How to Clean Hair from a Shower Drain

Every time you wash your hair or shave in the shower a little bit of hair goes down the drain. Hair clogs are one of the most common clogs all homeowners deal with. Little bits of hair can get caught in your drain, even with a stopper or plug. It’s truly something that can almost never be avoided. Here are our choice ways to clean hair from a shower drain.

Use Your Tweezers to Remove Built Up Hair

Though this may seem a bit gross to the squeamish, tweezers are an incredibly effective method to pull hair out of your drain. All you need to do is remove the drain cover. Oftentimes it can be removed with a small flathead screwdriver. Next, put on some good music or an interesting podcast, then get to work.

Make sure to clean any leftover hair from the stopper. Then use a flashlight to inspect the drain and see where the backup is located. For a small job, a pair of tweezers will do the trick. Larger buildups may require needle nose pliers.

Clean Hair from a Shower Drain with Boiling Water

One of the reasons hair clings so tightly to the top of the drain is because it is stuck to built-up soap and grease. As water cools, grease and soap scum will harden and stick to the walls of your drain. This stickiness is a perfect home for hair and other debris that could clog your drain.

An easy way to try and break up the backup is with boiling water. Simply put a pot of water on the stove. Once the water reaches a rolling boil, take it off the heat and directly to the bathroom. Be sure to use a funnel to dump it down the drain, we don’t want you burning yourself, and then you may be good to go. The boiling water will break up the grease and soap scum, potentially flushing everything through your plumbing system.

Try Baking Soda and Vinegar

Another great method to clear your drain involves things that may already be in your pantry. All you need is dish soap, baking soda, and white vinegar. Start by pulling out the drain stopper if there is one and squirt a bit of dish soap directly into your drain. Next pour a cup of baking soda followed by a cup of vinegar down the drain.

Let everything sit for about five minutes, then push everything through with at least a cup of boiling water. A quick plunge should help dislodge anything that remains. Also, a mix of white vinegar and warm water is an effective solution for cleaning your shower grout.

If All Else Fails, Call a Plumber

Unfortunately, there are times when tweezing and plunging isn’t enough. Some clogs can withstand hot water, baking soda, and vinegar. During these times it’s important that you call a professional plumber as soon as possible.

There are times when a small clog is an indicator of a much larger problem. To prevent this from happening we recommend scheduling a plumbing safety inspection. During a plumbing safety inspection, one of our plumbers will look at your pipes with a video so that they can locate any backups or clogs that need immediate attention.

Need to Bring in the Professionals? Call us Today!

Is your hair clog too much to handle by yourself? Then it’s time to schedule an appointment with one of the plumbing experts at Service Champions. We proudly serve Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties. To meet your plumber, call the number at the top of the screen or click here to book an appointment online.