How to Get Items Dropped in a Sink
We’ve all dropped something down a drain before. We’ve handled plenty of instances in which a ring, silverware, skewers, or other items wound up down a drain. Fortunately, these items can usually be retrieved quite easily in a few simple steps.
Try the Easy Way First
The easiest way to attempt to get an item that’s dropped down a drain is to get a long pliers, reach in, and grab it.
Although this doesn’t work for all drains (it only works on drains with a removable basket strainer or stopper), we’ve seen it work plenty of times, and is definitely worth a shot.
Another simple thing to try is using a wire coat hanger to reach in and try to hook the lost item and pull it back.
Remove the P-Trap
If the basket strainer isn’t removable, the pipe is too long to reach and grab the item, or there isn’t a long tool available, you can remove the p-trap below the sink to get to items that have been dropped in.
Locate the p-trap below the sink. A p-trap is a section of pipe with a low dip in it.
On either end of the p-trap, there should be a nut (or plastic ring) that secures the p-trap in place. Put a large bowl or bucket underneath to catch water in the p-trap, and loosen the nuts to remove the p-trap.
To put the p-trap back on, just put it in place, and tighten the nuts back down.
If these methods didn’t work
If these steps didn’t work, you’ll want to get a plumbing company out to check if they’re able to get the items retrieved.
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