How to unclog a bathroom sink
Most bathroom sink clogs are hair wrapped around the pop-up stopper, plus toothpaste and soap scum. Clear that first before you reach for chemicals.
Safety
Don’t mix chemical drain cleaners with vinegar, bleach, or each other. If you’ve already poured a cleaner in, flush with plenty of water and wait before trying anything else — and wear eye protection.
Clear the stopper & hair
Hair-only focus: remove hair from a bathroom sink drain.
- Remove the stopper Most pop-up stoppers lift straight out, or twist and lift. Some are held by a pivot rod under the sink — if it won’t budge, look under the basin for a clip on a horizontal rod, loosen it, then pull the stopper up.
- Pull the hair out Wear gloves. Pull hair and gunk off the stopper and from the opening with your fingers or a paper towel. This alone fixes a huge share of slow bathroom sinks.
- Snake the drain Feed a cheap plastic hair snake (zip-strip style) down the drain. Twist as you push. When you feel resistance, twist and pull — you’ll often bring up a hair clump. Repeat until it comes up clean.
- Flush with hot water Run hot tap water for 30–60 seconds. If it drains freely, you’re done. Put the stopper back.
Tip
A weekly hot-water flush and wiping the stopper keeps bathroom sinks from clogging again. Catch hair with a mesh screen if you shed a lot.
If it’s still slow
- Baking soda + vinegar (mild) Pour about ½ cup baking soda down the drain, then ½ cup white vinegar. It will foam. Cover the drain for 10–15 minutes, then flush with hot water. This helps with mild buildup — not a brick of hair.
- Enzyme cleaner overnight If you have an enzyme or bio gel drain cleaner, follow the label and leave it overnight. These eat organic gunk slowly and are gentler on pipes than caustic chemical openers.
- Check the P-trap Place a bucket under the U-shaped pipe under the sink. Loosen the slip nuts by hand (or with pliers), remove the trap, and clear debris. Reassemble snug — hand-tight plus a small tweak, don’t crush the washers.