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My bathroom sink is clogged, water is slow to drain. Cannot get plug out and do not want to tear it down underneath. Pipes are PVC. What is the best "liquid" drain cleaner or anything else to pour down. Hope my 89 year old mother in law hasn't dropped her wig bobby pins down it. Thanks

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I know that you said you cannot get the cleanout plug - but this is your best bet at removing large debris.

Try:

  • Wrap a small towel over the plug and turn counter clock wise ("Righty tighty, lefty loosy")

  • Use an adjustable wrench to break the cleanout plug free

If the above attempts do not work or you have already done that route:

  • Use a drain snake to free any debris causing the clog
  • You can use a toilet plunger by placing it directly above the drain in the sink, fill the sink until there is enough to create suction; (be careful not to splash too much)
  • Believe it or not, if a graden hose is accessible and long enough to reach the sink, place the hose in the drain and have someone turn on the water. There will be sufficient pressure to dislodge any debris.

I'm not a fan of using drain products, but if you must, go to your local hardware store and consult someone as this community covers the entire globe, it is difficult to give you an exact recommendation.

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  • No problem, let us know how it went :)
    – Handy Man
    Aug 6, 2014 at 20:45
  • Dear H-M, you were on target. Was able to get stopper out. Used a cut coat hanger - hook on one end and bent for handle on the other. Most of the glob was just below stopper. Water flowing freely. Thanks for assist; I owe you one someday. No mother in law wigs pins or other pariphinalia in the shoot either...
    – Jim Ramge
    Aug 6, 2014 at 22:18
  • @JimRamge glad I could help; kindly mark my answer as the accepted solution (check mark) and feel free to post more questions or answer those where you think you can help!
    – Handy Man
    Aug 6, 2014 at 22:43
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I agree that taking it apart is the best way to thoroughly clean it. If it hasn't been open in a while, you might need to put some muscle into it.

Drano sells a kit that comes with a drain snake, which can help break up the plug and pull it out. That is much more effective than a liquid alone.

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