Happy Father's Day! My dad can do everything. Our old family letters include ridiculous accounts of his weekends, which typically went something like "fixed the sprinklers, took down the wallpaper in the bathroom, painted the kitchen, and finished up our taxes," usually all before dinner. In his honor, today's triumph is something I did a couple of days ago, with his help.
The bathroom sink was draining slowly, so I thought I'd get some Drano and take care of it. Father knew better, though, and told me the best way to fix the problem was to get in there and clean it out myself. Dad talked me through the process:
1. Clear out all the stuff under the pipes under the sink.
2. Place a bucket under the pipes, because they will drain water when you disconnect them (this seems so obvious, but I tell you I never would have thought of that).
3. Unscrew the pipe at the two places they connect (the uneven tops of the "U") and remove the U shaped pipe.
4. Hold your breath or plug your nose, it's stinky!
5. Shove a paper towel through the pipe to clean it out as best you can, and claw out anything that might be clogging the pipes.
6. Also remove the metal basin stopper to clean that up.
7. Replace all parts of sink, empty out bucket, and marvel at how quickly your sink drains!
I'll also throw in a lesson from my vinegar-loving mother here (second vinegar mention on this young blog): I soaked the U pipe and the metal stopper in white vinegar and water for a while to make them easier to clean.
So next time your sinks are clogging up, roll up your sleeves and attack the pipes. It's free, easy, effective, and strangely satisfying!
For good measure, here is a picture of my dad with one of his many Daily Triumphs, a fence he recently built at our cabin up in the mountains:
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