Are Your Kids Clogging Your Bathroom Sink?

Does it seem like your bathroom sink is always clogged? If you have kids, chances are that you also have clogs. Take a look at the common causes of clogs in a family bathroom and what you can do to prevent them.

Hair Horrors

Even though hair may not clog your bathroom sinks at the same rate it does for your shower drain, it's still a problem—especially when you have kids. Along with the usual loose strands, your kids can clog the bathroom sink with hair when they:

• Shave . Do you have a teenager? Does he shave over the sink? If your teen son regularly shaves his face, he may try to wash clumps of clippings paired with shaving cream or gel down the drain. This can create a ball that blocks the water's flow.

• Style . Your tween or teen daughter constantly styles her hair. The more she brushes, curls, flat irons, and braids her tresses, the more likely it is that she'll clog the sink with stray strands. Add in mousse or another styling product and she'll create a gummy hairball backup.

• Play . Does your young child wash their stuffed animals or cut their doll's hair over the bathroom sink? The stray synthetic hair or fur can clog the drain just as easily as real human hair.

A straining device is the easiest way to prevent hair-related bathroom sink clogs. If hair gets through the strainer (or if your child forgets to use it), contact a plumber to snake the drain and stop a serious backup.

Toy Troubles

Does your child play with their vehicles, dolls, and other toys in the water? When bath-time fun moves from the tub to the sink, your plumbing can get clogged.

What types of toys can cause a sink to clog and how does this problem happen? Some of the most common culprits include:

• Marbles or balls . Marbles and bouncy balls can fall down the drain and clog the sink. Nix this type of play or make sure you have a sink strainer to catch the toys before they end up in your home's plumbing system.

• Art materials . Leftover paint, glitter, sequins, glue, and other craft items should never go down the drain. If your child regularly washes these items down the bathroom sink, they could cause a major clog.

• Small-sized toys . Miniatures can wreak havoc on your home's plumbing system. Mini cars, dollhouse-sized figures, and other similarly small toys can clog the drain if your child accidentally drops them into the sink.

Again, a sink strainer can stop these problems before they start. But if your child does place an object in the sink's drain, accidentally or otherwise, you'll need a plumber to remove it. The plumber may need to take apart the pipes below the sink to rescue a toy wedged deep within the drain.

Dental Care Dilemmas

Is your child careful when it comes to toothpaste use? If not, they could unintentionally cause clogs that back up into your sink.

How can your child's dental care routine turn into a plumbing problem? Clogs can start when your child:

• Uses too much toothpaste . While the pea-sized dollop your child needs twice a day won't cause plumbing problems, half a tube washed down the drain at one time can — especially when combined with loose hair, soap, hair products, and other hygiene products.

• Loses the cap . The tiny toothpaste cap can wedge itself into the drain. As hair, gunk, and grime wash down the sink they can wrap around the cap and cause a clog.

• Uses too much floss . Does your child wash their floss down the drain? Floss can wrap itself into a ball in the drain.

Close supervision, a sink strainer, and proper oral care instruction can help your child to avoid these issues. A stuck toothpaste cap or ball of floss may require a plumber's expert touch to remove.

Does your sink have a major clog? Contact Aurora Plumbing and Electric Supply for more information.