How To Clean A Bathroom Sink Drain, According To An Expert

Plus, how to prevent clogs in the future.

We can’t tell you how many times our bathroom sink drains have clogged, mostly from hair. When the dirty water takes forever to drain after you've washed your face or brushed your teeth, it leaves a film around the bathroom sink bowl that is a true pain to continuously wipe off. 

According to Sara San Angelo, a professional home cleaner and founder of Confessions of a Cleaning Lady in Charleston, South Carolina, there are many reasons bathroom sinks get clogged.

“One big reason is hair that falls down the drain—hair on your head can fall down the drain, as well as facial hair while shaving,” she explains. “This gets mixed in with skin oils and toothpaste to create a nasty mess that clogs your pipes.”

Below, San Angelo gives us several methods for cleaning bathroom sink drains, her best tips on how to avoid a clogged bathroom sink, and what to avoid when cleaning your bathroom sink drain. With her expert tips on how to clean a sink drain, you won't have to face that ugly film again.

How Often To Clean A Bathroom Sink Drain

Obviously, you know you've got to take action when your drain backs up, leaving a goopy mess every time you brush your teeth. But most plumbers recommend cleaning out the drain once a month to prevent the kind of nasty buildup that can get you into a hairy situation.

Considerations Before Getting Started

As easy as it sounds to just use chemical-based drain cleaners to fix the problem, San Angelo says that it might not be the best idea. “Try to avoid harsh chemicals like Drano and Mr. Plumber drain cleaners,” she says. “They can actually cause a lot of damage to your pipes and are terrible for the environment.” Instead, use the gentler methods described below.

What You Need:

• Drain snake or drain zip
• Optional: Small plunger
• Dish soap
• Pot of boiling water
• Optional: baking soda and white vinegar

How To Unclog A Sink Drain With A Drain Zip

If your bathroom sink is clogged, there are several ways you can unclog it without using Drano or harsh chemicals. “First, I would try a drain snake,” says San Angelo. “Many times, this will do the trick and you won't need anything else.” Not everyone has a drain snake or is comfortable using one, however. A simple solution is a drain zip—an inexpensive, plastic tool with a toothed edge that is designed to remove clogs from drains. Here's how to use one:

1. Hold onto the end of the drain zip and stick it down the drain as far as it will go.
2. Pull the zip back out and remove and dispose of any hair or other materials that are caught on the teeth.
3. Run the water to flush the drain and see if it has cleared. Repeat these steps as many times as needed. Wiggling or rotating the tool may help to catch more debris.

You can also try using a small plunger on your sink if this doesn't clear the drain.

How To Clean Sink Drains With Soap And Boiling Water

“Another option is the boiling water and dish soap method,” suggests San Angelo. “This will eliminate the grease that may be sticking everything together in a clump in your drain.” For best results, the sink should be as empty as possible (it might take a while to drain fully).

1. First, boil a large pot of water on the stove—the pot should be big enough to fill the sink with water.
2. Pour 1/2 cup of dish soap (it doesn't have to be Dawn, but should be a soap that cuts grease) down the drain, followed by the boiling water. “Be careful not to splash yourself," San Angelo warns.
3. After you’ve done this, you need to wait it out—it might take a few hours to have an effect on the sink drain. You may have to repeat this several times to fully unclog the drain. 

How To Clean Sink Drains With Baking Soda And Vinegar

Finally, the old baking soda and vinegar method might do the trick if nothing else works.

“The bubbling and fizzing of the baking soda and vinegar solution will help clear the drain,” explains San Angelo, but “I would use caution when using this method if you have very old pipes in your house."

1. First, pour a pot of boiling water down the drain.
2. Then, pour a cup of baking soda down the drain.
3. After that, pour 1 cup of white vinegar—you can mix it with water if it is not enough to get all the baking soda down the drain. Cover the drain with a plug and wait 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Finally, pour boiling water down the drain again.

Tips To Keep Your Bathroom Sink From Clogging

If you want to avoid having to unclog your bathroom sink drain so often, San Angelo suggests trying out a drain cover, like the Gotega Hair Catcher Durable Silicone Hair Stopper to catch hair and keep large particles from getting down the drain. “You can also try not to brush your hair over the sink—get hair shavings out of the sink instead of washing them down the drain,” she suggests.

When To Call A Professional

If a drain snake and the baking-soda method don't do the trick, it's time to call for help. The clog could be out of reach or too difficult to extract, especially if something went down the drain that shouldn't have (young kids and small toys are a notorious culprit). If water is backing up into other drains in the home or overflowing from the sink, that's a sign of a more serious problem. Give your plumber a call to assess the situation and fix the problem.