RoughCollie Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 I decided to clean the sink pipes in the bathroom, as I have done in the past. So, under the sink, leading from the drain, are 3 pipes -- 2 curvy and one straight. I got them off (with my bare hands!). I cleaned the three pieces and then soaked them in a bleach/water solution to really get them clean. The thing in the base of the cabinet that the last sink pipe disappeared into (before I removed it) had been hitherto unexplored. I poked around in it with a toothbrush and discovered goop in there. Goop begone! I sacrified a pair of tweezers (which I just threw away) and my turkey baster (also destined for landfillville) before I hit on the perfect goop removal tool: an iced tea spoon. This worked well, until I dropped the spoon into that hole (which is the top of a pipe that just sticks into the bottom of the cabinet that the other 3 pipes which were soaking in clorox attach to. I cannot get the spoon out. So I put the pipes back together and ran the water, and the spoon doesn't seem to be obstructing the water flow. The big word that keeps flashing in my brain is YET. Any ideas on how to get the spoon out? That pipe must be deep because I cannot feel the spoon with the toothbrush or the turkey baster, and I am not willing to sacrifice any more equipment. If you don't know how to get the spoon out, do you know what plumbing tweezers are called? I figure plumbers must fish things out of pipes all the time -- what are those tweezers called? Also, would you go ahead and clean the other sink's pipes, without going into goopville to stay on the safe side? Or would you relinquish the Plumbing Hat? What would a reasonable woman do, so I can copy that? Thank you!!! BTW, don't try this at home!!! RC Voluntary Free Plumber and Eradicator of Sink Pipe Bacteria Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 Would a magnet work? I think there are strong telescoping magnets for retrieving lost screws etc. If that's too straight maybe a strong doughnut shaped magnet securely tied to a long string? I'd be concerned about leaving it in there too. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plansrme Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 You got what you deserved for making us all realize how nasty the insides of our plumbing pipes are. No sympathy from me. But seriously, I am thinking this might have gone all the way into your drain pipe under your house. The one under our kitchen sink goes straight down for a couple or three feet into the crawl space under the kitchen before it turns. Bet your spoon is in that turn. If it is any comfort, cast iron draim pipes will rust through eventually, and your spoon will fall out. Does that help? :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plansrme Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 I think you've done waaaaay more than any reasonable woman would do (I've never even heard of removing pieces of pipe to clean them!) Shhhh! What if word gets out that it is even possible to clean your kitchen pipes that connect to your sewer system/septic tank? Then everyone on the board will be doing it and making the rest of us feel like losers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plansrme Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 Okay, I am going to stop being so not helpful and suggest a shop vac. You also might want to google how to remove a dipstick from the oil pan, cause that is kind of what you have here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoughCollie Posted June 28, 2013 Author Share Posted June 28, 2013 Would a magnet work? I think there are strong telescoping magnets for retrieving lost screws etc. If that's too straight maybe a strong doughnut shaped magnet securely tied to a long string? I'd be concerned about leaving it in there too. Good luck. That is great idea! Next time I go to town, I'll find a telescoping magnet at Home Depot and try that. If it works, at least I won't have to mention this little problem to DH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 I am feeling a wee little cleaning inadequate atm. It never occurred to me to clean out my drain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoughCollie Posted June 28, 2013 Author Share Posted June 28, 2013 Thank you all for your suggestions! I do not advise anyone to clean their sink pipes. I think I'm out of the volunteer plumber biz forever. I told DH that there had been a tiny mishap, and he looked curious for one second, realized he didn't want to know, and went back to watching the ballgame. Sometimes my great ideas don't work out so well. At least the pipe wasn't leaking under the vanity when I last saw it. I did run water to check. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoughCollie Posted June 28, 2013 Author Share Posted June 28, 2013 I am feeling a wee little cleaning inadequate atm. It never occurred to me to clean out my drain. Gosh, with a history like that, I bet you've never thought to mop your ceilings (the smooth painted ones) either! :svengo: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 Is an iced tea spoon even magnetic? None of my flatware are. I vote for making one of your triplets figure it out. After that, I vote for duct tape on a stick. And my final vote is for never ever doing such DEEP cleaning again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoughCollie Posted June 28, 2013 Author Share Posted June 28, 2013 Is an iced tea spoon even magnetic? None of my flatware are. I vote for making one of your triplets figure it out. After that, I vote for duct tape on a stick. And my final vote is for never ever doing such DEEP cleaning again. Jean, the spoon is magnetic, I checked. A strong little magnet stuck to it like glue, but a weaker fridge magnet didn't. Duct tape on a stick sounds like a good idea, unless you've BTDT with a bank deposit you accidentally mailed. Sticky stuff on sticks doesn't work for me. I might try that as a last resort -- at least this time, I won't need people to watch for the police for me. The good news back then was that the post office actually returned the deposit to us two business days later. My luck lately, I'll drop the stick, or the duct tape will fall off ... or I will die from breathing whatever emissions are in the pipes. You know, I actually thought about that. I am either going completely senile, or I read something about the air from pipes being poisonous to breathe. Obviously not sink pipes, since I am still here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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