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How to Get an Earring Out of the Undermount Bathroom Sink

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If there’s a mirror above your bathroom sink, you may use the area to shave, put on makeup or earrings, and other activities to prepare yourself. During such procedures, mistakes can happen, and you can lose your earring, jewelry, or other small items down your sinks’ drain.

Because of the sink’s smooth surface and design, anything that drops in goes to the drain. In this article, you shall learn how to get an earring out of the undermount bathroom sink.

The sight of your earring going through the drain might be frustrating, especially if it’s a high-end product. You might regret what you did to have it drop, but it’s of no use. The only practical thing to do is to retrieve your earring back.

Unfortunately, many people do not have an idea on how to go about it.

Guide on Retrieving an Earring from an Undermount Bathroom Sink


Step 1: Turn off the Water

First, ensure no water goes down the sink’s drain as it will only help to push the earring further, and retrieving it will become more hectic. Ensure the sink’s tap remain closed until you get out the earring.

Step 2: Locate the P-Trap

Sink p-traps got invented in the 19thC for reasons other than catching earrings, but they ended up being resourceful in holding small items. Because paths coming from the sink head to the p-trap, any item that goes down the drain will end up here. So after turning off the water from your sink, you must trace your sink’s p-trap.

Step 3: Try Removing the Earring without Disassembling the P-Trap

If you can reach the drain without disassembling your sink’s p-trap, the better. It will save you a lot of time and energy. Try using a long implement to reach the earring through the drain. First, remove the stopper through the following way;

  • Check below your sink to trace the drain tailpiece. Then reach behind it and spot the stopper lever’s location.
  • Then unscrew the nut that holds the lever in position on the tailpiece. It’s not hard, and you can extract it easily using your hand.
  • Ensure the lever disengages with the sink’s stopper by pulling it back.
  • Then remove the stopper from the drain.

From here, try removing the earring using a long wire or stick. The long barbed plastic used for clog clearing may do a great job. The earring may hook on to the barbs when you try fishing it from the p-trap’s bottom. Then you’ll only need to pull it out.

Alternatively, you may use a magnet because most earrings are made of steel or are magnetic. Even the golden or silver earrings may be magnetic as most of them are usually steel coated in silver or gold. But if you these options fail, you have no choice but to disassemble the p-trap.

Step 4: Disassemble the P-Trap

Fortunately, to trace your undermount bathroom sink’s p-trap is easy because it’s located right under it. Use the following method to disassemble your sink’s p-trap;

  • First, look for a bucket or container and place it below the trap to help catch anything that will fall.
  • Locate the compression nut and loosen it on both sides of the curved pipe responsible for holding water.
  • Gently pull the trap away from the surrounding pipes and invert it to let the water spill inside the container or bucket placed underneath. Check inside the bucket for your earring. If you can’t find it, try checking inside the trap. It may have stuck inside.

Precautions to Take When Removing an Earring Out of the Undermount Bathroom Sink

  • Ensure no water flows into the sinks drain after the earring has fallen inside. If need be, let it be of low pressure. Steady and strong water flow will flash the earring from the p-trap to the septic tank, meaning that’s the end of your earring.
  • If you can’t disassemble the p-trap, call for assistance from a professional plumber. Trying to force a nut or valve to open may end up breaking it or the surrounding pipes. The results will be a double tragedy. Ensure you have the right tools like a wrench or adjustable pliers to do the job. It will make it fast and easier.
  • It would be best if you placed a reasonable sized container or bucket under the trap before removing the p-trap. The water from the p-trap will contain a lot of dirt, hair, grime, your earring, or such gunk and will require to get collected in a container with enough space. Otherwise, it will spill over, giving you more work to clean the area.
  • While looking for your lost earring inside the bucket, you should wear protective gloves. The water from the t-trap is usually filthy, and the germs and bacteria found within can harm your health. You might suffer from a skin disease if you handle such water with your bare hands.
  • After draining your t-trap, don’t assemble it back while in the same condition you found it. Clean it first using hot soapy water and a suitable scrub pad to remove the sludge build-up. Cleaning it will also help keep bacteria and other germs away.

Conclusions

Undermount bathroom sinks come with a lot of purposes. Most people use them even when preparing themselves, and in the process, accidents are bound to happen. If your earring happens to fail down the drain of your undermount bathroom sink, use the step by step guide explained above to retrieve it. You also have to take the precautions described above for optimal results and prevent unnecessary expenses and damage.