1. Clean the stopper
Bathroom sink and tub stoppers catch hair and soap scum. Pull the stopper out (most lift out or unscrew) and clean it. That alone fixes many slow drains.
2. Plunge it
Use a cup plunger for sinks and tubs and a flange plunger for toilets. Cover the overflow hole with a wet rag so the pressure goes down the drain, then plunge firmly for 15 to 20 seconds.
3. Use a plastic drain snake
An inexpensive plastic barbed strip pulls hair out of bathroom drains. Feed it in, twist and pull slowly.
What to avoid
- Harsh chemical drain cleaners, which can damage older pipes and are dangerous if you later need to plunge or open the pipe.
- Mixing products, which can release toxic fumes.
- Forcing a metal auger through a toilet, which can scratch the porcelain.
Signs it's the main line
Several slow drains at once, gurgling toilets, or water coming up in a tub when the washer drains all point to a blockage in the main sewer line. That needs a plumber with a cable machine or camera.