How To Clean Rust Around Bathroom Sink Drain
It can be quite annoying going through the trouble of cleaning the bathroom only to be left with unsightly rust stains lingering around the sink drain. Its relatively easy to clean rust around bathroom sink drain, and you only need one ingredient.
Bathroom Sink Drain Rust Cleaner
Put white vinegar into a spray bottle. Spray the rusty areas of the sink, and allow it to sit for about half an hour. Use a soft scrubber brush to scrub the rust away gently. Alternatively, you can pour some of the vinegar onto the drain and follow the same steps.
Five Ways To Fix A Slow Sink Drain
Aaron Stickley is a licensed plumber with 15 years of experience in commercial, new residential plumbing, and residential service and repair. He started his own residential service and repair plumbing business. Aaron’s articles about plumbing on The Spruce span four years.
The Spruce / Sarah Lee
A slow, sluggish sink drain is a very common plumbing problem. The bathroom sink is the one most frequently afflicted with this particular problem, and several things can contribute to a slow sink drain. Often the pop-up that is used to stop up the sink can collect a lot of hair and debris, because the sink is used on a daily basis.
Also, soap and other products that are washed down the drain can slowly collect in the drain pipes. The build-up that naturally collects over time reduces the size of the drain, effectively slowing the progress of draining water. This drainage issue happens naturally over time and usually cannot be avoided. The only solution is to clean the drain periodically to keep it flowing.
There are several ways to address a drainage problem, as outlined here.
How Do You Unclog A Sink Drain
Step 1:
If there is standing water in your kitchen or bathroom sink, you can start by bailing the sink before you work on unclogging the sink drain. Use a cup to scoop out the water in the sink and dump it into a bucket.
Step 2:
After youve bailed out the water, remove the sink stoppers and strainers from the drain. Follow the manufacturers instructions for doing this and their advice on how to unclog a sink drain. If you need to remove some screws, make sure they dont fall down the drain. And, if you need to remove stopper parts from under the sink, keep a bucket underneath the pipes.
Step 3:
Remove the material causing the clogged sink from the stopper and strainer. Then, run the water to flush down any additional bits and test the drain flow.
If you follow this process and it doesnt fix the clogged sink, youll need a powerful drain cleaner. Liquid-Plumr® Clog Destroyer Plus+ Pipeguard comes in a thick gel formula that works through the toughest drain clogs. Pour two cups down the drain and wait 15 minutes. Then, flush the sink drain with hot water. Repeat the process if the sink remains clogged.
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Preventing Things From Getting Stuck In Your Drain
After you get your item back, you should take action to prevent the problem from happening again.
A drain plug, drain stopper, or sink stopper can prevent a drain clog by catching items before they get too far down your tub drain.
You should also do your best to prevent other items from clogging your drain, such as grease or soap scum.
Use Homemade Drain Cleaner

The Spruce / Sarah Lee
A mild, homemade drain cleaner can be used to clean the drain pipes after the larger debris has been pulled out. The reaction caused by combining two common and inexpensive household products can help to break down the mucky build-up on the inside of the drain pipes. Getting even a little of the build-up out of the drain can help get it flowing freely again. By using homemade drain cleaner, you avoid using harsh chemicals and save money as well.
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Home Remedies For Stinky Drains
How To Get Something Out Of Sink Drain
There are very few things as terrifying in the bathroom as that clanking sound of something valuable finding its way down your sinkâs drain pipe or garbage disposal.
Whether itâs your $5,000 engagement ring or maybe those earrings that hold sentimental value, that descending sound is enough to have your heart sinking as far as the item in question.
Immediately after you stop sharing in shocked horror, the very first thing that comes to mind will most likely be whether or not you know how to get something out of a sink drain.
Most people donât have the solution to this problem, a realization that will probably have their hearts sinking further. Thankfully, however, just because you dropped something down the kitchen sink or bathroom sink drain doesnât mean that it is gone forever.
