Plumber's Putty

Kitchen · Easy

The dough-like sealing compound under strainer flanges, basket assemblies, and faucet bases. It never fully hardens, so seals stay re-workable — unlike silicone, it peels off clean.

Tools you may need

• Plumber's putty
• Putty knife

Steps

1. 1Roll a rope of putty about the thickness of a pencil between your palms.
2. 2Press the ring onto the flange underside, overlapping the ends to close the loop.
3. 3Set the assembly in place and tighten down so putty squeezes out evenly.
4. 4Slice away the excess with a putty knife; excess inside the drain just tears off.

Maintenance

Keeps for years in the tub if the lid seals; crumbly putty is dried out — replace it. (Suggested interval: every 1 year.)