Can you suggest a homemade concoction for getting rid of hair, grease, and other gunk from a sink and shower drain.

A. Use straight household bleach; pour it down the drain and leave it in the trap for an hour or so; also, use a big bottle brush to physically remove the gross part; push the brush down as far as it will go, and pull up carefully to avoid spattering. This brush will grab a lot of that gunk.

You can maintain the drain nicely by adding a cup of bleach once a week or once a month. And if it is a bathroom sink, be sure to clean out the overflow drain with a coat hanger wire; these sometimes get clogged and smell bad. Wear skin and eye protection when working with bleach.

If a drain is clogged, open it with a mechanical snake, or use an enzyme-type drain cleaner such as Drano.

Peter Hotton, The Handyman, answers readers' questions. Write him c/o The Press-Enterprise, Home Garden, PO Box 792, Riverside, CA 92502-0792.

Published 4/8/2000