What’s In This Guide? |
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How To Unclog A Bathroom Drain Using A Drain Snake
Perhaps you have tried cleaning solutions to loosen a drain clog or even a plunger, and you still have a slow drain. When all else fails, use a drain snake to grab and pull debris from a bathroom drain.
You can pick up a coiled spiral drain snake at just about any hardware store, and they are relatively inexpensive. While a plunger works by forcing the obstruction through the drain, a snake will help you loosen the blockage while pulling it towards you so that you can remove it.
Drain Snake Method
You may need to wear rubber gloves for this process, as it can get a little messy. Put the end of the snake into the drain and turn the handle. As you turn the handle, the snake auger will start lengthening and moving down the drain.
While turning the handle, you may feel some resistance when you reach a bend in the pipe. Continue turning the handle with some force until you pass the turn of the pipe. Once you hit the clog, rotate the snake until you feel the debris break up.
This action will more than likely break up the clog and send it on its way. If it doesnt, engage the clog and pull the snake from the drain.
The obstruction should pull loose with the auger through the drain toward you, where youll be able to remove it. Finish by running the faucet on full blast to flush any remaining gunk down the drain.
Start Installing The Components Under The Sink
There will be various parts to connect to the flange from underneath the sink. Now position the flange by passing it through the hole as far as it will go. You now need to slip the rubber washer over the waste pipe so it can seal the connection. Then, slide the securing nut into place and use pliers to tighten it.
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Dish Soap And Hot Water
One of the first things to try is also the simplest: use dish soap and hot water. Clean your sink and then fill it with hot, soapy water. Turn the garbage disposal on and allow the water to run through it while it works. This allows the water and soap to actually fill the disposal and clean the nooks and crannies that are missed when just running it dry. This tip is helpful even if you dont have a garbage disposal, as an aside. Skip the bit about turning on the disposal but still allow the hot water and soap to run through the pipes.
How To Fix A Sink Pop
Water may leak or refuse to drain around a sink pop-up for a number of reasons. If your sink pop-up wont pop up or seat properly, fixing it is quite easyusually just a matter of adjusting a few parts. The culprit is often a buildup of hair around the base of the stopper or the pivot rod mechanism. Or, the clevis may be out of adjustment .
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Boiling Water Baking Soda And Vinegar
Many people are tempted to buy expensive cleaning solutions when the reality is that you likely have some of the most effective methods right in your kitchen. Baking soda, when mixed with vinegar, creates a bubbling mixture that can help clean the drain. Pour a handful of baking soda directly into the drain and let it sit for about 15 minutes. Follow that with about one half of a cup of white vinegar. While the mixture begins to bubble and pop in the drain, boil a kettle or pot of water. About 15 minutes after you poured the vinegar down the drain, pour the boiling water down the drain, too. Another tip to try here is to add equal parts coarse salt and baking soda to the drain as opposed to the baking soda alone. The rest of the steps remain the same.
Unfasten The Sink Drain Lock Nut

There is a locking nut, also known as basket nut, used to secure the kitchen sink strainer tightly under the sink.
When this nut is tight enough, and the sealing components like the plumbers putty and the rubber washers are in good shape, the sink drain is not supposed to leak.
So, if your sink drain is leaking, it could be a malfunction of any of the sealing components, or the lock nut not been tight enough.
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How Much Does It Cost
The interesting part of the cost to remove a bathroom sink drain is how cheap it ranges per drain. Note the labor charge and material differences. You are looking at a national average of $35 to $49 with labor and material replacement parts. However, just a removal of a sink drain averages $1.18 to $1.34 per drain.
Clean The Drain Stopper
Take out the drain stopper and clean off all the gunk. This will take some time. Typically, the gunk has a tight grip on the stopper. Expect it to take a few hard scrubs to get all the gunk off. Keep in mind that for this exercise, good enough is not good enough. Leaving even a little bit of gunk on the stopper is an invitation for its return.
