Nothing is more frustrating than getting ready for work or a night out, only to have your jewellery fall down the sink drain. Earrings, necktie pins, rings, and even necklaces fall down drains all of the time.

If you act quick, however, retrieving them may be a simple task.

Of course, that is not always the case. That said, below are a few effective methods to recover jewellery from a sink or toilet drain. 

The ShopVac Method

If the jewellery that you have dropped down the drain is relatively small and lightweight, you may be able to retrieve it with a shopvac and a nylon stocking. It is important that you use a shopvac to complete this task since regular household vacuums may break. 

Simply slide the nylon stocking over the end of the shop vac hose and hold it firmly in place. Ensure that your shop vac is set up to work as a vacuum and turn it on. Place the stocking covered end over the drain and allow it to suck up your jewellery.

After a few seconds, your jewellery should be stuck against the nylon stocking. If this method does not work or the jewellery is too heavy, you will have to move onto the P-Trap removal method.

The P-Trap Removal Method

The P-trap removal method is performed just like its name: through the removal of the P-trap. The P-trap on your sink is located below the sink and may be concealed by a cabinet. It is a metal or PVC material in the shape of a sideways “P.”

In removal of this pipe section, you are going to need a bucket and some gloves. Start by putting on your gloves and placing a bucket under the p-trap to catch any water that may fall from the pipe. Remove the drain stop at the back of the drain to ensure there are no obstructions keeping the jewellery from reaching the P-trap.

After that, loosen the P-trap connections. Once loosened, you can remove the P-trap and dump the contents into the bucket to avoid any spillage. Your jewellery should be either in the bucket or still in the P-trap.

Put the P-trap back into place once you got the jewellery and secure the connections. Secure the drain stop back into place as well and run the water to check for any leaks.

Hiring A Professional

If neither of these methods has proved successful, you can always rely on a professional to fish out your jewellery. A professional plumber such as one from Level Plumbing has special equipment that can be snaked into the drain to find the lost jewellery. Using this camera, the plumber can determine exactly where the jewellery is and what tool to use to retrieve it.