Ken's Plumbing | Blog

We've all been there... Standing by the sink, washing our hands, and then suddenly we drop something valuable down the drain. Our first thought is normally something like, "Oh no, my wedding ring! I'll never see it again!"

While our second thought is more along the lines of, "Wait, I can probably devise a plan to fish this out!" Before you grab the tackle box to go fishing down your drain, hook, line and sink yourself into these instructions on how to properly retrieve the priceless item you dropped down the drain.

How to Retrieve Something You Dropped Down the Drain

1. Turn off your water immediately. Act fast! You don't want whatever you dropped to be flushed even further down the drain, so turn off the water before your precious item flows out of reach.
2. Put on some gloves. Gloves are absolutely necessary when you think of all the dirt you've washed off your hands, soap scum, and hair that could be hanging out in your drains.
3. Set up a bucket. Before you start taking apart your sink, place a bucket under your pipes to catch not only any water left in the pipes but also your missing item as it's set free.
4. Loosen the slip nut rings. Use channel locks to first loosen the lower slip nut ring so you can slide it up to release the first end of your P trap. Once that's done you'll loosen the upper slip nut ring and pull down the P trap to remove it completely.
5. Empty your P trap. Now that your P trap is free, turn it upside down and lightly jostle it so the contents, including your missing item, can fall loose into your bucket.
6. Retrieve your lost item! Victory! 
   • If during this whole process you notice your drain is particularly disgusting, it may be time to take a bottle brush to the P trap and surrounding areas. Or, if you can't quite stomach the sludge, we'd love to help!
7. Put it all back together. To get everything back in proper working order, just reverse these steps and your sink will be ready to go in no time!

Not sure you can handle this problem on your own? Give Ken’s Plumbing a call! You can reach us by phone anytime at (864) 242-5511, or click the banner below to schedule service online. You can also fill out our contact form to ask our professionals all your other burning plumbing questions!

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