Blocked bathroom sink

[bonkersLFDT20]

It's draining really, really slowly.

I have tried:
bleach
Sink Unblocker - money back guarantee, leave overnight stuff
Mr. Muscle
Plunging
Lots of boiling water
Soda crystals and hot water.
Checking the U-bend.

I think there must be a wad of hair, toothpaste and soap scum stuck.

Do I have to call a plumber?

Caustic soda

caustic soda?

Yes. You can get it from places like Homebase or B&Q.

Very strong stuff so you have to be careful when using it. Good for sink probs. Really powerful, it dissolves hair and solid matter.

Give it a go.

For god's sake, dont use a plunger now! You haven't accidentally been putting kitty litter down there, have you? Not that I have ever done that. Oh no, not me...

Bicarbonate of soda , leave over night then add. Vinager to make small explosion then boiling water

Oooh, thanks. Quite the experts!

I'll try bicarb tonight...just the cooking stuff, right? Can I use malt vinegar - the stuff you put on your chips or does it have to be special industrial stuff? [clueless]

Funnily enough I don't have any caustic soda in the house.

No, I have not been putting kitty litter down there! Why would anyone do that wahwah?

It's DS1's hair, I swear. There's probably the start of a small animal down there. He has thick curly hair but tries to tame it each morning.

The plunging was quite therapautic - in a sort of "I'll show this sink who's boss" kind of way.

Errrm highriggs how small an explosion are we talking?! Will I need to evacuate within a 2 mile radius of the house?

Can you use caustic soda if you have plastic pipes? I have a slow draining bathroom sink too. There is no u-bend because the bloke that fitted it was a bit of a cowboy

if it is just slow draining I would put a cup of soda crystals followed by a cup of vinegar (distilled is stronger, but any vinegar would do) followed by a kettle full of boiling water.

It might be safer to use a proprietary drain chemical.

If you have already had the U-bend off, and it was clear, then it must be further down the pipe. Can you see where the pipe goes? In a modern house, it will usuallly go into a soil pipe stack. Does the loo flush OK and the bath drain OK?

Has someone been vomiting down the basin, or using washing powder or something, or do you think it is just hair? It is unusual for a basin to get a bad blockage as nothing solid normally goes down it.

Just to check, when you used the plunger, you did press a wet sponge or cloth tightly against teh overflow, to prevent loss of pressure?

Better than a rubber plunger, is a drain-clearing pump, a bit like a very fat plastic bicycle pump with a rubber seal on the end. they are very good for clearing blockages. I think mine cost about £12