Plumber’s putty seals a fixture flange that gets tightened down, so its substitutes are the products that do that same job: 100% silicone sealant, stain-free putty, or the rubber gasket already in the box. Pipe-thread sealant, PTFE tape, epoxy putty and a wax ring each seal a different joint, not this one.
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Plumber’s putty is one of those quiet workhorses every homeowner should keep in the kitchen-junk drawer. It seals sink strainers, pop-up drains, and faucet bases — and unlike silicone, it stays pliable so you can service the joint later. After 15 years on the job, here’s what I actually keep on my truck.
Quick Picks
- Best Overall: Oatey Plumber’s Putty
- Best Stain-Free: Hercules Sta Put Ultra
- Best Value: LASCO/Harvey Bulk Putty Tub
Best OverallEditor’s Choice
Oatey Plumber’s Putty
The industry standard. Stays workable for years in the tub, rolls into a clean rope, and seals reliably. If you only buy one, buy this.
Check the Oatey Plumber’s Putty – Best price on Amazon →
Stain-free, oil-free formula · stays workable for years · rolls into a clean rope
- The industry-standard seal for sink strainers, drains and faucet bases
- Stays pliable in the tub for years — no drying out
- Cleans up and re-rolls easily for a neat joint
- Not for threaded pipe joints — use tape or dope there
- Only seals under compression; it will not bond surfaces
Verdict: The default choice for standard sink and strainer work. If you buy one putty, buy this.
Best Stain-Free
Hercules Sta Put Ultra
Use this on porous stone, granite, marble, or plastic where standard oil-based putty can leave a ring. The stain-free formula is cheap insurance on an expensive countertop.
Check the Hercules Sta Put Ultra – price on Amazon →
Stain-free formula · safe on granite, marble, quartz and plastic
- Will not leave an oil ring on porous stone or light plastic
- Same easy workability as standard putty
- Cheap insurance on an expensive countertop
- Costs a little more than standard oil-based putty
- Still not meant for threaded joints
- Overkill on enameled steel or cast-iron sinks
Verdict: Reach for this any time the surface is natural stone, quartz, or light-colored plastic.
Best Value
Harvey Bulk Putty
A larger tub for the price if you do a lot of work. Same dependable seal at a lower cost per ounce.
Check the Harvey Bulk Putty – Best price on Amazon →
Larger tub · lower cost per ounce · oil-based
- Best price per ounce if you set strainers and drains regularly
- Same dependable seal as the name brands
- Resealable tub keeps the putty fresh between jobs
- Oil-based, so it stains natural stone
- A big tub is overkill for a single repair
- Not for threaded connections
Verdict: The smart buy for anyone doing volume work and watching cost per job.
Putty, tape, and pipe dope all seal, but they are not interchangeable. If you are unsure which one the job calls for, this side-by-side on the three sealants sorts it out in a minute.
Plumber’s Putty Alternatives: What to Use Instead
This is the question I get most often, and the honest answer is that it depends entirely on why you need a substitute. Putty is not a general-purpose sealant — it is a non-hardening, non-adhesive bedding compound for a joint that gets mechanically tightened and is never under pressure. Pick the replacement that matches the job, not the one that happens to be in the drawer.
Silicone Caulk
For a sink drain, a basket strainer, or a faucet base, clear or white 100% silicone does the same job and is the right call on natural stone and most plastics, where standard oil-based putty can stain or cause crazing. The trade-off is real: silicone cures and grips, so the fixture is no longer easy to pop out later. Putty stays pliable and comes apart cleanly — that removability is the main reason plumbers still use it.
Pipe Thread Sealant (Pipe Dope)
If the joint has threads and holds pressure, putty was never the right product and no amount of it will work. Use a pipe joint compound — pipe dope — brushed onto the male threads before you assemble them. Oatey’s thread-sealant catalog lists these compounds for low-pressure through high-pressure piping in both plastics and metals; the same maker lists plumber’s putty separately, as a fixture-setting compound for frames, faucets, bath wastes and basket strainers. See Teflon tape vs pipe dope vs putty for which of those to reach for.
PTFE Thread Tape
PTFE thread seal tape is the other way to seal a threaded joint: you wrap the male threads with it and assemble, and a roll lasts for years. It is what belongs on the threads of the same fixture you are puttying. What tape cannot do is bed a flange — it needs threads to bite on, so it does nothing under a basket strainer or a faucet base. That is putty’s job, and the two are not interchangeable.
