TIFU by trying to unclog my kitchen sink and making it 10x worse

My kitchen sink had been draining a little slow for a couple of days. Instead of calling maintenance (I rent), I figured I could fix it myself. I had been doing well saving money lately, picking up small freelance gigs, and I didn’t want to waste it on something I thought would be a five-minute job.

First, I tried pouring some baking soda and vinegar down the drain, the internet’s favorite solution. Nothing happened. So I got brave and decided to take apart the P-trap under the sink. I watched a 5-minute YouTube video and figured I had it handled.

Well... I did not have it handled. The second I loosened the pipe, a wave of gross, stagnant water exploded out. It didn’t just spill, it shot out across my kitchen floor.

In my panic to catch the mess, I bumped the pipe even harder, fully snapping it off the wall connection. Now, instead of a slow drain, I had a full open drain pouring water into my cabinet and floor every time I turned on the faucet (which, of course, I reflexively did while trying to clean up).

I ended up having to shut off the water completely and call emergency maintenance anyway, which cost me extra because it was after hours. And I had to explain that I "accidentally removed part of the sink plumbing." Not my finest moment.

The best part? The original clog wasn’t even in the P-trap. It was further down the main line.

Lesson learned: sometimes paying a little upfront saves you a lot later.

TL;DR: Tried to DIY fix my slow-draining kitchen sink to save money, ended up breaking the pipe, flooding my floor, and paying extra for emergency repairs.