What Causes Black Slime? Remove Black Slime From Your Sink Stopper Clear Clogs In Your Sink Drain Boiling Water Vinegar andamp; Baking Soda Use A Plunger Drain Cleaner How To Use An Auger To Remove A Clog From A Kitchen Drain Pipe Final Thoughts On Black Pipe Slime Observed black slime growing up on your sink stopper or crawling up your drain? If that is the case, you most likely have some inquiries about that revolting black muck.

What exactly is that black goo? How do I eliminate it?
How can I stop it from happening again?

This article will provide all the information you need to prevent black slime buildup in your faucets and drains. Thankfully, homeowners can usually complete this particular home renovation task themselves!

WHY DOES BLACK SLIME OCCUR? So what exactly is that dark substance?

Sinks in the kitchen, bathroom, or even the shower drain may develop black muck. In the hair, soap scum, toothpaste, shaving cream, lotion, skin cells, and other things that accumulate in your drain, black mold, mildew, and bacteria coexist.

But is black slime a concern, besides being disgusting?

A clogged drainpipe can be caused by the accumulation of slime and the elements that encourage its development. If clogging is not addressed, water may back up into your shower, bathtub, or sink.

And once you have some mold, mildew, and bacteria, more will unavoidably start to grow. And if that weren’t enough, warm water that gets trapped in the build-up merely promotes the growth of mold, mildew, and bacteria, resulting in the production of ever-increasing amounts of slime.

In a nutshell, yes, it can be a major issue.
How then do you approach it? Let’s begin by simply cleaning the sink stopper.
YOUR SINK STOPPER’S BLACK SLIME MUST BE REMOVED

Fortunately, it’s really simple to clean the black sludge buildup from your sink stopper (or tub stopper, as they both require the same procedure).

Often, you may just wipe it off with a damp paper towel before using antibacterial soap to eradicate the bacteria and spores that cause the slime to form. You can soak the stopper in either white vinegar or diluted bleach solution to remove very tenacious slime and sludge, or you can wipe it down with one of those solutions.

However, never combine vinegar with bleach as this will result in the production of hazardous chlorine gas.
You can use any of these methods to clean the slime and grime off your faucets’ openings if they have slime buildup there as well.

DELETE BLOCKAGES FROM YOUR SINK DRAIN We now know that build-up in the drain is a key contributor of black slime, thus you must unclog the drain to eliminate the slime. There are a few various methods you might employ to unclog a drain obstruction.

– BOILING WATER

Although it’s one of the simplest approaches, it won’t clear out clogs that won’t budge. The simplest solution is to just boil some water in a pot, then dump it down the drain.

The blockage will break up and the items involved will travel down the pipes since the hot water will loosen things like soap scum, oils, and toothpaste.

SUGAR AND ALKALINE BIOLATE

A traditional method for unclogging drains that works better for tough clogs than boiling water alone is white vinegar and baking soda. Most of us have undoubtedly used it at some point in our lives to unclog a clogged drain.

Here’s how to do it if you haven’t before or if you just need a reminder.

Put a kettle of water on the stove to boil first. While you complete the next steps, the water can begin to warm up even though you won’t need it just yet.

Add some baking soda to the drain after that. You really can’t use too much, so feel free to use as much as you like for truly tough blockages. You’ll need a decent quantity, at least a few tablespoons.

Then add some white vinegar after the baking soda. White vinegar will react with it, causing it to begin bubbling.

The blockage will be loosened by this procedure. Pour boiling water down the drain to rinse out the loosening muck after letting the mixture sit until it stops bubbling.

USE A PLUNGER
If nothing of the aforementioned methods clears the clog, you can try using a plunger.

A cup plunger small enough to completely plug the drain will be required. As a result, your toilet plunger is probably not going to be the proper size and style for you.

Additionally, you must ensure that air cannot escape the drain through an overflow drain or a similar mechanism. In order to ensure that you can produce a vacuum inside the drain, seal those kinds of objects with duct tape or by stuffing them with a damp rag.

Additionally, remove any obstructions covering your drain, such as the basket strainer or drain stopper.

Once everything is ready, position the plunger over the drain opening so that it completely seals. If you’re having problems, try filling the bathtub, sink, or shower with water until it reaches the lip of the plunger.

Simply raise and lower the handle once the seal is in place. Be sure to do so rapidly while also maintaining the seal so that the clog can be forced to move by the moving air.

Make sure to keep a watch on any overflow drains you’ve had to cover to ensure they stay that way. The seal over the overflow drain may need to be held in place with one hand.

(If feasible, have an additional set of hands on hand since there is so much to pay attention to.)
After using the plunger, flush the drain with hot water to assist remove any leftover debris.
PLUMBING CLEANER

You can try using a chemical drain cleaner if you’ve tried everything above and there’s still a clog causing black slime to creep up your drain.

Always take precautions and strictly adhere to the directions on the label.

Use chemical drain cleaners with caution as they can harm pipes, particularly PVC and copper pipes. Wear gloves when using them and keep the drain cleaner away from your eyes, mouth, and skin as they can be harmful to you as well.

Wash your hands thoroughly after using a drain cleaner.

Enzyme drain cleaners are the most effective kind of cleaner for the kinds of obstructions that lead to black slime. They also typically have the benefit of being safe for septic tanks, though if you have a septic system, make sure first before using any drain cleaning.

How to clear a clog from a kitchen drain pipe with an auger

Finally, you might try using an auger to remove the obstruction.

To do this, first remove all drain assemblies, including the drain stopper and strainer. The auger’s snake should then be fed through the drain until it encounters the obstruction.

Once it does, you will need to feed the snake another foot or two from the auger. After that, tighten the set screw on the auger to ensure that the snake’s expanded part remains firmly in position.

The snake will now turn as you turn the auger handle, dislodging the obstruction. To clear any more clogs lower down the drain, you might need to lengthen the length.

You can retract and clean the snake once you’ve removed all of the clogging. Finally, flush the drain with hot water to get rid of any debris that was left over after clearing the clog.

PERSONAL FINAL VIEWS OF BLACK PIPE SLIME

It’s nice to get rid of the black slime, but you don’t want it to reappear later, do you?
Fortunately, taking a few simple precautions to avoid clogs will also help stop the growth of black slime.

Use a drain strainer, for instance, rather than rinsing hair down the drain. Brush your hair before taking a bath to eliminate any loose hair that would otherwise go down the shower drain.

After use, make sure to completely flush your drains with hot water. Apply body oils outside of the bath and avoid using lotions before to showering.

Before washing your hands, remove any excess with a rag or paper towel.
To prevent any buildup in the drains from turning into slime, treat them with baking soda and vinegar on a regular basis.
Finally, you might need to contact a plumber if the issue continues.
Good fortune!