Epoxy Putty
Epoxy putty shares a name with plumber’s putty and does the opposite thing. Oatey describes its epoxy putties as hand-kneadable compounds that mold like putty and harden like steel, for sealing, patching and mending holes and cracks, and J-B Weld’s WaterWeld page says the cured putty can be drilled, tapped, filed, sanded and painted. That is a repair compound, not a bedding compound: reach for it to patch a cracked housing, never to set a strainer you may want out again.
Rubber Gaskets and Washers
Worth checking before you buy anything: most modern pop-up assemblies and basket strainers ship with a rubber or fiber gasket that is designed to seal on its own. If the manufacturer supplied a gasket, use it — adding putty on top of a gasket that was designed without it can hold the joint apart and cause the leak you were trying to prevent.
Wax Ring (Toilets)
A toilet is the one common fixture where putty has no part to play. The seal between the bowl and the closet flange is made by a wax ring: Oatey lists wax ring gaskets and closet bolts as the hardware that creates the leak-proof connection between a toilet and the floor drain, and lists plumber’s putty separately for setting frames, faucets, bath wastes and basket strainers. If a toilet is seeping at the base, the wax ring is what you replace.
Stain-Free Plumber’s Putty
If the only problem is staining on granite, marble or a composite sink, you do not need to leave putty behind. A stain-free formulation solves it while keeping the removability that makes putty worth using. Oatey lists its stain-free putty for natural surface materials found in sinks, countertops, strainers and shower bases, including granite, marble, quartz, sandstone and Corian.
Quick Reference: Which Sealant for Which Joint
| Situation | Use this instead |
|---|---|
| Natural stone or composite sink | Stain-free putty, or 100% silicone |
| Plastic fixture that could crack | 100% silicone |
| Threaded, pressurized joint | PTFE tape or pipe dope — never putty |
| Assembly that came with a gasket | The supplied gasket, on its own |
| Cracked housing or a hole to patch | Epoxy putty — it cures hard |
| Toilet bowl to the closet flange | A wax ring — never putty |
| You want it removable later | Putty — that is its advantage |
Where NOT to Use Plumber’s Putty (Pro Tips)
Never use putty on threaded pipe joints — that’s what Teflon tape or pipe dope is for. Don’t use standard oil-based putty on natural stone or some plastics (use stain-free). And it is not an adhesive: it seals against a mechanical joint that’s tightened down, it doesn’t glue anything.
That is worth acting on, because the threaded joints usually sit on the same fixture you are puttying. A roll of PTFE thread seal tape costs very little and lasts for years, and it does nothing the putty does — wrap the male threads with it, and keep the putty for the strainer or the faucet base. You do not need it to finish the putty job itself.
Check the Oatey 31199 Thread Seal Tape price on Amazon →
Bottom Line
Oatey for most jobs — it is sold as a non-staining formula the maker lists as safe on granite, marble and quartz, so you do not need a different putty for stone. Keep a tub on hand — you’ll use it more than you expect.
FAQ
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What can I use instead of plumber’s putty? For sink drains and faucet bases, 100% silicone sealant is the usual substitute, and it is the better choice on natural stone or plastic where standard putty can stain or craze. For threaded, pressurized joints use PTFE tape or pipe dope — putty is not a thread sealant. And if your drain assembly came with a rubber gasket, that gasket alone is often all it needs.
Is silicone better than plumber’s putty? Neither is better outright. Silicone cures, adheres and is safe on stone and plastic; putty stays soft and lets you take the fixture apart cleanly years later. Choose silicone when the surface is stain-prone or fragile, putty when you value being able to remove the fixture.
Can I use plumber’s putty instead of Teflon tape? No. Putty seals a mechanically tightened joint that is not under pressure. Threaded pressure joints need PTFE tape or pipe dope; putty will simply squeeze out and leak.
What is plumber’s putty used for?
Sealing under fixtures — sink drains, basket strainers, and faucet bases — where you want a watertight but removable seal.
When should I NOT use plumber’s putty?
Avoid it on plastic that can crack, on pressurized threaded joints (use tape/dope), and on porous stone that can stain — use a stain-free putty or silicone instead.
How long does plumber’s putty last?
It stays pliable for years. It only needs replacing when you remove the fixture or it dries out and cracks.
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