Unclogging standing water in sinks: Do sink plungers work?
Review: Which is better between the PlumbCraft Mini Home Sink Plunger or LDR Mini Bellows Sink and Drain Plunger for Bathrooms?
I was having a fight with standing water, and water was winning. I had tried (almost) everything to get rid of it, including testing out the FlexiSnake Drain Weasel Hair Clog Tool Starter Kit and two different drain cleaners. The FlexiSnake was the equivalent of flushing $7 down a toilet, and I would never recommend buying this for anything other than passing time with a wire hanger to pull out one of the flimsy plastic hair clog attachments.
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The baking soda and vinegar trick, with and without dishwashing liquid, worked for a little while before I went right back to looking at a sink full of standing water. Pure stubbornness — and observing a grandfather who never called a plumber for anything — just would not allow me to dial my go-to plumber’s business line.
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I’m not anti-plumber. I’ve called plumbers a few times for condo association needs, including replacing bathtub pipes, fixing leaking toilets, and inspecting old pipes for galvanized steel versus copper. But I just kept feeling like there was a cheaper way to get rid of the standing water in my sink.
Recommended Read: “Don't let dog hair Deebo your pipes ~ The trickiest part about having a short-haired dog”
I already knew they’d be none-too-thrilled with me using traditional drain cleaners, especially after one plumber told me the company charges extra for toxic cleaners that often make the clogging job worse (and more dangerous if it splashes upward).
“Glad I never used drain cleaner then,” I responded as soon as he told me about the extra charge.
“You just told me you used it,” the plumber replied.
“When did I say that?” I asked him with my most convincing doe-eyed expression.
All he could do was laugh and go, “You’d be a great alibi.”
This time around, I wanted to fight the good water fight without having to lie about using drain cleaner again. Snakes didn’t work, and toilet plungers are too awkward and big to get anything done. And I got tired of pouring vinegar and baking soda in my sink only for the standing water to resurface a week later. However, I’d never tested out a sink plunger before. I bought a 7.5-inch PlumbCraft 7504400 Mini Home Sink Plunger and an LDR Sink Plunger after seeing 69% to 71% five-star reviews. Was it worth it?