I (heart) how-to sites

Our bathroom sink has been running slowly for days. I've been meaning to dump some Liquid Plumr (or equivalent) down there, but keep forgetting to buy some. So we've lived with it (and the consequences, none of which are good).

Brought some home last night and did the old pour-and-pray thing this morning. Half a bottle did little, so I wondered if there was something solid blocking the drain. What I found was a thick lining of black sludge that had gathered on the bottom part of the stopper. I tried scraping it out (fighting dry heaves the whole time), but it did little. I needed to be able to get at it easier.

I've tried to pulling the stopper out before, so I know it's held in there by something. So how do you take it out?

You know those iPhone commercials that say, "There's an app for that." Luckily, when it comes to home improvement or repair, "there's a website for that" - no matter how gross or arcane your job is.

Within minutes, thanks to the well-written instructions at The Natural Handyman, I found and removed the pivot nut (which I'd never heard of), pulled the stopper out and (mostly) cleaned off. I was also able to pour the rest of the Liquid Plumr down the open drain. The stopper's going to need a good soak in bleach.

Unfortunately, there's still a slow leak, indicating a more substantial clog. Next stop: removing and cleaning the trap. Luckily, The Natural Handyman has an article for that too.