Do you ever stop to think about all the things we put in the bathroom sink? It’s no wonder you end up with a clogged bathroom sink, considering we fill it with soap, hair, shaving cream, toothpaste, and all manner of products and sheddings.

Just because your sink is clogged doesn’t mean you have to immediately call a plumber. Rather, when you have a clogged bathroom sink, take some simple at-home steps to remove the clog before enlisting the help of a professional plumber.

Safe Drain Cleaner

Rather than buying expensive products at the store or calling a plumbing company, use household products to clean the drain.

1. Pour ½ cup baking soda (dry) into the drain.
2. Add 1 cup vinegar, pouring straight into the clogged bathroom drain.
3. Let the mixture sit and fizz and bubble for about half an hour, then rinse down with boiling water (if you have metal pipes) or hot tap water (if they are plastic). You should find that the sink drains more readily now.

Objects in the Drain Pipe

Maybe you don’t have buildup that’s causing your issues. If the cleaner solution doesn’t work, you could have accidentally dropped a small object down the drain that’s creating a blockage, such as a ring or a large piece of soap.

1. Turn off the water supply.
2. Place a bucket under the drain pipe beneath the sink.
3. With a wrench, loosen and remove the drain pipe below the sink. You might find a small object falling out into the bucket.

Good, Old Fashioned Plungers

If this doesn’t uncover the problem, put the pipes back together and turn the water supply back on. You can use a plunger to see if you can remove the blockage from your clogged bathroom sink. Be sure you use a sink plunger, not a toilet plunger; these are too big for the job!

1. Run tap water into the sink until you have 2-3 inches of standing water.
2. Place the plunger over the drain and press down to gain suction.
3. Plunge up and down several times and watch for object, dirt, and other blockage to appear.

If none of these methods work, you may have a bigger problem on your hands causing your clogged bathroom sink. In this case, it’s best to call in a plumber to do the deep digging and find out why your sink won’t drain.