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I bought a house 5 years ago. About once a year I have to take my bathroom sink drain apart and clean it. My wife's is fine.
At first I thought it might be from cleaning my electric razor into the sink, so I stopped; but it hasn't helped.
All that goes down it is toothpaste and fluoride rinse, and it goes down my wife's also.
Its like a combination of rotted vegetation and cheese.
Hey, I warned you that it was disgusting.
It's probably bacteria. They're eating something you put down the sink.
Try pouring bleach down the sink every once in a while. Maybe your wife cleans her sink more often. Hah!
Maybe you need to run the water a bit more each time to wash down the stuff you put into the sink.
Bob is correct - bateria occasionally run into that as well & treat it with 16 oz. Liquid Plumber or Drano at the first hint of water not draining quickly.
Bacteria loves dark, moist places. Or this is an alien experiment site. Never know what those UFO's are doing.
We have been using bleach on a regular basis for years.
It could also be soaps condensing on the cooler pipe.
Soaps that "soften" the skin, often have oils in them. Oils can condense in drain lines. My wife loves to pour oil she's deep fried with down the kitchen sink drain. I often will immediately follow it with a sink full of hot soapy water to decrease the chance of oils condensing inside the drain lines. I am especially concerned about it in the winter time in our new kitchen addition.
It is true that she keeps hers clean and I don't bother. Perhaps the extra cleaner and water prevents the build up.
Appears to be a shaving gel mixed with soap after the fact.
Mac
I see the same stuff.
Believe it or not, toothpaste and the like can coagulate and become a breeding ground for interesting flora/fauna. I have to clean the push-to-open/close stoppers on our bathroom sinks periodically as this stuff builds up between the metal and the rubber gasket all the time.
As a plumber I have spent many hours on kitchen drains opening them up after grease is poured down. It really is a bad idea to do that. It is even worse if you are on a septic system.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken Fitzgerald
One of the biggest problems I have with drains in rentals is that a lot of folks use "GEL" soaps, shaving cream, etc...
Anything with "gel" in it will clog drain pipes, septic pipes, etc...
Replaced too many pipes because renters will not stop using "gel" products...
Try eliminating anything you use, especially hand cleaners that are "gel" based...
Dump in some baking soda. Follow that by pouring some cleaning vinegar (the cheap bulk stuff) into the drain.
Cover it with a damp cloth and let it sit a few hours.
Repeat as needed.
Once a month will keep the drain running clear.
I have no idea what it is - but - we get the same goo in our sink.
Yeah. I think just washing bleach-containing cleaners down on a regular basis keeps it under control.Quote:
Originally Posted by Wade Lippman
My wife makes tea quite often. I got her to boil a little more water each time and pour the remaining down the bath sink two or so times a week. Had the same issue, no more problems since.