How to Get Rid of Black Gunk in Sink Drains

What are you currently seeing?

  • Black sludge or slime in drains?
  • Black mold around the sink drain?
  • Black gunk in sink faucet?

However, you want to label it, something abnormal is going on in your sink drain, and it needs to be fixed. The black slime you are seeing might seem like a gross infestation of something, but the truth of the matter is, the black gunk is normal.

What is this black gunk in my drain?

The black gunk that accumulates in your drain is created by a build up of bacteria living on hair, hand soaps, shaving cream, skin cells, lotion, toothpaste, and phlegm. The problem with this black gunk is that it will not go away quickly, pouring more water down the drain, and hoping for it to unclog itself will not remove the clog.

This black gunk can clog your drains, and the result will be a lot of water pooling in your sink that takes a long time to drain, which is an inconvenience to everyone in the home.

Keep in mind: continuously using your bathroom sink, bathtub, or kitchen sink while knowing that there is a mess of black gunk in there will only build up the mass of the black gunk. This will mean when it does become too much of an inconvenience, the clean up job will be a lot harder and messier, this is why it is important to take care of it right away.

Like any plumbing situation, you have two options. You could call a plumber to get the gunk out of your drains and not worry about handling the cleanup, or you can attempt to rid the drain of the black slime yourself.

The Do-It-Yourself Approach!

Put on a pair of sturdy gloves and get to work! The reason you should get gloves first is that the gunk is sticky, there is a risk of the gunk getting stuck to your skin if you choose not to wear gloves. That will create two clean up messes, one for your drain and one for your hands. Using goggles and a breathing mask will also prevent this sludge from getting into your eyes or breathing it in.

Removing the black gunk should get rid of the clog in your drain, take out the drain stopper and clean off all the gunk. This will take some time and the gunk latches on to the stopper, give it a few excellent scrubs and once its clean put the stopper back in and run the water. Did the water drain? If the water is not flowing, then, unfortunately, the black slime was not the issue, you have a secondary clog that is deep within the drain. Take the following steps to unclog any drain in your home.

Did the water drain? If the water is not flowing, then, unfortunately, the black slime was not the issue, you have a secondary clog that is deep within the drain. Take the following steps to unclog any drain in your home.

Get Your Plunger and Plunge it!

The black slime backing up into your sink can be caused by a clogged pipe so plunging it will remove the clog. Give it a couple of good plunges, boil a kettle of hot water then proceed to pour it down the problem area.

Cleaning Your Drains With a Natural Home Remedy Using Baking Soda!

Here are the steps to unclogging your bathtub or sink drain using baking soda.

  1. Boil a pot of hot water, 2 cups should do it.
  2. Pour a half cup of baking soda down the drain
  3. Pour the boiled water down the drain
  4. Give the formula 10 minutes – the baking soda and the hot water will work together to unclog the drain

This method to remove the black slime in your drain can also be repeated once a month as a preventative measure against black ooze from occurring again.

Call Benjamin Franklin Plumbing Bay Area and a qualified plumber will come and solve your drain problems!