I had a stubborn bathroom sink clog that I could not fix with liquid drain cleaner. I removed the trap and cleaned it out, but the clog persisted, causing the sink to drain very slowly.
Having seen Anthony Sullivan’s advertisement for the Turbo Snake, we bought the product for about $10 at Wal-Mart. The Turbo Snake is a stiff, plastic coated wire with a coarse, hook-style Velcro-like tip for snaring clogs. The package contained two Turbo Snakes, one with a round tip for sinks and one with a broad, flat tip for bathtubs and showers. A self adhesive hook also came with the kit which stuck firmly to the inside of our painted, wood cabinet under the sink.
The Turbo Snake is easy to use as the following graphic shows:
- How to use the Turbo Snake: insert, twist, pull… repeat
The clog in my drain was not quite as easy to remove as the ad suggested, but the Turbo Snake was effective nevertheless. It took about five minutes to clean out the hair and gunk in the drain segment beneath the stopper. I had to insert the Turbo Snake, twist and pull as the instructions specify, but I had to do this numerous times while slowly working my way around the stopper a couple of times. I also had to work the Turbo Snake at different depths and it was necessary to clean the Turbo Snake frequently. It was a messy job and you should wear eye protection particularly if you had previously tried to dissolve the clog with drain cleaner.
Conclusion
The Turbo Snake is an effective tool for unclogging sink drains. Be prepared to spend up to five minutes on the job, working the Turbo Snake around the stopper in the clogged drain at various depths.
Pros
- Ease of use: Anyone can use the Turbo Snake.
- Effectiveness: The Turbo Snake works.
- Cost: The Turbo Snake is much cheaper than drain cleaners, especially since you can reuse it.
Cons
- It’s messy. You’ll probably have to clean the sink and the surrounding area afterwards. You might even want to shower because you will be pulling up nasty gunk that can get all over you if you are not careful.
- I had no problem pushing the Turbo Snake through the trap, but some people have complained that the wire in the Turbo Snake is too stiff for their traps.
- Some people complain about the Turbo Snake’s durability, particularly the head breaking off in the drain. I had no problem in the two sinks where I used the same Turbo Snake.
Overall, the Turbo Snake is an inexpensive, must-have tool for keeping around the house to clean out drains. I highly recommend the Turbo Snake. It won’t surprise me if the Turbo Snake soon becomes an ubiquitous, essential household item.