What's the easiest way/thing to buy to unclog a semi-clogged sink?

[Nocturnal]

My bathroom sink is semi-clogged meaning it takes forever for the water to get out of it. So, when I brush my teeth and spit out the first batch of toothpaste the toothpaste is floating around in there while I'm rinsing and it sometimes splashes upwards if I spit too hard. So, it's taking too long to go down and I need something to unclog it. I think I tried Draino before but I don't know how much it helped.

TIA

 

[spartan]

The foam stuff (where two different liquids mix when you pour the contents out) has worked great on my slow shower drain.

 

[WhiteKnight]

I've had really good results from the foaming stuff too.

 

[CraigRT]

dump a fresh can of coke down the drain

 

[fastz28]

Get a "snake" and shove it down the drain.

 

[Entity]

Cans of compressed air (I forget what they're called) have worked well for me when Draino and Liquid Foaming crap haven't.

Snaking it can help sometimes, but in my instance, snaking worked worse than the air.

Rob

 

[TwinkleToes77]

some liquid draino pro...

or take off that elbow joint thing at the bottom and clean all the hair out.. thats always the problem.

 

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: fastz28
Get a "snake" and shove it down the drain.

That's the messiest but most effective imho

 

[TheNinja]

I'm not sure but if you find out let me know. I will tell you that every type of Liquid Plummer and things like that have not worked. I think we are both down to 3 options from easiest/least likely to work to most pain in the a$$(but most likely to work):

1. use your hand to make a sort of plunger. For example, put some water in the sink, cup your hand around the drain (note you may have to use your other hand to plug the drain overflow hold). Then keeping as tight as seal as possible around the drain plunge your hand up and down really fast and hard.

2. buy a sink plunger type thing

3. take it apart, the hair clog is most likely in the S-curve part under the sink

 

[fs5]

Originally posted by: spartan
The foam stuff (where two different liquids mix when you pour the contents out) has worked great on my slow shower drain.

 

[Encryptic]

Originally posted by: TwinkleToes77
some liquid draino pro...

or take off that elbow joint thing at the bottom and clean all the hair out.. thats always the problem.

Yeah. I would agree here. If Drano doesn't work, you should be able to unscrew the elbow and clear all the crap out of it. Snaking it might not be a bad idea either. I think you can rent one from Home Depot or something like that.

I had to do this when I made the mistake of dumping a bunch of leftover rice down the garbage disposal a few months ago....

 

[Kyteland]

Buy a large box of Sodium Bicarbonate (Arm and Hammer baking soda) and put a cup in to the drain. Pour boiling water on it. Repeat this until the drain is not clogged anymore.

Why this works. NaHCO3 (sodium Bicarbonate) breaks down in to NaOH + CO2 (lye + carbon dioxide). The CO2 bubbles away leaving NaOH in your drain. The NaOH eats away at the crap built up on the walls of your drain. Once you get the drain flowing smoothly if you do this once a month it will keep your drains clear.

 

[Rastus]

Go to home depot or lowe's and get professional strength drain cleaner. Works every time. Drano sucks.

 

[HomeBrewerDude]

before you dump a bunch of caustic chemicals into the water supply, you should at least try to take the elbow apart and see if the clog can be removed with a coat hanger. You probably have a hairball hanging from the stopper parts.

 

[Trevelyan]

Originally posted by: yamahaXS
before you dump a bunch of caustic chemicals into the water supply, you should at least try to take the elbow apart and see if the clog can be removed with a coat hanger. You probably have a hairball hanging from the stopper parts.

No, there's no time for that now.

KEMIKALS!!