Is it safe to dump boiling water down a sink? While it’s a commonly touted, cost-effective hack to declog sinks, one Charleston woman learned the hard way that boiling water is not necessarily one-size-fits-all.
In an effort to unclog her bathroom sink with boiling water, TikTok creator @lavenderblissbaby ended up breaking it. She issued a teary-eyed warning on TikTok, where it received 62,000 views.
“Whoever is gonna try to pour boiling water down their drain to unclog it … don’t,” she says, sniffling. “I just broke my sink.” She pauses to collect herself.
While her sink’s pipes are unharmed, the sink itself is not as lucky.
“The sink cracked. I thought it was the pipes,” she explains, wiping away tears and sniffling again. “It’s all over my things. I’ve done it before, and it’s always been fine.”
In the caption, the content creator clarifies that it was her bathroom sink that cracked, not her kitchen sink. “Having a rough day EDIT:: this was my bathroom sink so ceramic not my kitchen sink,” she wrote.
The TikToker explained in the comments section that she’s endured a mountain of hardships recently.
“I was having a really bad day already, was recovering from surgery, got my period and was having horrible cramps that already were making me cry. Then tried to get up and clean up and cracked my sink which added to the stress of life which happens to be more stressful than normal for me right now,” @lavenderblissbaby wrote in the comments section.
What Did Viewers Think?
Many claimed to know where the TikToker went wrong.
“Only do this on metal sinks porcelain will crack,” one viewer suggested.
“Ceramic problems babe. Sorry,” another commented.
“That tip is for the kitchen sinks…the metal ones,” a third agreed.
In an effort to console her, some shared how they had unintentionally done the same thing before.
“I literally did this yesterday,” one commenter revealed.
Even a maintenance worker has made the same mistake. “If it makes you feel any better, I have done this before. At first glance it didn’t look ceramic,” they shared.
@lavenderblissbaby Having a rough day EDIT:: this was my bathroom sink so ceramic not my kitchen sink
Should You Put Boiling Water In Your Sink?
While these viewers are correct—ceramic shouldn’t be exposed to boiling nor ice-cold water—boiling water going down any drain of any sink is probably not the best idea. Boiling water can be effective when used on metal sinks that have minor clogs caused by residue. However, it can also make more severe clogs worse by lodging them deeper down the drain. It can also lead to pipe damage, per Meticulous Plumbing Home Service LLC. Boiling water has the potential to crack or melt plastic or older pipes, leaving you with a rather expensive repair bill.
It’s best to avoid boiling water if you aren’t sure what type of pipes you have. Meticulous Plumbing Home Service LLC recommends DIY methods to dislodge blockages. Those include a plunger, a chemical cleaner, or clearing out the gunk from the P-trap (the U-shaped pipe located under the sink).
BroBible reached out to @lavenderblissbaby via TikTok comment and direct message.