How to Clean a Bathroom Drain
- 1). Use liquid drain cleaner. This involves pouring a large amount of the cleaner and letting is sit for a long period of time. The chemicals eat away at your clog and can break it up so it will flush away with water. This along with a plunger may just do the trick. However, know that the harsh chemicals can corrode metal piping in your sink, specifically the P-trap, which may need to be replaced if you do this often enough.
- 2). Use a plunger. Fill your sink partially with water and stuff a rag in the overflow hole. Place your plunger around the drain and start plunging. Do quickly and vigorously, about five or six times, and then pull up on the plunger, releasing it from it's suction. Hopefully, after a couple of tries, this will break up your clog so it will wash away with water. If not, proceed to the next step.
- 3). Go under your sink and remove the P-trap (sink trap) with a pipe wrench or channel lock pliers by loosening the nuts and removing the pipe. It can be removed by hand if you have plastic PVC piping. The P-trap is the curved piece of piping under your sink. Be sure to have a bucket directly underneath to catch any water. If you see the clog, clean it out and put the P-trap back on and enjoy your clog-free sink. If not, move on to step four..
- 4). Use a plumber's snake or cable auger. There is a horizontal pipe sticking out of your wall where you just removed the P-trap. This is the sewer line. Insert and feed the snake into the sewer line until you feel some resistance. Then tighten the nut on the snake and turn the crank clockwise while pulling on the snake at the same time. You may have to repeat this step several times to loosen the entire clog. Put your P-trap back on and hopefully your sink is now clean.
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