Why is My Bathroom Sink Always Clogging?

Knowing the common causes of bathroom sink clogging is essential to preventing future problems. Here are the main culprits that causes a clogged bathroom sink:

» Clumps of Hair

Hair is the single most common culprit of drain clogs in the bathroom. As you may already know, hair clumps together when wet. Over time, continuous hair accumulation results in a large hair clump mixed with soap scum and other debris, which causes draining water to move slowly.

» Soap Scum

Soap scum is not only a nuisance because it can clog your drain. It is also nasty and unhealthy as it often plays host to bacteria. Like oil and grease, bar soap has a habit of re-solidifying in your drains and accumulating on the walls of pipes over time.

» Something Stuck in P-trap

If you’ve ever dropped anything valuable down the drain, you’ve likely been thankful for the P-trap – the bent pipe that catches water and prevents toxic sewer gasses from coming into your home. However, while the P-trap is an invaluable feature, it’s also the source of many bathroom sink clogs. Because of the P-trap’s shape, foreign objects can easily get stuck in the bend, creating a barrier for proper drainage.

» Mineral Buildup

Mineral deposits can collect along pipe walls if your home has hard water, which contains a large amount of naturally occurring minerals. It would be best if you considered installing a water softener system to deal with these hard water issues.

How to Unclog Your Bathroom Sink

If you need to do a quick DIY drain clear, you need to know a few quick and straightforward methods to unclog your bathroom sink. These methods should also work on other clogged drains, such as kitchen sinks or bathtubs.

» Remove The Clog By Hand

One of the things parents dread is hearing their child say: “The water’s not going down the drain!”

Before doing anything else, use a flashlight and have a good look inside the drain. Sometimes, a clog is immediately visible near the surface and easily accessible. Put on a pair of rubber gloves and extract the clog as best you can.

» Use a Sink Plunger

Did you know that there are specially-made plungers for unclogging sink drains? Instead of containing a flange on the end, sink plungers have a wider mouth to be more effective at sink clearing.

If you have a sink plunger, place it over the drain and use it just as you would when plunging a toilet. Using a plunger may cause the clogs to back up from the drain, so be prepared to clean the mess after plunging.

» Use Boiling Water

Often, you can get rid of a clogged kitchen sink with one or two good blasts of boiling water. This method works best to dislodge clogs caused by soap scum, but the sink shouldn’t be already full of standing water.

All you need to do is follow these three simple steps:

• Step 1: Boil water in a large pot on your stove
• Step 2: Carefully pour the water down the drain to break up the clog.
• Step 3: Test the drain and repeat as necessary

» Unclog Your Sink with a Drain Snake

You can purchase drain snakes or “plumber’s snakes” at your local hardware store. These handy tools can do everything: clogged bathroom sinks, shower drains, toilets, and kitchen sinks!

To use a drain snake, simply turn the crank at one end to rotate the wire as it moves through your drain pipe. The drain snake can shred through denser obstacles, such as soap scum and mineral deposits, to enable the flow. You can also get it snagged on obstructions such as hair, then pull it back out of your drain.

As the auger rotates, it flails against the pipe’s interior walls, scraping off hard minerals, soap scum, and oil.

» Use a Natural Drain Cleaner

Conventional drain cleaners don’t usually work as well as they claim to and are often full of harmful chemicals. The baking soda and vinegar method is a tried and true method of clearing drain clogs, and you likely already have all you need in your kitchen cabinets. All you need to do is pour a cup of baking soda into the drain, immediately followed by a cup of vinegar. Rinse with boiling water after about an hour and repeat as necessary.

» Call a Local Plumbing Expert

When the above methods to unclog bathroom sink drains don’t seem to work, you are probably dealing with a clog that is too tough for your everyday tools and cleaners. When all fails, quit searching for a “bathroom sink plumber near me” and call the local, licensed experts at Conejo Valley Home Services Plumbing & Rooter for professional drain cleaning services.

Tips on How to Prevent Bathroom Sink Clogs

Prevention is better than cure. Knowing how to prevent clogged sinks will save you time, money, and hassle in the future. Here are our top tips to prevent bathroom sink clogs and keep them clean:

The Bottom Line

You can help prevent future clogs and headaches by taking time to maintain your drains. A little bit of work goes a long way! Hopefully, with these preventative measures, you can put your days of recurring drain clogs behind you!

At Conejo Valley Home Services Plumbing & Rooter, our experienced technicians have over 40 years of plumbing experience and are ready to help sort out all your plumbing problems, no matter how big or small. Call us at (805) 499-0448 or fill out our online form, and our expert plumbers will help you flush your troubles down the drain!