How to clean the drain in bathroom sink?

Answer SVG
Answer
Here are the best ways to clean a clogged bathroom sink drain:
  1. Baking Soda and Vinegar
  • Pour 1/3 cup baking soda down the drain, followed by 1/3 cup vinegar124
  • Let the mixture fizz for about an hour, then flush with hot water4
  • The chemical reaction helps break down hair and grime4
  1. Boiling Water
  • Bring a kettle or pot of water to a boil4
  • Pour the boiling water into the drain in 3-4 stages4
  • Works well for soap scum clogs and slow drains4
  1. Plunger
  • Fill the sink about 1/3 full with water1
  • Plunge the drain vigorously up and down to create suction1
  • The plunger creates a vacuum seal to dislodge the clog1
  1. Wire Hanger
  • Straighten out a wire coat hanger and bend a small hook at the end13
  • Carefully insert the hanger into the drain and hook out any debris13
  • Be careful not to push the clog further down1
  1. Drain Snake
  • Insert the flexible end of a drain snake into the drain1
  • Crank the handle to extend the snake and break up the clog1
  • Drain snakes are designed to snake around pipes and bends1
To prevent future clogs, remove hair from the drain regularly, avoid pouring grease down the sink, and use a drain cover or hair catcher23. Avoid harsh chemical drain cleaners which can damage pipes23. If these methods don't work, contact a professional plumber for assistance4.




Author: Home Repair Tutor



Key insights

  • 🧼 Biofilm in the p-trap needs to be removed to get rid of the nasty smell in your sink drain.
  • 🧼 Using an appliance brush to scrape the sides of the drain can help remove additional biofilm.
  • Using hot water to clean sink parts can be effective in removing sediment and improving the smell.
  • 🧼 Spraying down the parts with Wet and Forget Indoor mold and mildew remover is an optional step that can be taken for extra cleanliness.
  • Properly securing the p-trap and goose neck fittings is crucial for preventing future drainage issues.
  • Pouring hot water down the drain disinfects it and moves sediment down the main waste stack.
  • Dealing with stinky sink drains is a common problem that many homeowners face.

Timestamped Summary

  • 00:00 Remove and clean the p-trap to get rid of stinky sink drains.
  • 00:44 Remove the pivot rod, clean the pop-up stopper with a toothbrush, and use an appliance brush to scrape the sides of the drain to remove biofilm.
  • 01:31 Scrape and clean the drain parts, then soak them in hot water to remove stink.
  • 02:12 Add ¼ cup of Clorox bleach to the sink drain, let it sit for 10 minutes, then clean off the parts with a paper towel.
  • 02:42 Spray Wet and Forget on all parts, including the 2-inch pipe, then reassemble the sink drain.
  • 03:18 Tighten fittings, pour hot water in increments, and replace stopper to clean and fix a stinky sink drain.
  • 04:04 Clean stinky sink drain by pouring baking soda and vinegar down the drain, then flushing with hot water.
  • 04:31 Eliminate stinky sink drains with these helpful tips for homeowners.

Video Full Text

  • 00:00 Hi. There! I'm Jeff with Home Repair Tutor. In this quick video, I've got a great tip for you on how to clean stinky sink drains like this one here. So, stay tuned, I think by the end, you're going to get rid of that nasty smell that permeates up through your drain and before you know it, you're going to enjoy your bathroom a lot better. So let's get to it. The first thing you should do is check that your p-trap has water in it or that you have a p-trap. The water will prevent sewer gas from coming up into your bathroom. Remove the p-trap by loosening the two knots that hold it in place. Then, take a look and see if there's water down in it. There should be. There's also biofilm in my p-trap and that needs to be removed.
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  • 00:44 You'll have to unscrew the pivot rod. So, turn the nut counter clockwise to remove the pivot rod from the drain . Yikes! That's in bad shape, too, so we'll have to clean that. The pivot rod, by removing it, allows you to remove pop-up stopper which collects a whole bunch of grime and muck because we wash our faces, brush our teeth, shave, etc. So, what I like to do is clean the pop-up stopper off with a toothbrush and take a paper towel, fold it and push it down the drain and use an appliance brush. Like this one here that help push it down even further. What you're going to do is scrape the sides of your drain and remove any additional biofilm that is on it. As you can see here, there's plenty of biofilm on this drain.
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  • 01:31 So, remove the goose neck from the wall, you can see. It's pretty nasty. And take a spoon and scrape out any sediment that's in the wall drain. Then use the same paper towel method that you used on the drain that cleaned out the p-trap and the goose neck and you could see. It's pretty effective by doing that. Already it looks a lot better. Heat a pot of water on the stove. We're going to use this later. Then fill up either a kitchen sink or a laundry tub full of water and place all of your parts into the water --- so the p-trap, the goose neck, the pivot rod and the pop-up stopper.
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  • 02:12 Now, the next thing that we're going to do is add about ¼ cup of Clorox bleach to the water and this is going to disinfect all of the parts. So, let that sit for about ten minutes and then you can pull your parts out. Now, obviously, I cleaned them off with a paper towel beforehand. But, they look pretty awesome at this point. Another step that I did that you don't have to do is. I sprayed down all the parts with Wet and Forget Indoor mold and mildew remover.
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  • 02:42 This is optional. I had the Wet and Forget sitting around. I figured why don't. I just give it a shot. So I sprayed it down on all the parts and I even sprayed it into the 2-inch pipe that's in the bathroom. Alrighty! It's time to put everything back together again. Place the goose neck into the wall drain, tighten down the nut, secure the p-trap to the drain coming from the sink and the goose neck. Ratchet down on these nuts and make sure all the fittings are flush. Then, place the clevis arm on the pivot rod and tighten down the nut that holds the pivot rod in the drain.
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  • 03:18 You want to make sure that's tight, not super tight but, just tight enough so water won't penetrate through. Run your water. We're going to do this to make sure that all the fittings are bone-dry and they are in my case. But if they are not in yours, just make sure that their nuts are tight. Pour the hot water down the drain in two-cup increments. This is going to disinfect your drain even further and move any of the sediment down the main waste stack. And, the last step is to place the clean pop-up stopper down into drain and you're done! There you have it. That's how you fix a stinky sink drain. And, you know, I think that, if you follow the tips that I showed you here, you won't have that nasty smell anymore.
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  • 04:04 And, if you got a question, by all means, just let me know or, if you've got your own tips, please add them to the comments section because I'm always looking to learn and I know that everybody who views my videos would like to learn from you, too. So remember, if you haven't already done so, you can click the subscribe button at YouTube to view all my videos whenever they come out. And you can visit HomeRepairTutor.com and sign up for the email newsletter. That way you won't miss any of my tips moving forward.
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  • 04:31 Thank you so much again for joining me today. I really appreciate it. Stinky sink drains, it's something that all of us home owners have to deal with, eventually. And I hope that these tips help you out. Take care. And I'll see you in the next video.
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