As a homeowner, you must have experienced a clogged bathroom sink at some point in time. It’s pretty common for any drainage system, and the bathroom sink is no different.
So there is no doubt it can be a matter of concern for you early in the morning. But many people don’t know that if the sink won’t drain after cleaning P-Trap, this clogging can be cleared easily without calling a plumber.
There are quite a few proven techniques that you can apply with simple tools and materials available in almost every household. So, keep reading as I discuss these methods in detail.
Why My Bathroom Sink Is Clogging?
You may have slow pressure in your bathroom sink, it can get clogged and stop draining for various reasons. Whether it’s in the P-Trap or past the point, the reasons somewhat remain the same.
It’s primarily strands of hair, bathroom products, things washed down the sink or a combination of all these.
Over time these things get stuck with the pipe wall and eventually stop draining water one day.
After water, I think the strands of hair pass down the sink most. Once the hair starts clumping together, it goes uphill from there.
People have a misconception that only women’s hair causes this issue, which is not valid.
, Any kind of hair, from your head, shaving, or pet hair, can be responsible for bathroom sink clogging.
Additionally, chunks of soaps and toothpaste might seem that harmful. Over time, these components get accumulated on the pipe and play a role in clogging your bathroom sink.
What To Do If Bathroom Sink Still Clogged After Cleaning P-Trap?
When you discover early in the morning that your bathroom sink is not draining properly, it can be a bad thing to start the day with.
If you have some primary knowledge about plumbing systems, you should know that each sink has a P-Trap underneath it. This pipe curve retains some water, preventing the bad smell generated from the drained water.
When you first notice a clog, the P-Trap is the first place that’ll come to anyone’s mind as the potential location. That’s fair, too, as the curve is most likely to collect hair and debris that’ll eventually turn into a clog.
However, if you have already disassembled the P-Trap with a pipe wrench, cleaned it thoroughly, and the sink is still not draining, then the problem might be somewhere else.
Now, if you are willing to put some effort and time into this matter, these methods discussed below can easily solve the clogging problem in your bathroom sink.
Pouring Boiling Water
I think most of you guys have used this technique at least once in your lifetime. This is one of the most common methods of clearing out clogging, and if you have nothing available around you, you should give this a try.
Pouring boiling water down the sink will make the clog buildup softer and loosen it up. As you keep the water going, it might just get rid of the clog.
I know many of you guys will disagree with the effectiveness of this technique, as it’s a hit or miss. But considering it’s absolutely free, it won’t hurt to try this out.
Using Baking Soda And Vinegar
This is another common unclogging technique you might have already seen for different clogging solutions.
However, as most of the clogs inside your bathroom are somewhat the same, baking soda and vinegar mixture has been proven effective in every case.
Additionally, these two components can be found in almost every household. So, you can use this a get rid of the clog in a few minutes. Let me show you how to apply this technique to your clogged sink.
- Step 1: First, start by pouring a cup of vinegar down the bathroom sink. To make sure all the vinegar in the cup goes through the stopper, you can use a funnel.
- Step 2: Then pour a cup of baking soda followed by vinegar.
- Step 3: After you pour both the components down the sink, let it rest for at least half an hour to let the mixture work.
- Step 4: Finish by pouring hot water in full force to clear out the clog.
If you don’t have either of these components available at home, you can also try with only one.
Especially the vinegar works as a natural deodorant that can remove the bad odor from the sink, in case you have any. Watch this short video to see this method’s action!
Plunging Out The Clog
Enough about chemicals, now let’s move on to tools that can solve your bathroom sink clogging. A plunger is a tool that we are all very familiar with.
So when you face a clogging issue in your bathroom sink and don’t want to call a plumber, a plunger might come in handy for you.
Again, like vinegar and baking soda mixture, a plunger is available in almost every household. So, you don’t have to go out or invest money into it.
Plunging is a pretty straightforward job. Just get rid of the water that didn’t drain and position the plunger over the stopper to start plunging.
Based on the severity of the clogging, it might take some time to clean it, so don’t lose patience.
Finally, when you feel the clog is cleaning slowly, remove the plunger from the sinkhole to put extra pressure. While plunging, don’t forget to keep a towel around to clean the dirty spilled water.
Using A Plumbing Snake
Some of you guys might also recognize it as a drain auger. But no matter what you clean it, this tool is your last resort if you have already checked the P-Trap, and it’s clean now.
Despite a clean P-Trap, if the bathroom sink drains slowly not getting air, it clearly indicates that the clog is in a much deeper position. In this case, only a plumbing snake can go that deep and break the clog for you.
Unlike a plunger, a plumbing tool is not the most available tool around. But as an efficient plumbing tool that’s easy to use, it’s definitely worth it to invest some money here.
Plumbing snake comes in different sizes. For home use, even the smallest snake should do the job. If the clogging seems severe, you can also rent a more powerful electric drain snake.
A plumbing snake is basically a flexible metal wire with a hook or pointy hood. There is a handle with which the coil can be rotated at another end. After you remove the P-Trap, start inserting the snake inside the pipe.
However, don’t put the snake too far down in search of the clogging. It can get stuck inside and create a bigger problem. Then after you feel the blockage, start rotating the wire to break the clogging into pieces.
To complete the whole unclogging process, you might have to keep reinserting the snake multiple times. So, don’t forget to clean the snake as it pulls out pieces from the blockage.
Also, as you pull out the snake each time, stay ready with a bucket to collect the dirty spilled water.
Practices To Keep Your Bathroom Sink From Clogging
Once you face the clogging issue in unforeseeable circumstances, you’ll know how disturbing it can get. So, before you want to face bathroom sink clogging, these practices will help you keep it away.
- Cleaning the sink stopper regularly is the first thing you do. All those things responsible for clogging initially get stuck with the stopper first and then move down deep with time. So, regularly cleaning the stopper should reduce the chances.
- If you see hair on your sink, try to pick those up and throw them off instead of draining down. Of course, sinks are for draining your shaved hairs, but I am talking about the long strands that are more likely to build clogging.
The same goes for the big chunks of toothpaste and soaps. Wipe them off the sink instead of just draining them down the sink.
- Lastly, whether there is a clog or not, you should try to clean the drain. All you have to do is just pour the vinegar and baking soda mixture down the drain. Even hot water should eliminate any potential clog buildup.
Calling A Plumber
If you have managed to clean the P-Trap all by yourself and don’t want to move forward on your own, you can always call a plumber to solve the problem. There is nothing to be ashamed of if you need to call a plumber.
After all, that’s what plumbers are here for us. Though it’ll cost you some money, the clog removal will be much faster and professional. Whether you are not confident enough or the methods above have not worked for you, taking the help of a plumber might be the best decision for you.
Conclusion
Here we are at the end of my article. I hope my article will help you eliminate bathroom sink clogging. If your sink won’t drain after cleaning the P-trap, the techniques discussed above should clear out any clog except the most severe ones.
