How to Clean the Sink Overflow? [4 Easy Tips]

It is a common thing for a sink overflow to get clogged. If the hole keeps getting blocked, the excess water gets out of control, and your floor can be flooded.

Besides that, if the sink overflow is not cleaned regularly, it is more likely to grow mold in your bathroom. When the overflow becomes clogged, the plunger stops working in most sinks.

However, with simple tools and techniques, you can unblock a sink overflow without damaging your sink. Here are some tips on How to clean the sink overflow:

What is a sink overflow?

The sink overflow is a plumbing feature designed to prevent the sink from overflowing with water when it's clogged. It operates the same way in both the sink and bathtub. Most of the sinks are equipped with these overflow drains on the sidewall of the washing basin.

What does a sink overflow do?

The primary purpose of an overflow is to speed up the process of water draining. The overflow is a hole designed on the top of the sink, which prevents flooding. In addition, it diverts water giving you more time to repair the plumbing issue.

How to keep the sink overflow clean?

It is essential to prevent the overflow hole of the sink from getting blocked. A clogged sink is a complete disaster and spoils the vibe of your bathroom's vanity. In addition, the bathroom is the last thing you find mold and mildew growing around. Here are the steps to clean up the overflow:

Things you need:

• A cleaning brush
• funnel made up of silicone material ( Make sure it withstand the higher temperatures)
• Boiling water

Step 1:

Put a cleaning brush or a pipe cleaner inside the sinkhole. The brush should have a lot of bristles to clean the hole. Push the brush up and down several times to loosen up the clog and gunk buildup.

Step 2:

Now place a silicone funnel into the sinkhole. Choose a funnel that is ideal to withstand higher temperatures of boiling water.

Step 3:

Using the opening of the funnel, pour the boiling water slowly into the sinkhole. This step ensures to loosen and flush up the build-in gunk. But be careful during this step because if the boiling water gets splashed on you, the heat can burn you badly.

Step 4

Repeat the whole process until you get the desired results. You can not completely flush the clog down on the first try. Keep doing these steps a couple of times until the clog drains appropriately.

How to Clean a Sink Overflow That Smells?

A clogged overflow might smell bad due to various reasons. To eliminate the unpleasant odor, follow this simple method to clear the hole quickly:

Use vinegar and baking soda:

You can commonly find these two powerful ingredients in every home. Pouring baking soda down the overflow hole using a funnel quickly removes all the bad smells. You can also mix water with one cup of vinegar and pour it down the funnel. Both these cleaning agents work amazingly and eliminate the stinky smell.

Conclusion

How to clean sink overflow? The process is pretty simple. First, take some time to unclog the holes and ensure your sink is always in good condition. After that, cleaning and checking the overflow hole doesn't take much time. Still, you can make a massive difference in the sink's whole functionality.