The one part of your sink you’re forgetting to clean

Drain stoppers in sinks are used to prevent large items from slipping down the plug hole, but even then, it’s hard to control exactly what passes through the pipes. Whether it’s soap scum, toothpaste, or food, the drain can quickly be filled up with dirty, foul-smelling residue. While pouring baking soda and white vinegar down the plug hole will clear most of the bacteria away, a cleaning expert has urged people to check underneath the drain stopper too.In a recent post on her Instagram profile, Carolina McCauley (@carolina.maccauley) showed followers how to deep-clean a sink drain.She explained that the trick is to remove the drain cover and target the tube beneath it.The self-proclaimed “Home Hacks Queen” used a blunt dinner knife to unscrew the bolt in the centre of the drain cover.While doing so, she noted that the inside of the drain is “disgusting” as many people usually forget to clean it.READ MORE: ‘Very cheap and humane solution’ to get rid of mice ‘It’s disgusting!’ The one part of your sink you’re forgetting to clean – how to do it (Image: GETTY) Grease and oil are common causes of severe sink clogs (Image: Getty)After unscrewing the bolt, Carolina lifted the cup-shaped cover from the sink.It was visibly dirty on the underside – particularly around the rim, though the drain itself looked much worse.To clean the white plug and tube underneath, the Instagram star used a dish scrubbing brush and some dish soap.She said that this easy trick should be done every six months to “prevent nasty buildup” inside the drain.DON’T MISS:Leave washing machine seals ‘sparkling’ with 4p kitchen item [REVEAL]Shower cleaning hack astonishes TikTok users with results [INSIGHT]’Brings them up like new’ ‘Easiest’ method to clean oven racks [ANALYSIS] Hair and soap scum are problematic in bathroom drains (Image: Getty) Removing the drain stopper allows access to the drain pipes (Image: Getty)”For lift and turns with a screw-in base, use a flashlight to look for a screw head underneath the stopper. This connects to the long, thin base.”Next, insert the screwdriver horizontally and turn the screw counterclockwise until you can separate the stopper from the long, thin base. Then, remove the stopper from the drain.”For lift and turns with a twist-style base, you will need a wrench to rotate the base counterclockwise until the stopper loosens from the drain strainer. Then, detach the stopper from the drain.The plumbing expert noted that it is important to remember what method you used to take out the drain stopper because you now need that method to re-insert it. They said: “Grab knobs and screws, a screwdriver or drill, a wrench, and a flashlight. All lift-and-turn versions begin by inserting the stopper back into the pipe drain.”It’s important to remember what method you used to take out the drain stopper because you now need that method to re-insert it.