Many of these older sinks are made of metal with a porcelain or enameled finish. We are all used to seeing the durable finish at the top of the bathroom sink. The durable finish helps protect the sink from daily use and prevents it from rusting. However, the bottom of the sink is not designed to be as durable.

A quick look under your sinks and you will find a metal sink with an overflow track which runs from the upper sink to the drain. These tracks are made from either metal or plastic. When the drain becomes partially clogged, we tend to ignore the slow drain and continue to use them until they become fully clogged. When the sink fills up due to a slow drain, the water level in the drain overflow is filled to the same height. As a result, the sinks will rust from the bottom of the sink through to the top. The sink overflow drain, if made of metal, will rust and it will usually begin to leak first. If the sink does rust completely through, it will need to be replaced.

So, addressing these pesky slow drains will help protect the sink and increase its life expectancy. If you look at the bottom of your sinks once a month, you will be alerted to problems which can be simply repaired.

For more on this or other home care subjects, contact Scott at www.scottsauer.com.