The drain in the bathroom was running really slow, so I tried my usual recipe of baking soda and vinegar. But, this time, it only made the problem worse. I then dumped some chemicals down the drain. And, the problem got even worse.
I do not have a drain snake, so I ran to Home Depot and bought a “hair snake” as I figured it was probably filled with hair. Well, I put it through the drain and nothing came out, so then I removed all of the drain pipes and saw that there was a bunch of sludge in the pipe that goes into the wall. I don’t know if the sludge was the original problem or if it was created by all the crap I put down the drain. I was able to clean it out (bonus: without getting a chemical burn!) and I put everything back together. I turned on the water and it flowed freely down the drain. Victory was mine, or so it seemed–the one pipe connection leaked. I got it tightened the best I could but there’s still a small leak I need to address. Perhaps it needs a new washer? We shall find out tonight. Still, I’m glad I didn’t have to call the plumber over this. I will try the drain snake first the next time, though.