Persistent slow draining sink?

Jewellmartin
by Jewellmartin
What DIY techniques do you use for a sink that is not blocked but always drains slowly? I keep a (clean) old toothbrush and a wire clothes hanger handy for my husband's sink. He uses foam gel shaving cream, Dial soap, and lots of toothpaste, and it adds up quickly in his sink drain. What would you do? (I'm keeping the husband.) Best wishes 😇

  7 answers
  • Shoshana Shoshana on Aug 29, 2017

    I like to give my sink drains a treatment of a couple of spoons of baking soda followed by half a cup of distilled vinegar every couple of months. I pour the baking soda, followed (slowly) by the vinegar down the drain. The chemical reaction helps keep the drain clear and the sink draining. Good luck!

    • Jewellmartin Jewellmartin on Aug 30, 2017

      Husband thinks Drano is the only easy thing he has known. However, he saw me using a wire hanger to test for blockage and the old toothbrush to scour his sink drain. I had Scrubbing Bubbles so that's what I chose. It has been clear for a week now. Falling asleep again. Gotta give in 😇

  • Tina Tina on Aug 29, 2017

    I had the same problem in my bathroom at the lake house and all I had on hand was some toilet bowl cleaner. SO.......I gave it a good squirt down the drain, let it set about 15 minutes and came back and ran hot water down the sink. Voila! Drained like a champ! Who would have thought toilet bowl cleaner would eat out the gunk in the sink trap? I'll have to try the baking soda and vinegar treatment, but my sink sure smelled fresh after my trick. Best wishes!

    • Jewellmartin Jewellmartin on Aug 30, 2017

      I'm sure I read it on Hometalk. Or on HGTV. Best bathroom tip in a while! Best wishes 😇

  • Holly Kinchlea-Brown Holly Kinchlea-Brown on Aug 29, 2017

    Stopper up (briefly) the overflow hole. fill the sink with some hot water. Place the plunger over the drain and pump a few times to move the stuff out. I do this about biweekly to keep my slow running bathroom sink working

    • Jewellmartin Jewellmartin on Aug 30, 2017

      I'm good with a plunger. I understand the usefullness of placement and suction. But I'll use it more regularly. . Best wishes 😇

  • Lin4102297 Lin4102297 on Aug 29, 2017

    l live in an apt building and had the same problem..First l got a small hand plunger from Home Depot (under $5.00) and when it is slow going down this works. l keep it handy ..for weekly plunging


  • Susan E Susan E on Aug 29, 2017

    Have you checked your trap? I had the same problem in my new house. Finally took P trap apart and found 3 little kid's toothbrushes down the drain. Prior owner had a little boy, and I guess he didn't like to brush his teeth.

    • Jewellmartin Jewellmartin on Aug 30, 2017

      😁 Last year my little grands discovered the packaging on a new toothbrush. They loved ripping the cardboard off the back. But they didn't care about the toothbrush unless it had something cute on it, like printed turtles. My son said he and Carrie would be folding clothes, and suddenly they would hear a r-I-p. It took a few times before they realized what the girls were doing in the bathroom. Haha, at least they left the toothbrushes on the counter, and stopped doing that little trick. 😇

  • Cynthia Cynthia on Aug 29, 2017

    There is a "tool" made of flexible plastic with teeth at intervals on each side. It is about 2' long. I bought mine at Home Depot-cheap.

    Run it as far down your pipes. It has a loop on the end for your finger. I like all the other suggestions too!

  • Jud23805767 Jud23805767 on Aug 30, 2017

    pour about a cup of baking soda in sink and then pour about 2 cups of white vinegar over it. Wait about 5 minutes and then pour a pot of boiling water down the drain. Works great and gets rid of "sewery" odors too!