What’s the solution?

The technique and the product(s) you should use will depend on how ‘serious’ the situation is. But it’s not a time to panic: mostly, you can easily unblock your sink or washbasin yourself. So here we will look at four scenarios and offer you helpful advice for each one:

• a small blockage
• a large blockage
• when the problem is beyond the siphon
• when the problem is not even in your home.

A small blockage, easy to solve!

If the blockage is fairly limited and the waste is found near the surface of the sink or washbasin, you can choose from three solutions: two possibilities to unblock in 5 minutes, and one that will take from 30 minutes to a few hours at least.

1. Boiling water 

The simplest solution – and the cheapest – is to boil a pan of water (two litres will be enough) and to pour it slowly and carefully into the sink to clean the drain pipes by dissolving any particles there. You can also add a little dishwashing liquid, which will have a degreasing effect. But what if this fails to work immediately and the pipes are still blocked? Repeat the operation (several times) before trying something different.

2. The plunger

Here is a traditional method that will oblige you to use some energy and muscles, but it will help you to unblock your sink in under 5 minutes:

1. Block the overflow with a wet cloth, to stop the air from escaping from this hole;
2. Place the plunger flat over the drain (this is the metal part located over the drain hole);
3. Run a little water to cover the plunger’s rubber;
4. Apply pressure to the plunger to make it adhere to the bottom, then create air flows by using successive short movements. This back-and-forth movement will force water to circulate in the pipe, increasing the pressure and dislodging the blockage.

Here too, you may have to repeat the operation until the water flows normally.

3. Bicarbonate, vinegar and salt

The third solution is a traditional remedy whose ingredients are readily available... in your kitchen cupboard. It’s a highly effective mixture of 200 g baking soda, 20 cl white vinegar and 200 g coarse salt. Pour this mixture into the blocked sink and leave for half an hour. Then pour in 1 litre of boiling water to thoroughly clean the sink and drains. If the remedy doesn’t work, follow the same procedure, but leave the mixture in the pipes overnight before rinsing.

Get professional help

If, despite all your efforts, your bathroom sink is still blocked, it is likely that the draining blockage is located beyond the siphon. You should call in a qualified plumber, who will carry out a proper unblocking, one that is both clean and safe. Plumbers have the right equipment – e.g. a drain snake and/or a high-pressure cleaner – to locate the blockage. They can then use the appropriate means to remove it, depending on its composition (organic waste, scale, or sometimes an object).

What is a drain snake?

A drain snake is not a living animal, you’ll be happy to hear! It’s a metal tool that is long and flexible (often up to trois metres long) and has a drill bit at the end. The plumber inserts the drain snake into the pipes and breaks up the blockage using the drill bit. This allows the water to move again through the piping, with no need for disassembly.

A plumber can achieve the same result with a high-pressure cleaner that comes with an unblocking kit. The cleaner’s tube is introduced into the blocked pipes and water is sent down them at high pressure to complete the cleaning.

Who should pay the plumber?

The plumber’s work should be paid by the tenant, unless it can be proved that the obstruction is due to outdated fittings or poor maintenance of these fittings before the tenant moved into the building. In the latter case, the owner must pay the bill.