Plumbing issues are quite common in every household, and clogged sinks are among the worst of such problems. While you might think you can call a plumber to fix it for you, they are not always available.
Knowing how to unclog a bathroom sink with standing water can be a lifesaver in such a scenario. But what if you don’t know how to do so? Well, we are here to help you with that.
We are about to explain how you can unclog your sink using a few simple yet effective steps. So if you are interested to learn more about how to get rid of standing water in your sink, stay tuned till the end of this article.
Why Is the Water in My Bathroom Sink Not Going Down?
There are several reasons the water in your bathroom sink may not be going down. However, it is mainly because of getting clogged by things that could not be drained away.
Stuff like hair stuck with soap scum, dental floss, cotton-tipped swaps, skin flakes, etc., may get stuck to the drainage pipe of the sink. Over time this increases and, as a result, clogs the pipe entirely.
Your sink is probably clogged with these waste materials, which is why the water is not going down easily or at all.
However, this is not something you need to worry about too much; there is a solution! A few actually, and we are going to show you what you can do to solve this problem.
How to Unclog a Bathroom Sink?
You can follow the following methods step by step or use one or two of them to unclog the drainage pipe of your bathroom sink. We recommend using all of them step by step to achieve the best results.
At First Get Rid of the Water
As your sink is filled with standing water, you want to get rid of it using a pot or a bucket. It is the first step to unclog the sink, as you will be able to see what you’re working with.
The standing water would be blocking your view of the drain cover, so removing that water will help a lot.
Just grab a small pot or bowl and scoop out the water into something else to get rid of it from the sink itself. It shouldn’t be a difficult task. At least not compared to what you are about to do.
Get a Plunger
You are going to have to plunge the hell out of the drain. A lot of times, this alone can help unclog the sink without a lot of effort.
Just grab your plunger, place it onto your sink and start pushing and pulling for a while. It should help attract the filth from the pipe towards the plunger and help you get rid of them.
We must let you know the gunk and filth will get stuck on the plunger, and you might have to clean that up by yourself. So make sure to wear rubber gloves and try not to throw up.
Pour Hot Water Down the Sink
Sometimes all it takes is a little dissolving of the solid wastes that got stuck to the wall of the pipes. Pouring hot water down your sink might help melt those dirty substances and wash them away easily.
If your sink’s faucet already has a hot water mode, use it directly. But in case it doesn’t, boil some water and pour it all into a cup. The amount should be high enough to be able to melt the debris inside the drain.
After boiling the water, slowly pour it down the drain, preferably with baking soda and vinegar. That should deliver maximum results.
Try Baking Soda and Vinegar
You can also add baking soda and vinegar to the hot water. These can promote the dissolving process making it easier for the drain to be unclogged.
Combining baking soda, vinegar, and hot water should easily get rid of the debris for you. But just randomly pouring a bunch of soda won’t help. You have to measure the chemicals and use them proportionately.
Take 1 cup of baking soda measuring about 180 grams and another cup of vinegar measuring 240ml. This amount should be perfect for unclogging the drainpipe without any difficulty.
And if it doesn’t clean your pipe entirely, you can also wear a rubber glove and clean and/or dispose of the filth. And we must warn you; you are going to get grossed out by the debris *proceeds to gag*
Make a DIY Drain Cleaning Wire
A substitute to using your hands wearing a rubber glove to clean the debris in the pipe is to make a DIY cleaning wire. You can make this using two different methods, both of which we are going to discuss.
Well, technically, one of these two isn’t a wire; you’re going to be using a cable tie, while the other requires an old cloth hanger. To make the tool using the cloth hanger, you need to follow the steps below:
- Cut one side of the hanger at the very edge using a wire cutter
- Bend the hanger to make it a bit straighter with the help of a plier
- Use the hook of the hanger to grab the gunk and globs of hair
It doesn’t sound too difficult, right? Yes, maybe a little disgusting, but it is not something you will have to do every day.
Another way you can do this same task is by using a cable tie. Two, actually. The way you will make it work is:
- First, take a long piece of cable tie that can reach the end of your drain pipe
- Get another cable and tie it to the previous one to form a sort of handle
- Cut very small slits on both sides of the main cable tie to create a zigzag pattern
- Note that this will be pretty sharp and a little dangerous to use
- Hold the cable tie from the handle thingy and use it the same way as the hanger
That should help you pick up the debris. Again, be prepared to gag at the filth that comes out.
Call for a Plumber
If everything else fails, we advise you to call a plumber and ask for professional help. A regular person can only fix so much.
After trying all of the above methods and steps, if you still can’t fully unclog the sink, a professional plumber would know best what to do. So don’t hesitate to call them in.
Final Words
Assuming that you didn’t have to call in a plumber and it got fixed on its own, you now know how to unclog a bathroom sink with standing water. We hope this article was helpful and you found it informative enough.
Just try not to throw up trying to unclog it, or you might have to do it all over again because of your puke. Okay, never mind, this is getting gross. Goodbye!