drainage and create serious blockages. 

Soap & Soap Scum

You’re going to use soap no matter what, but it still contributes to clogging. Soap leaves behind a residue that’s easily combined with other materials, making an even more serious problem.

Something Stuck Further Down the Line

The bathroom sink drain leads down into your home’s sewer drain. If there happens to be an obstruction towards the end of the line, it can still cause drainage issues in your bathroom sink.

Damaged Pipes

If you have little to no drainage capabilities in your bathroom sink, it could be due to damaged pipes. With the help of Airco Service, you can determine if this is the cause behind the lackluster drainage in your bathroom sink drain.

What Tools Do I Need to Unclog My Bathroom Sink Drain?

These are the tools you’ll need to unclog your bathroom sink drain: 

• Drain snake
• Plunger
• Bucket and a sponge
• Garbage can with a lid
• Rags and towels
• Optional: Gloves and safety goggles

How Do You Unclog a Bathroom Sink Drain?

After you’ve gathered your necessary materials, follow these steps to unclog your bathroom sink drain. 

1. Use a “Zip-It” drain cleaning tool to remove hair clumps

This is a flat, thin, and flexible strip of plastic with teeth. Place this tool as deep as it can go to remove hair clumps. 

2. Pour boiling water into the sink drain

Next, you can pour boiling water into the sink drain. The boiling water is often enough to melt through whatever is causing the clog. 

3. Try using vinegar & baking soda

If boiling water doesn’t do the trick, pour ~½ cup of baking soda into the drain. Next, pour vinegar on top of the baking soda. You should start to see it bubbling around the sides of the drain. Let it sit for a couple of minutes or overnight for the best level of effectiveness. If it doesn’t work, you can always try it again.

4. Pry apart your P-trap and clean it

Pop off the p-trap (the curved section of pipe under the sink) and clean out any hair and debris. Hair and debris can build up here over time and cause clogging.

5. Use a drain snake (or a plumber’s snake) to snake your drain

A drain snake is a long metal spiral tool that fits into your home’s pipes to drain or break up clogged debris inside. Insert the drain snake into the pipe where the P-trap was attached. Turning and cranking the drill forward hopefully results in a bathroom sink drain now free of any debris.

6. Call a Plumber!

When all else fails, call a plumber. Contact the plumbers at Airco Service so you can rest assured any debris causing clogging in your bathroom sink drain will be dealt with. 

Why Keeping Drain Pipes Clean Is Important

Keep your bathroom sink’s drain clean is important for these reasons: 

Health Issues

When drains become clogged, the additional microbes and bacteria can grow out of control into much bigger issues like mold. Mold growth can seriously hinder the health of those in the home, especially those with asthma.

Structural Damage

Clogs or blockages can cause pipes to leak or even break down entirely, weakening or destroying their structural integrity. Leaking or broken pipes can lead to numerous other issues in the home such as flooding, which can warp floorboards and rot support within the walls of the home.

Pests

Idle water can attract pests like mosquitos and drain flies. A pest infestation on top of a clogged bathroom sink drain is not a combination anyone wants to deal with. 

Clogged Sink Drain? Airco Service Plumbing Can Help

The longer your bathroom sink drain is clogged, the more likely bigger issues are going to crop up. Don’t wait until it’s too late, contact Airco Service and fill out our contact form to get rid of the clog disrupting your home’s plumbing system. Airco Service proudly extends plumbing services and water treatment services in locations across Oklahoma and Arkansas.