Results 1 to 15 of 15

Thread: What the heck is this? Warning-Disgusting contents

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Upstate NY
    Posts
    3,788

    What the heck is this? Warning-Disgusting contents

    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.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Last edited by Wade Lippman; 10-16-2017 at 1:17 PM.

  2. #2
    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!

  3. #3
    Maybe you need to run the water a bit more each time to wash down the stuff you put into the sink.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Bedford, NH
    Posts
    1,286
    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.
    Thoughts entering one's mind need not exit one's mouth!
    As I age my memory fades .... and that's a load off my mind!

    "We Live In The Land Of The Free, Only Because Of The Brave"
    “The problems we face today are there because the people who work for a living are outnumbered by those who vote for a living."
    "
    Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery." Winston Churchill

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Winterville, NC (eastern NC)
    Posts
    2,359
    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.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Lewiston, Idaho
    Posts
    28,490
    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.
    Last edited by Ken Fitzgerald; 10-16-2017 at 2:46 PM.
    Ken

    So much to learn, so little time.....

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Upstate NY
    Posts
    3,788
    It is true that she keeps hers clean and I don't bother. Perhaps the extra cleaner and water prevents the build up.

  8. #8
    Appears to be a shaving gel mixed with soap after the fact.
    Mac

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Kansas City
    Posts
    2,645
    I see the same stuff.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,638
    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.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Ken Fitzgerald View Post
    My wife loves to pour oil she's deep fried with down the kitchen sink drain.
    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.
    Last edited by Brad Adams; 10-16-2017 at 10:31 PM.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Shenandoah Valley in Virginia
    Posts
    918
    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...

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    NE Ohio
    Posts
    6,960
    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.
    My granddad always said, :As one door closes, another opens".
    Wonderful man, terrible cabinet maker...

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by Wade Lippman View Post
    It is true that she keeps hers clean and I don't bother. Perhaps the extra cleaner and water prevents the build up.
    Yeah. I think just washing bleach-containing cleaners down on a regular basis keeps it under control.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Northern Michigan
    Posts
    4,963
    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.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •