Things You'll Need:
- Scrub Pad
- Tape For Pliers
- Rubber Gloves
- Soap
- Rubber Gloves
- Soap
- Magnet And String
- Wooden Spoon Or Tongs
- Bucket
- Channel-type Pliers Or Wrench
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Step 1
Shut off the faucet immediately so the object does not flow past the P-trap.
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Step 2
Look underneath the sink to locate the P-trap. In most cases, the P-trap is easily accessible. If it is not, you might need to call a plumber.
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Step 3
Note that some older sinks have a drain plug at the bottom of the P-trap. If your sink has this, you will still need to remove the P-trap to retrieve your item. This drain plug, intended to aid cleaning the P-trap, is probably too small for your dropped item to fit through.
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Step 4
Move a bucket beneath the P-trap to capture any debris that flows out after you remove it.
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Step 5
Use the channel-type pliers or a wrench to loosen the P-trap's slip nuts (see How to Clear a Clogged Sink or Tub). Tape the ends of the pliers to prevent scratching of chromed pipes.
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Step 6
Once you've loosened the slip nuts, unscrew them by hand.
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Step 7
Allow the contents of the P-trap to fall into the bucket as you remove it. Hair, dirt and slime gather in the P-trap, so expect a fair amount of icky sludge to drain out of it.
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Step 8
Don rubber gloves and search the dirty water in the bucket for the item you dropped.
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Step 9
If you can't find the item, wash out the P-trap with hot, soapy water and a scrub pad to remove buildup that might be hiding your item.
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Step 10
Once you have found the item, replace the P-trap and tighten the slip nuts.
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Step 11
If you've dropped an item down a sink that has a garbage disposal, exercise extreme caution. If the item is visible, use a wooden spoon or tongs to retrieve the item from the garbage disposal. If the item was caught in the grinder, it's probably a goner. Contact a plumber.
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Step 12
If the item you've dropped is magnetic, try dangling a magnet tied to a string down the drain to retrieve the item. While most jewelry is not magnetic, sometimes a steel clasp will provide the necessary magnetism to make this work.










Comments
cliffordrk said
on 8/2/2009 The FaucetDoctorsuperstore.com has a retreival tool that is used to grap things like jewelry, partial teeth, or even helps remove hair buildup from the stopper rod inside the drain. It measures 24" long and has three prongs to capture the item your chasing after.
Anonymous said
on 3/7/2006 Washing the P-trap in the same sink from which it was removed will certainly cause a leak.