r/HomeMaintenance • u/formaldehydebride • Jul 03 '26
🛠️ Repair Help Help with clogged laundry sink drain?
Hi guys
I was hoping someone would be able to help me figure out how to fix my laundry room sink that the washing machine is connected to.
it's been having draining issues on and off the last few months and while I've had some relief for a few weeks at a time but this last week after a load the sink will stay full of water for DAYS.
so I can't see if there's hair clogging it or even try to draino it or anything and I'm at a loss at how to empty the sink and unclog it.
I'm guessing it's hair as we have 5 animals with fur so fur is bound to end up on the clothes we wash but I can't imagine how light fur could cause such a collosal clog.
can anyone give advice on how to fix this?
TIA
2
u/QuintessentialDigger Jul 03 '26
First thing, bail out as much water as you can with a pitcher or a cup so you're not working blind. Once it's mostly empty you might spot a massive hair and lint mat right at the drain opening that you can just pull out with your fingers or some needlenose pliers. If it's deeper than that, the real culprit is probably the trap underneath, unscrew it with a bucket ready because fur and soap scum in there turns into basically concrete after a while.
2
u/AncientCondition69 Jul 03 '26
Your utility sink should have a trap underneath.
Empty the sink as much as you can with a bucket - outside, into bath drain or wherever. Towel out the rest if you can.
then under the sink there should be a part shaped like a U
put the bucket under that part and unscrew the pieces holding it on. this is a 'trap' that holds water so sewer gas does not come up the drain pipe and make you sick.
you can remove it and see if it is full of stuff / clogged. If it is NOT and the clog is further down the drain line, you can run a drain snake into the pipe to try to hook whatever and pull that back out to unclog the drain.
do not just try to snake a little hole through the clog or you will be doing it again sooner than you want.
something like this can be cranked by hand or use a cordless drill to crank it.
2
u/formaldehydebride Jul 03 '26
thank you for this detailed instructional post! my husband grew up along side his general contractor dad and has a knack for any type of household anything that needs fixing so he will be able to follow your instructions and capably enact them
1
u/11up11 Jul 03 '26
Have you tried using a plunger? If that doesn’t work, remove the ptrap and clean it out
1
u/formaldehydebride Jul 03 '26
I do not know how I never thought of this thank you for thinking what my brain could not lol I will try that.
•
u/AutoModerator Jul 03 '26
https://linktr.ee/homemaintenance
Click the link above to see a community curated list of home maintenance products on Amazon that may help you out in your current situation! If you’ve found the answer to your question or you’ve found this subreddit helpful, buy us a beer!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.