
Is your bathroom sink backing up with murky water or an unpleasant odor? Do you notice black gunk collecting around the drain or water barely trickling down? These signs are hard to ignore—and they're a signal that it's time to learn how to clean a bathroom sink drain before it gets worse.
This guide will walk you through simple, effective cleaning methods—many using household items—all aimed at getting that sink to drain correctly and preventing expensive repairs. We'll also help you understand when it's time to call in the experts from ARS/Rescue Rooter for plumbing services.
Signs of a Drain Problem
Spotting the early warning signs can save you from bigger headaches later. Watch for:
- Slow or no drainage: Standing water suggests blockage.
- Unpleasant odors: Caused by decomposing debris.
- Gurgling noises: Air being forced through a clog.
- Water backing up: Sometimes from the sink or nearby fixtures.
- Overflow dripping: Caused by hair and soap scum accumulating around the stopper.
If you notice any of these, it's time to address the clog, whether you tackle it yourself or schedule an appointment for professional drain work.
Can't I Just Use Commercial Drain Cleaners?
You'll find endless chemical drain cleaners at hardware stores, but tread carefully. When choosing what products to use on your sink drain, we recommend avoiding repeated use of caustic chemical cleaners. While they may be effective at dissolving some clogs, they're , can harm your pipes, and pose health risks if handled improperly.
Enzyme-based cleaners, which use natural biological agents to eat away organic build-up, are also available. These are safer than harsh chemicals, but they work more slowly and may still fail on tough clogs. Use sparingly, and never substitute enzyme cleaners for a full professional drain cleaning when needed.
Drain Cleaning Methods
Believe it or not, but you may already have many household items you can use today to help break down stubborn clogs and clean a bathroom sink. These environmentally friendly, budget-friendly alternatives are reliable for most "bathroom sink not draining" issues, especially those caused by hair, soap, and toothpaste buildup.
Method #1: Salt, Baking Soda, and Vinegar
Some of the best products that are safe for daily use on household drains are salt, baking soda, and vinegar. You can clean the bathroom sink drain by using these ingredients together with boiling hot water.
Instructions:
- Pour 1–2 cups of rock salt (pickling salt) down the drain. Make sure it's gone down all the way into any areas where waste might have built up over time.
- Cover the drain with dampened paper towels and wait 10 minutes.
- Flush the drain with boiling water.
- For deeper cleaning, follow this with a baking soda and vinegar paste. In a small container, mix:
- ½ cup baking soda
- vinegar (add slowly to form a thick paste)
- Note: Be sure to wear rubber gloves as these two ingredients can cause chemical burns if they're not used correctly.
- Apply paste to the drain, and wait 10 minutes.
- Rinse with boiling hot water.
- Finally, use an old toothbrush or other scrubbing brush to clean away any remaining grime that's built up inside your sink drain.
This combination disrupts grease and gunk—and is safe for daily use.
Method #2: Cream of Tartar and Boiling Water
Another effective method involves the common household ingredient: cream of tartar.
Instructions:
- Mix ¼ cup salt, ¼ cup baking soda, and 1 tablespoon cream of tartar.
- Pour the mixture into the bathroom sink drain.
- Let sit for 15 minutes.
- Flush with boiling water.
Cream of tartar helps break up particles in the pipes leading from your sink, thus providing an easy clean-up process that doesn't require any harsh chemicals or expensive tools.
Method #3: Alka Seltzer
If you want to know how to unclog a bathroom sink with a quick, low-effort solution, tablets can do the job. While originally designed for upset stomachs, the fizzing reaction can help break up clogs and freshen up your bathroom sink drain without chemicals or an expensive trip to the hardware store.
Instructions:
- Drop 2 Alka Seltzer tablets into your sink drain before you go to bed at night.
- In the morning, flush with boiling water.
- If that doesn't work, drop 2–3 more tablets into the clogged drain.
- Add 1 cup of white vinegar to the drain.
- Allow the mixture to fizz (about 15 minutes).
- Flush with hot or boiling water.
This method works best on minor clogs and can also help with unpleasant odors.
Method #4: Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide can be used as a natural drain cleaner. It helps break down organic material (like hair and scum) and kill odor-causing bacteria.
Instructions:
- Measure 1 cup of 3% hydrogen peroxide (this is the common household concentration).
- Pour it down the drain.
- Let it sit for 20–30 minutes.
- Flush with boiling water.
- Repeat for stubborn clogs.
You can repeat this process monthly as a preventive measure to keep your bathroom sink flowing freely and smelling fresh.
Method #5: Remove the P-Trap (Sink Trap)
The p-trap is the U-shaped pipe under your sink, often inside a cupboard. While not as simple as using household ingredients, some homeowners with a little more "DIY spirit" might find they need to remove the p-trap under the sink, especially if the bathroom sink is clogged with hair deep in the pipes.
Instructions:
- Place a bucket underneath your sink to catch water.
- Loosen the slip-joint nuts and remove the U-shaped P-trap.
- Clear the trap of debris and flush under running water.
- Reinstall, seal well, and test the drain.
If your bathroom sink is stopped up and this process sounds too complicated or you don't have the time to tackle it, contact ARS for drain service repair and we'll take care of it.
Tools You Can Use to Clean a Bathroom Sink Drain
How do you unclog a bathroom sink clogged with hair or something you can't identify, especially if you already tried some of the above drain cleaning methods? There are some handy tools you can use to clean out that pesky bathroom drain pipe.
Drain Snake
A drain snake is a device that is used to unclog drains and pipes. It's a long, flexible shaft with which you may snake and contour around pipes and bends, removing obstructions along the way. It is quite simple to use, but it may be more pricey than other procedures because you'll need the snake itself.
Instructions:
- Insert the drain snake in your drain as far down as you can until resistance is felt.
- Twist the snake clockwise while pushing forward.
- When you encounter additional resistance, twist the handle to unblock.
- The blockages should come out with the snake when you remove it.
- Run water and repeat until the clog is cleared.
Money-saving tip: If you suspect hair is the culprit, try using a flexible plastic hair snake. These budget-friendly tools are a great alternative to metal drain snakes and are widely available at hardware stores and even many grocery stores.
Plunger
A plunger is a staple in most American households, and for good reason. If you don't already own one, they're easy to find at any local hardware or big-box store. For bathroom sinks, cup-style plungers are the most effective to use.
Instructions:
- Fill up your bathroom sink about halfway with water.
- Submerge the plunger and seal over the drain.
- Plunge up and down vigorously for about 30 seconds
- Repeat until the clog clears.
Wire Hanger
Wire hangers may not be as common as they once were, but they can be fashioned into a handy DIY drain-clearing tool.
Instructions:
- Remove your sink stopper.
- Bend the end of the hanger into a small hook.
- Gently push the hanger down the drain until you are met with resistance (your clog).
- Twist the hanger to catch the clog on the hook, and pull out the gunk.
- Run water to test if the drain immediately empties.
- Repeat if necessary.
Bathroom Sink Drain Clog Prevention
You know what they say—an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. That's especially true when it comes to keeping your bathroom sink drain clean and clog-free. With just a few simple habits, you can avoid the mess, frustration, and cost of dealing with a backed-up sink.
- Remove hair from shaving in the sink before it goes down the drain. Small hairs may not appear to be a problem, yet they can build up over time and block your sink.
- Clean pop-up stoppers regularly. Hair and debris may accumulate around a drain stopper, but this is simple to remove. It will eventually make its way down the drain if left unchecked.
- Install a drain screen or grate on high-use sinks. These can trap hair and soap scum before they enter your drain system.
- Finish with hot water. Hot water from the tap may help to prevent build-up.
- Use a drain guard. An inexpensive drain cover will add plumbing system protection.
- Pour boiling water monthly down the drain to dissolve soap scum and other tiny particles that might cause difficulties in the future.
The pros at ARS also provide maintenance service, including home inspections and our home service plans.
When to Call a Pro
When you know what to do, unclogging a bathroom sink is simple. You can clear most obstructions with common home products in a few minutes. But sometimes, no matter what you try, you're still stuck with a clogged drain.
If you have:
- Persistent clogs (especially with slow draining, recurring backups, or strong odors in multiple bathroom fixtures)
- Leaks, cracks, or low water pressure
- Toilet backups along with sink issues
...it's time to call in professional help. Expert plumbers can fix any clog, no matter how big or small.
Get Professional Bathroom Sink Drain Cleaning from ARS
We recognize that finding a plumbing service you can trust is not easy. But we'd like to reassure you.
ARS offers:
- Certified technicians
- Exceptional Service Guarantee
- Full drain service and repair
- 24/7 emergency services
Our trusted plumbers will be able to determine if there is a more serious issue within your drain lines, and if professional drain cleaning is necessary to rid your clog once and for all.
Call us at 866-399-2885 or find your nearest ARS/Rescue Rooter location to schedule drain clearing service today!