Solving the Problem

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My day today has been busy and yet overall uneventful. I have put off cleaning and laundry for the most part to finish reading my book, watch some mindless television, and eat perogies. I did time myself clearing off the island because, well you know how things are huge in your head? I did not rush at all and it took me 4 minutes and 37 seconds. I shake my head.

I also went through a laundry basket, made a pile of clothes to give away, organized the basket with blankets including the box with my electric blanket for storage.

pile to give away

for storage

Now neither of these things call for the title of "Solving the Problem", but what does...comes next. I had been putting off fixing the sink as well. I knew I could do it, and I am still unsure as to why I was procrastinating. I finally said, "Let's go, Jennifer. You need to do this thing." It helped knowing that I was going to blog my adventure for you.

small amount of water

This sink has been causing me issues since I have moved in. It is another example of living with the problem which in my opinion is Kerchief's self-righteous way of dealing with things. She puts up with lights that do not work, sinks that do not drain, extension cords across the living room, electricity crackling in the wall. She deals with these things in a martyring way of being able to deal with hardship - she is a wilderness backpacker after all. This attitude at best annoys me, and at worst makes me furious. These problems also affect me and because of the lease, I have no power. However, I digress.... On to the adventure.

took 1 minute to drain

The problem is obvious. I started by cleaning out under the sink and getting a bucket. As you will see, I did not have rubber gloves - sandwich bag to the rescue.

The idea for the title and the quote came as I removed the pipes and all I could smell was a perm solution smell. Now, I know you remember this smell as well as I do, and I couldn't figure it out at first. It was not perm solution, but a chemical indeed. It was Drano. Treating the symptom...not solving the problem. I wonder how much money Kerchief has spent on Drano over the past 3 years... treating the symptom.

As you can see, the hair was disgustingly clogging the pipe, and the slime from Drano and other gross things that I don't want to think about filled the pipes as well. I pulled the hair glob out and ran some water into my bucket, and it still was not draining well. I had to figure out how to clear that silver pipe. I tried digging at it with several things to ill avail. I knew I had to take out the stopper. This concerned me because I was not sure how to get it off at first, and then I wasn't sure I would be able to put it back correctly and have it work! I refused to be defeated.

I had to use a coat hanger to dig out the rest of the gunk from the top. Makes you wonder what is is your sink doesn't it!? I flushed the nastiness then cleaned the pipes and the bucket. The cleaning up the bucket is when I threw up...yes.. I gagged and gagged and threw up in my mouth a little. In my defense, it smelled really bad! Do you remember gagging when changing a super nasty diaper? I do. Yet, I powered through and put everything back together. The stopper that concerned me - when it came time to put it in, I thought it must be logical can't just dig around. It is like threading a needle without seeing the hole. I put the stopper in vertical to the faucet and viola!

The sink drains properly. I could not leave the problem (still working on that!), and I had to stop living with the problem. I stopped treating the symptom; I solved the problem.