Your bathroom plumbing is put through a lot of everyday wear and tear. It may also be put through more stress than it should be if you aren't careful. The wrong things are often flushed and sinks see a lot more hair than they should. If your sink or toilet gets clogged, you want to know how to unclog it yourself. This article will take you through the process of unclogging each one.

Unclogging your bathroom sink

If you have a clog in your bathroom sink, you should start by removing any hair trapped in the drain. To do this, you need to remove the sink stopper. You can usually remove it by turning it to the left. Some other models require you to unscrew the stopper nut on the bottom of the sink by rotating it to the right. Then, you'll pull out the rod and release the stopper so you can pull it out of the sink.

The stopper is going to have a good collection of disturbing looking gunk on it. Clean the stopper off by scrubbing it with an old toothbrush before you put it back in the drain.

Take a wire coat hanger and cut about 6 to 8 inches of the straight part. Take pliers and create a small hook on one end. Stick the hook end of the coat hanger carefully in the drain and use it to scoop out any hair or other debris in the drain. Remove the debris from the sink and throw it away.

The water should start going down as you remove the debris. If it doesn't, you can unclog the sink by using a sink plunger, or by pouring a small bucket of extremely hot water slowly down the drain.

Unclogging your toilet

If your toilet gets clogged you should try your plunger first. If this doesn't work, then you can take a large bucket of extremely hot water (not quite to the boiling point though) and pour it in a fast force down the toilet. Immediately take the plunger and use it again with the hot water in the bowl.

If you continue to have problems with your toilet clogging, you may need to use a plumbing snake. You can purchase one at your local hardware store. You will carefully put the snake down the toilet and wind the handle until you feel pressure. At this point, the snake should force the clog free.

Keeping your drains clean by not allowing hair or whiskers down them will help keep them from clogging. Also, not flushing anything other than human waste and toilet paper will help prevent your toilets from clogging. If you continue to have problems, you should call a plumber, like those at Roto-Rooter, out to investigate.