Most people brush their teeth in the bathroom sink, sending excess toothpaste down the drain, potentially causing a clog. The likelihood of a slow drain increases if people shave at that bathroom sink as well.
When the sink starts filling up to the point of almost overflowing and leaving scum on the sink when it finally drains, it’s time to take action.
In this PlumbingNav review, we will cover:
How to unclog bathroom sink drain
What are the different ways to unclog a bathroom sink drain?
What do you look for in the best products to unclog your bathroom sink?
Review of top 5 products used to unclog your bathroom sink
This highly rated 18-inch manual auger rotates 360 degrees to break up your clog with the ⅛” diameter head. It’s easy to connect the wand to the plastic handle, and it’s easy to turn once you reach the clog.
You can use this product on the bathroom sink as well as the shower drain and kitchen sink drain.
What Are The Different Ways To Unclog A Bathroom Sink Drain?
Natural Remedies
A mild clog may only require a simple solution that you can do without going to the hardware store for any tools.
The first natural solution is near boiling water. This is safe for PVC pipes, but for older pipes, let it cool slightly with it being closer to near boiling.
A plunger uses pressure to break up clogs in more places than just the toilet.
The three main types of plungers are:
Cup plunger
Flange plunger
Accordion plunger
For a bathroom sink clog, use a cup plunger or flange plunger.
Drain Cleaner
A drain cleaner is either chemical-based or uses natural enzymes to dissolve the clog. These climb the scale in terms of ingredients, safety, and effectiveness. Here is an overview.
Natural Based Cleaners
They use bacteria to eat through organic-based clogs, similar to how nature disposes of materials during decomposition. A popular and safe product in this category is the Earthworm drain cleaner.
A step up from this product is the ever-popular Green Gobbler, which is still safe but also includes proprietary ingredients that many claim are very effective. To remain safe, more and more homes are using natural enzymatic drain cleaners, but to be fair they don’t work as well on a stubborn clog. These will also clear up other issues like pink mold in the sink drain.
“Stronger” Ingredients
You may in fact need to rely on a stronger (yet still safe) product such as Drano’s Max Gel. The main ingredient here is not enzymes, but sodium hypochlorite. This active ingredient is achieved by combining bleach with other chemicals, but to be clear you should never pour concentrated bleach down your drains. It is safer than the next product category, but you should still use caution and read labels.
“Strongest” Ingredients
A caustic solution such as Liquid Fire drain cleaner uses chemicals that will deal with the toughest of clogs. However, it can potentially damage your plumbing system, and it can cause poisoning if ingested. It should only be used on certain pipes, and you should read the instructions carefully. These products are on the market because there is a demand for them and they work, however, you must use caution.
Plumber’s Snake
The main problem with a clog is that you can’t always reach it. A plumbing snake solves this problem. It has a flexible, long cable that fits into your drain until it reaches the clog to break it up at the location. You can find unpowered snakes as well as powered snakes.
Pro Tip: If the clog involves hair, and it’s mostly near the opening of your drain, you may not need a snake yet. First, try a hair clog remover tool. These are inexpensive, and function like a miniature version of a plumbing snake. We review the best options, here:
In some cases, a drain cleaning product can attack a stubborn clog, but it’s important to understand that they work best as maintenance, especially non-chemical drain cleaners.
You want to reduce how often you use a chemical drain opener so that it doesn’t damage your pipes, leading to early replacement.
What Do You Look For In The Best Products To Unclog Bathroom Sink?
Environmentally Friendly
It’s important to take the planet into consideration in everything we do, even when dealing with a clogged drain.
Look for biodegradable products in recyclable containers from companies that follow eco-friendly manufacturing and business practices.
Safe For Pipes/Appliances
You whatever product you use to be safe for every pipe it comes in contact with from the sink pipe to the drain pipe.
Cast iron pipes can be susceptible to corrosion, and PVC pipes can withstand more, however, you still need to check the label and consider the age of your plumbing system.
You should also check if you can use the product for your garbage disposal, washing machine, septic tank, grease trap, drain trap, and other sensitive areas of your plumbing.
Appropriate for Your Clog
You can probably guess exactly what caused the clog, and you need to use a product specifically designed for your specific type of clog.
Some common items that can clog your bathroom drain include:
This highly rated 18-inch manual auger rotates 360 degrees to break up your clog with the ⅛” diameter head. It’s easy to connect the wand to the plastic handle, and it’s easy to turn once you reach the clog.
You can use this product on the bathroom sink as well as the shower drain and kitchen sink drain.
This commercial-strength plunger is specifically made to work on sinks and drains instead of the toilet, and it works 10x better than a standard cup plunger in just about 10 seconds.
You can use this product on the shower drain and kitchen sink, too. It’s made from recyclable PVC plastic, which is easy to clean with bleach.
This cordless, powered auger reaches 25 feet down your drain and spins at speeds up to 560 RPM (revolutions per minute), making it far more powerful than a crank auger.
The battery charges in roughly one hour. If you have questions or problems, customer service responds in 24 hours.
Eliminate standing water in your sink or shower thanks to a clog caused by hair, oil, grease, soap, and fat with this commercial-strength chemical drain cleaner that is safe for all types of pipes.
Simply pour the cleaner down the affected drain and let it work for a couple of hours before rinsing with hot water.
This environmentally-friendly product is biodegradable, odorless, non-flammable, and it comes in a recyclable container. Its industrial-strength formula of enzymes and bacteria makes it more effective than most natural drain cleaners.
This product is safe for all pipes and appliances, and it won’t irritate the eyes or skin. Only works on organic waste.
Pros
Safe for plumbing
Environmentally friendly
All-natural ingredients
Cons
Won’t dissolve paper clogs
Made for maintenance, not tough clogs
Not made for a toilet clog
Final Thoughts On How To Unclog Bathroom Sink
A slow draining sink, thanks to gunk in the drain can make getting ready in the morning uncomfortable and a hassle. When hot tap water doesn’t dissolve the clogged sink, try the products in this review to create a drain opening again.
