Clogged Drain: One Hair At A Time

A slow draining sink, tub or shower is often caused by a build-up of hair caught on the drain body, stopper, or trip arm inside the drain, and which accumulates over time. You will know if your clog is caused by hair simply by looking down the drain, as often times the clog is visible.

Hair loss is a natural, everyday occurrence, whether from shampooing, brushing or combing, and nearly every household will experience a clogged or slow drain with hair strands being the culprit. Even with precautions, strands of hair will lodge in one's drain overtime and cause a clog.

Easy preventative measures to delay such clogs, include installing hair screens at each drain, using a porous material such as a dryer sheet to cover the drain while showering, running extra hot water down the drain after use to dissolve any remaining soap and grim that can bind the hairs together, and avoiding intentionally washing any loose hairs down the drains. As example, collecting hair from the floor and putting it in the sink instead of the trash bin.

Removing hair clogs is also easy and can be done without using caustic and dangerous chemicals, such those several name-brand cleaners that come to mind. Avoiding such chemicals is also good for the Planet and your pipes!

A simple, natural remedy is to use a combination of Baking Soda and Vinegar to dissolve hair clogs. There are plenty of examples on-line of how to do so and the results are often good, but short-lived. Multiple attempts at the process are often required to get drains flowing again.

For drains with removable covers or screens, and some adjustable stoppers, an easier method is to remove the screen and use pliers, a coat hanger, piece of copper wire, or even a specially made plastic barbed tool created for the purpose, to "hook" the hair clog and pull it out of the drain. I have found this method to provide longer lasting results than the natural remedies as the clog is mostly removed by this process. However, some hairs will always be left behind and will contribute to a future clog. Many of the big-box retail stores carry such plastic hooks and sell them for just a few dollars. ​Investing in any of the items listed above will be worth the effort as your clog, or even one at a neighbor's, is not far off.

In my mind, the best method to remove a drain clog such as that in a bathroom sink, is to simply remove the drain pipes under the sink. Very few tools are required: a shallow bucket to catch excess water, a rag, a large adjustable wrench, a camera to photograph the pipes so you remember how to put them back together, and another rag for good measure.

Taking apart the drain from the trap backwards to the drain body is a relatively simple process and, again, lots of videos are available on-line to guide you through the steps. The results are longer lasting than other methods as the entire clog can be removed and the drain thoroughly cleaned. The results are also much faster to achieve than with chemicals or natural remedies that might need several attempts.

In short, don’t sweat a clogged drain. There are many avenues available to you to remedy the situation, remove the clog and get on with your life, without needing to call an expensive plumber.

Good Luck!