How long to wait to use vinegar and baking soda in sink after usi

12 years ago

The bathroom sink had been draining very slowly and a chemical drain cleaner

was used one week ago. It did not solve the problem, and I want to try using

baking soda and vinegar before getting more help.

But have read that its not good to put those in if chemicals have been used.

(and realize probably it might not have been a good idea to use the chemical anyway)

The sink does very slowly drain so am guessing/hoping that the chemicals are all

gone, but not sure if they might still be present in the clog whether in jbend/ptrap

or further down the line (toilets and showers in same room drain ok)

===> Do you think its safe after one week to try the baking soda and vinegar ?

PS I would have removed the jbend first but the sink is a pedestal sink, and the pedestal

almost flush to the wall, and one end of the jbend is partially inside the pedestal itself;

and with my lack of experience, felt that it might have not been possible to put the jbend back.

As it is, a mirror is needed to see that end of the jbend inside the pedestal.

Thanks for your suggestions and comments.

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Comments (6)

mydreamhome
12 years ago
Just a question (and you may have already done this), but if not, it may lead to an easy fix--have you pulled the stopper out of the drain in the sink to clear the upper part of the drain of any hair or objects that may have slipped down but gotten caught on the '+' in the drain thereby restricing flow? That has been our problem everytime with a slow bathroom sink drain. A few minutes & a pair of tweezers does the trick. Hope this helps!
jakethewonderdog
12 years ago
You are probably fine using the baking soda/vinegar at this point.

Here's the thing: Bathroom sinks get nasty glopps of soap, hair, shaving stuff, tooth paste, etc. + probably some growing stuff. Nasty, to be sure. A big part of the problem is that there often isn't enough water to wash it all the way down the drain.

Remove the stopper if you can. Block the drain and fill the sink full with warm, soapy water. Open the drain and plunge it with a sink plunger while keeping the overflow blocked with a damp rag.

That should remove most of the nasty stuff that's clogging the pipes. Repeat until you have a fast running drain again.
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brickeyee
12 years ago
Put a shallow pan under the trap and remove it.

Remove the stopper and look down the line.

Remove any junk you see.

Also check the trap for crud.

Some of the Chinese drain assemblies do not allow for removal of the stopper without unscrewing the actuator arm that enter the back of the tail piece.
kudzu9
12 years ago
If you have water movement through the drain, albeit slowly, there should be no risk from previous chemicals. However, I agree that you should take it apart and fix it properly. Even when drain cleaners improve things, they often don't fix the whole problem.
jakethewonderdog
12 years ago
I think that the OP is trying to avoid taking the trap apart for the reasons already stated.
brickeyee
12 years ago
"I think that the OP is trying to avoid taking the trap apart for the reasons already stated."

And trying every half a** thing to avoid a real fix.

There was enough room to hook it up, there is enough room to take it apart.