How to Clean a P-Trap

Hair, soap, and toothpaste build up in the trap under a sink. Cleaning it is a bucket, a wrench, and a rag.

Common causes

• Hair and soap scum in the trap bend
• Small objects dropped down the drain
• Corroded slip nuts leaking
• P-trap installed too flat

Step-by-step

1. 01Put a bucket under the trap and loosen the slip nuts by hand
2. 02Empty the trap into the bucket and rinse it in another sink
3. 03Inspect the slip washers — replace if brittle
4. 04Reinstall hand-tight, then a quarter turn with pliers

When to call Northbridge

• Slip nut threads are stripped or corroded
• Trap is metal and pitted through
• Reinstall keeps leaking despite new washers
• You'd rather not lie under a cabinet