Ewwwwwww (safe for work, just plumbing grossness)

[Food Lady]

My apt manager is in there putting my sink back together because it would. not. drain. I thought it was hair, but he pulled out a blob of grey goo. So nasty. I almost expected it to become sentient and start talking to us, lol. I may never eat again. I think my oils and salt scrub are doing something in the drain. It was worse when I had castile soap in the pump, but I went back to detergent hand wash. Drain opener doesn't work, so I don't know how to prevent it. Not giving up my scrub and oils, though. At least it wasn't hair.

[XCashier]

Toothpaste, soap, hair, dirt, lots of stuff goes down the drain and turns into grey slime that clogs it up. It's just a reality of modern life.

I've used these in the past for unclogging the sink and they work well if the clog is close up. If it's too far down, try the trick patiokitty suggested. Vinegar especially is good for breaking up muck, and it doesn't harm the environment.

[Food Lady]

It turns out the pipe in the wall is majorly clogged with goo. Ew.

[fireheart]

At least it's not something dead

[lordlundar]

I think my oils and salt scrub are doing something in the drain.

Most likely the oils. Fats (even liquid ones) will wreak havok on a drain over time. Get a disposable, sealable container that use for "garbage fats" and put your oils in it instead. When it fills up, put a tight fitting lid on it, freeze it then put it in the dumpster. Avoid putting any fats down the drain if you can help it.

[Food Lady]

It's oil I use to wash my face. There's no way to collect that. Anyway, the issue turned out to be how they built it. It happened in another building.

[telecom_goddess]

I've used these

I'm putting that on my wish list so I can find it later to purchase thanks!!

[drews]

I am familiar with the gray goo...shudder. We used to live in an apartment that was built in 1940 and the owner told us to pour a cup of bleach down the drain, then bring a small pot of water to boil and pour the boiling water down the drain, let sit overnight. Super inexpensive and it worked like a dream.

[SongsOfDragons]

When I was living in a Victorian terrace house, the kitchen sink blocked up horribly all the time.

The worst time even Mr Muscle couldn't shift it, so Former Housemate's dad came round with this massive bottle of some red industrial drain unblocker and whacked it into the sink neat...causing a nice gush of white smoke, me legging it and the house smelling like a swimming pool for weeks... >.< yay chlorine. We were lucky we didn't need HAZMAT.

Now I get the grey goo whenever I clean the filter of the washing machine *gag*

[XCashier]

I'm putting that on my wish list so I can find it later to purchase thanks!!

If you need it right away, you can likely find it in the plumbing department of WalMart or someplace similar.

[Food Lady]

So apparently the blockage was a foot and a half into the pipe in the wall. o.O I think that the drain cleaner probably turned any oil that was in there into soap, because isn't it basically lye? That would account for whatever was in the pipe under the sink. I am going to try the bleach thing every once in a while. If I were still using chemical laundry detergent, I'd pour that down there, too. My mom used it to clean a bathtub that no former tenant nor the landlord could get clean. Maybe I'll keep some on hand for that.

[Der Cute]

I just got some of that glop out of my drain. Hadn't even thought the drain was bad. Just noticed oh hey, hair there. Started pulling and oh my god glop from hell!! ick.

[telecom_goddess]

If you need it right away, you can likely find it in the plumbing department of WalMart or someplace similar.

Not urgent but I would like to have it on hand

[wolfie]

I think that the drain cleaner probably turned any oil that was in there into soap, because isn't it basically lye? That would account for whatever was in the pipe under the sink.

Crystal-type drain cleaner is, and so are SOME of the liquids. As you guessed, they work by turning grease (basis of most clogs - and I mean food-type grease, not mechanic's grease, which doesn't react the same way) into soap, which is more soluble (also, the reaction generates heat, which helps the soap dissolve).

Some other drain cleaners are made with concentrated sulphuric acid (strong oxidizer - breaks down the grease molecules and other stuff like hair chemically). Needless to say, READ THE LABEL on the drain cleaner, because you don't want to get this mixed with the first type.

Don't know what's in the 2-part (divided bottle) foaming drain cleaners.