Bathroom sink.

[timkins4292]

My bathroom sink has a drain that drops about 6” to a P trap and exits out of the trap 90 degrees to the main drain. The 6” piece from the sink to the P trap has a pop up stopper and needs to be taken apart every 6 months for cleaning as it starts to run slower and slower. This plugs up with a black residue which I presume is soap scum and toothpaste residue. This cleaning is a pretty nasty job in which I have to lay on my back in the vanity to complete it. Any suggestions on another way of cleaning this or is this my future twice yearly job.

 

[sarg]

I would say it is a perpetual job needing attention.

 

[GReynolds929]

You don't have to connect to stopper to the lift rod, then you can just pull it out from above and clean as needed.

 

[timkins4292]

To sarg; that’s what I was afraid of.
To GReynolds929 ; tried that using a rubber stoppers a chain, wife said NO WAY
Thanks for the replies.

 

[sarg]

Just to mention on what GR suggested ........ I removed all the metal ... mechanical ... pop up do-dads from my bathroom stopper a decade ago ........ We just drop the plastic top portion in when wanted ..... and pop up and remove with fingertips.

 

[Jeff Handy]

You misunderstood GReynolds.

The lift rod can be installed two ways.

One way is to just let the pop up stopper rest on the lift rod.

The other way is to install the rod so it goes through the loop at the base of the stopper.
This is a tamper proof setting, so idiots can’t pull out the stopper and take it away.

If you install by method #1, you just lift up the stopper and pull it out, then you can slide a ZipIt plastic drain snake down there, or just a coat hanger, to grab the yuck that collects on the lift rod.

A ZipIt snake costs about three bucks, and there are several similar little two or three foot trap cleaning snakes, check on Google.
They will reach almost to the wall.

 

[Jeff Handy]

Also, filling up the sink with very hot water, then letting it go all at once, helps to keep that yuck from building up.

 

[House Doc]

You can also use an enzyme drain cleaner, such as Drain Care by Zep, available at HD, Use it once a month to keep drain clean and clear.