Once the stopper is completely clean, put the stopper back in the sink and run the water. Does the water drain quickly? If it does, mission accomplished.
If it doesnt, unfortunately, the black slime in the stopper was just the tip of the iceberg. You have a clog in the drain itself. Time to get the plunger out.
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How To Unclog A Bathroom Sink Drain: Conclusion And Last Word Of Caution
Thats it! Those are the three simple steps to unclog a bathroom sink drain.
A last word of caution any time you disturb plumbing connections youll want to carefully check them after remounting everything. Once your drain is running freely, dont forget to look under the sink to check for leaks in the P-trap and gooseneck connections.
How To Get A Cap Out Of Bathroom Sink Drain
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Seal The Underside Of The Sinks Drain Hole
Crawl into the sink cabinet and put a rubber-seal washer over the bottom of the drain strainer.
Also, put a friction-protection band over the rubber washer before you secure the drainer strainer tightly with a lock nut.
You should grip the drain strainer with a pair of needle-nose pliers to prevent it from turning round along the wrench while you are fastening the lock nut.
Consider Washing It Down With A Drain
Before putting the plug back in, this is a good chance to give the drainpipe a thorough clean, particularly if it was especially blocked before.
Follow the instructions on your drain cleaning product, pour it into the drain and leave it to do its job. After it has been in there for long enough usually at least ten minutes flush it down by pouring hot water down the sink.
The water should flow away easily, meaning you have successfully unclogged your blocked drain.
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Remove Items From Under The Sink
If you cant pull the stopper out, you will need to go underneath the sink to release it so the next step is to remove everything thats stored below the sink to give you enough space to work in.
Pro tip: Make sure you remove anything from under the sink before you start working. You might think this takes extra time, but it will be far less awkward to work if you have enough room to maneuver.
How To Remove Kitchen Sink Drain

Do you have a bowl under your kitchen sink drain to catch dripping water? We know that you understand that a container under the sink is not a plumbing design anywhere, not even in hell.
As homeowners ourselves, we correctly understand how irritation builds with the rising level of water in the bowl. We have seen frustration overflow from keeping an eye to ensure the bowl does not overflow.
In this DIY guide, you will learn the ten steps to remove a kitchen sink drain and install a new one to replace it.
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Remove Food Debris And Other Obstructions From The Garbage Disposal
You could also have food particles stuck down in the garbage disposal. Start by removing any large food debris. CAUTION: Unplug the garbage disposal before you put your hand down inside the sink. If your disposal has no plug, flip the breaker connected to your disposal before removing any food particles. DO NOT put your hand down the drain otherwise.
Your breaker box is probably downstairs. It might take some trial and error to find out which breaker is connected to the garbage disposal.
After youve cleaned up your sink a bit, if the smell persists, try the simple solutions below.
Tools Required To Take Out Bathroom Sink Stopper
Before you attempt to remove the bathroom sink stopper, you need to assemble a few basic items. Heres the list of what youll need.
- Wrench or pliers Depending on how tightly the nut is fastened, you may need a wrench or pliers to loosen it.
- Flashlight A regular hand-held flashlight may be useful because otherwise, you might not be able to see what you are doing beneath the sink.
- Brush Not necessary to remove the sink stopper itself but may be useful if you want to clean it.
- Regular detergent Some regular bathroom cleaning detergent will also be helpful if you want to clean the stopper.
- Vinegar Vinegar can come in useful for cleaning the stopper although it is not necessary if you dont have any at hand.
- Bucket A regular bucket. This is useful in case of the sink leaks when you unscrew the nut.
- Hair clog removal tool When you have removed the stopper, you can use a hair removal tool to pull out any hair and gunk that is blocking the sink. These are inexpensive tools in the form of a long piece of plastic with hooks for pulling hair out of sinks.
- Drain cleaner liquidAgain, not necessary for removing the stopper, but once the stopper and all the gunk are out, its a good opportunity to clean inside the drainpipe before you put everything back in place.
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