How to get hair out of drains

Most times people’s bathtub and shower drains get clogged, and the most probable cause is hair. Hair clogging is an experience nearly everyone has had in their bathrooms at some point in their lives.

You may have been advised to use a drain stopper in your bathroom, but found it to be ineffective as short or long hair will go down the drain all the same. When this happens, hair clogs soon form, accumulate into balls that eventually block bathroom pipes.

When you find yourself in this kind of situation, find a way of getting the hair out of the blocked bathroom drain. Otherwise, the result is a flooded bathroom that you will eventually not be able to use.

Harsh Chemicals Damage Plumbing

In the event of a clogged drain, most people turn to harsh chemical drain cleaners. The truth is, most of these chemicals work like charm but unfortunately, because of their caustic nature, they will eventually damage your plumbing. Others are happy to call on plumbers who will quickly and professionally unclog the blocked drains for an agreed sum.

There are a few things you can do before the plumber comes to your home to sort out the clogging issue. These are home remedies that are economical and may even proffer the solution you need to get over the problem in your bathroom when your drain is clogged.

How To Get Hair Out Of Your Bathroom Drain

You may have hair clogs to deal with in your bathroom, tub or in your shower drain. The following are some of the steps you can take to help you get rid of the problem.

Use of Baking Soda and Vinegar

You will be surprised at the wonder-working power of vinegar and baking soda outside of cooking. The combination of these two ingredients can help in clearing terrible hair clogs.

Apart from the fact that baking soda and vinegar can be used to dissolve hair that is trapped in your bathroom drain, baking soda is known to have disinfectant qualities useful in fighting bacteria and fungi.

You can follow these steps as you use this powerful combination to take care of your bathroom hair clogs:

• Fill up a cup with baking soda and pour this down your bathroom or blocked drain followed by a cup of vinegar. A chemical reaction between the two will cause fizzing.
• After about 10 minutes or once the fizzing has stopped, pour a litre of boiling water down the drain.
• Check to see if the drain is now working properly. You can turn on the tap to see if the faucet is draining properly.
• If there is no improvement yet and your drain is still clogged, you should simply repeat steps one through three. Depending on how stubborn or badly clogged the drain is, you may have to repeat this process a few times.

Use a Needle-Nose Pliers or Wire Hanger

If the installed drain features a removable drain stopper, you can use a needle-nose pliers or wire hanger to get the hair out of the drain. To do this, you will need a pair of rubber gloves, a flashlight, a screwdriver, and needle-nose pliers.

Locate where you have the clog with the aid of a flashlight. Put on your gloves and try using the need-nose pliers to get hold of the clump of hair and gently pull it out.

If the pliers cannot go down the drain and reach the hair, try using a wire hanger instead. Do this by straightening out a coat hanger into a length of wire and form a hook at one end. Insert the hooked end into the drain and use it to fish around for the clump of hair and pull it out as soon as it hooks on the clog.

Once the clog is out, flush the drain with one litre of hot water and confirm that it is now working properly.

Use a Plumbing Snake

A plumbing snake is also known as an auger. It is a simple device made out of a flexible long wire or plastic. The tool is capable of snaking down any drain. When it does, it breaks up any clog that may have formed in the drain quickly and efficiently.

You can look for one of these to buy if you don’t have one already because you can never tell when it will come in handy. Plumbing snakes are of different sizes and styles, so it is best to find and buy the type that fits the use or need you have for it. The following are important considerations before you buy an auger:

• Cable thickness and length: Augers are manufactured in a variety of lengths and thicknesses. A cable measuring 762 cm and 0.635 cm of thickness is just about right for average renters or homeowners who need to clean out a sink drain by themselves. Where you have multiple-story homes whose bathrooms are upstairs, a 127 cm cable auger is the right length to get to the clogs in longer pipes.
• Drain snakehead design: Plumbing snakes have two different kinds of head. They come with either coil heads or cutting heads. When the device has a coil or toothed head, you can use it to grab any mass of hair and get it out of the drain. There are sharp blades that are attached to the cutting head type of plumbing snake. These can cut through clogs that are solid or hard causing pipe blockage.
• Manual or electric drain snakes: With manual augers, you have to push the snake into the drain and turn the handle to get hold of the clog to pull it out. Electric drain snakes, don’t require you to do any pushing. If at all, the only push you will make is that of a button that allows the cable to advance or retreat. This type is most efficient where you have a serious case of hair blockage.

Use a Plunger

Plungers are some of the most commonly used household tools for the clearing of blocked drains in homes. Different types of plungers are available in the market and are designed to work with different types of drains.

How To Prevent Hair From Going Down Your Drain

The issue of blocked drains is a biggie for many people because it leaves them distraught and confused. Quite understandably, the issue requires some tact or basic knowledge if you are going to handle it yourself.

There are a few things you can do to prevent the occurrence of a blocked drain which is even better than trying to attempt removing hair from the drain. This is because the process will not only take time but may also cost you money and some effort. You can follow the tips given below to help you in this regard:

• Brush your Hair Before you Take a Shower

This is a great tip for people that have long hair. When you brush your hair before you take a shower, it will help to reduce the number of loose strands that may fall off and get washed down the drain. If you wash any of your furry animals in the bath as well, try your best to give them a thorough brushing too before you wash them in the bath.

• Use a Kitchen Strainer

You can get a lot of hair trapped which could have made its way down the drain by using this simple device. The best type you can get on the market has a wire mesh and some small openings that can let out water but traps nearly all the hair. Remove the strainer frequently for cleaning to prevent hair from building up.

• Rinse Off with Hot Water

If you can remember to go through this ritual often, you will have a drain that works perfectly fine every time. Pour a litre of hot water down all your drains at least once a week. Hot water dissolves any grime that may have formed in your bathroom pipes and this will surely discourage the formation of hair clogs.

• Use a Fabric Softener Sheet

You can put to good use any old and abandoned fabric softener sheet by placing it directly over your drain opening. As the sheet is porous, it will trap any debris or hair on its surface but allow water to flow through. Make sure to dispose of the sheet properly as soon as you are done in the shower.

• Use a TubShroom Drain Protector

This is a modern hair catcher and is readily available on the market. It does not work like other types of drain protectors that you may know. Instead of placing it on top of the drain, it is placed inside the drain of your bathtub or any other place where you want your drainage protected.

It traps all pet and human hair when installed properly and does so without interfering with the flow of water. You may want to check with the reviews by those who have used this device before you make up your mind on whether to buy it.

Plumbers Are Experts At Fixing Hair-Blocked Drains

The problem of hair or other debris clogging drains in your home can be a huge challenge. It’s worse if you don’t know what to do. That no longer has to be the case, particularly now that you know about the home remedies that have been recommended. If all else fails, take the step of calling a professional plumber to have a look at the blocked drain. Instead of living in a flooded home, you can get this issue taken care of very quickly.

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