Clogged Drain from Hair - Argh!!

[mellie]

We have had really long-term issues with our bathtub and bathroom sink drains getting constantly clogged with (ahem) my hair.

It's so bad that we have to use heavy-duty Drano at least once a month if not more than that.

We even bought a little drain cover for the bathtub, but it didn't help.

Help!!! What do you folks do? It's very frustrating!! Plus I feel terrible using all these toxic drain cleaners all the time...

[Magdalene]

I just usually pull the hair from the drain manually every couple of months. It's gross, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do...

[Carolyn]

I just use the toxic cleaners. I tried the natural things like vinegar and baking soda but that wouldn't even touch the hair clogs. Clogged drains are just part of having long hair.

[mellie]

Magdalene, how do you get it out?

[Magdalene]

Magdalene, how do you get it out?

With my fingers. It tends to clump up near the top of the drain.

[eadwine]

Careful with the special decloggers. It is forbidden to use them here in this house, orders of rental company. I have had someone explain to me why once.

When those decloggers are poured down the hole they react with anything down there that is soapy. If there are ANY soap remainders left in there, beware, the declogger will turn it into stone and that is SO much harder to get out when you need the professional to come in after all (involves hacking the floor open, fun!).

So.. be careful with them things, you have been warned ;)


I just remove the hair from the drain every time before I hit the shower, and then put that slicky soda stuff in there every time. Keeping it up and clean to prevent a clog is much better than having to get the clog out :)

[EvaSimone]

I wonder if a plumbing snake would work? They are pretty gross but to me at least preferable to using my own hands.

I used to plug the bathtub in our old apartment all the time and Drano only worked for a week or two and then my bathtub would back up again. :justy:

Now I try to stick my hair on the shower wall as it falls out instead of letting it rinse down the drain, I've lived in my new apartment for six months without any drain clogging *crosses fingers*

[physicschick]

Like Magdalene, I remove the hair manually every now and then. I have a plastic pic with a sort of hooked end that I use to help fish it out. It looks kind of like a dental instrument.

I also try to catch as much hair as possible with my fingers while washing. I stick it to the shower wall and throw it away later.

[LaurelSpring]

I just got the best coolest little plastic thing that fits right over the drain and catches all of the hair. It only cost a couple of bucks and works so great! I am so happy with it!

http://mileskimball.resultspage.com/search?p=KK&srid=S9%2d1&lbc=mileskimball&ts=v2&pw=drain%20cover&uid=218223931&isort=score&w=Hairtrap&rk=7

[LaurelSpring]

Oops this link is better:

http://www.mileskimball.com/MilesKimball/Shopping/ProductDetail.aspx?CID=Home&SCID=Bathroom&ProductID=0000074848&SiteNum=0

[rhubarbarin]

For the bathtub you need to get a really good hair-catcher. Very small holes, and not one that sits on top of the drain (hair will slide under it), but one that sits down in it with a lip all around the edge - like this one (http://www.petguys.com/-706738040200.html). I have a a stockpile of them, they get gross pretty quick because they are white plastic, I replace it every few months. Because of how small the holes are you may have to scrub the bottom of it - hard water and soap residue can build up and clog it. I don't have super-long hair, but I am a super-shedder, as are my mom and sisters, and this model kept our bathtub unclogged for years and years (most of that time both my sisters and I had BSL+ hair).

For the bathroom sink I don't have many suggestions - somehow mine always gets hair down it no matter what I do, even though I don't brush my hair I style in front of the mirror over the sink area and hairs get washed down somehow.. I try to get in there with tweezers a couple times a weeks to pull it out, and that keeps me from using Drano, which I try to keep as a last resort.

[LaurelSpring]

Now I try to stick my hair on the shower wall as it falls out instead of letting it rinse down the drain, I've lived in my new apartment for six months without any drain clogging *crosses fingers*

I do this too. My ex husband use to get really mad at me. I called it my "hair mosaic".

[spidermom]

I use a pair of hemostats to grip/pull the hair out. My DH the plumber says that those toxic drain cleaners can blow back into your face, depending on what they react to. If a plumber has to deal with a toxic clog, it will cost you many $$$$.

[mellie]

Rhubarbarin, that's the kind of drain cover that we got! It seemed to work for a little while, then it didn't anymore. I am assuming that it didn't because hair can still slip underneath it. I have been scrubbing it every week when I scrub the bathtub, so hopefully it doesn't have buildup on it.

Maybe the suction cup kind would work better?

[Chromis]

For the bathtub you need to get a really good hair-catcher. Very small holes, and not one that sits on top of the drain (hair will slide under it), but one that sits down in it with a lip all around the edge - like this one (http://www.petguys.com/-706738040200.html). I have a a stockpile of them, they get gross pretty quick because they are white plastic, I replace it every few months. Because of how small the holes are you may have to scrub the bottom of it - hard water and soap residue can build up and clog it. I don't have super-long hair, but I am a super-shedder, as are my mom and sisters, and this model kept our bathtub unclogged for years and years (most of that time both my sisters and I had BSL+ hair).

For the bathroom sink I don't have many suggestions - somehow mine always gets hair down it no matter what I do, even though I don't brush my hair I style in front of the mirror over the sink area and hairs get washed down somehow.. I try to get in there with tweezers a couple times a weeks to pull it out, and that keeps me from using Drano, which I try to keep as a last resort.

I use something similar only mine is a fine metal mesh which doesn't get as gross as the plastic ones. You can usually find them in different sizes to fit all the hairy drains. I brush my hair over a dry sink and then sweep it all out into the trash bin and very little gets in the trap. It is starting to get a bit too long to fit over the sink unless I use a step stool so I also have been known to step out onto the balcony to comb if it isn't windy.

For clearing hair out of drains I would never use drain cleaner. Too toxic and I've never found them to be effective anyhow. I recommend mechanically removing the hair. I use a Zip-It. Cheap and effective (and you can re-use them a few times despite what the package says. Find them in hardware stores: http://www.zipitclean.com/

[taliarose]

I also just collect the shed hairs as I'm washing and either stick to the walls or the soap leadge... The only time I have to worry about cloggs is when there is company.

[NeilTheFuzz]

We have this problem too. So much so that I modified the drain cover with a pc fan dust filter. It works perfectly! :)

[Curlsgirl]

I just got the best coolest little plastic thing that fits right over the drain and catches all of the hair. It only cost a couple of bucks and works so great! I am so happy with it!

http://mileskimball.resultspage.com/search?p=KK&srid=S9%2d1&lbc=mileskimball&ts=v2&pw=drain%20cover&uid=218223931&isort=score&w=Hairtrap&rk=7

Those do not work for our bathtub at all, won't stay there. :shrug:


I also just collect the shed hairs as I'm washing and either stick to the walls or the soap leadge... The only time I have to worry about cloggs is when there is company.I do this too and it does help. For the sink I use the plastic zip thingie. UGH, it's nasty but it is part of having long hair.

[Michou]

I sometimes use an old toothbrush (one that is out of circulation in terms of our teeth!) to pull up hairs from the bathtub drain.

[Mary <><]

We call this "catching the drain rat" around our house! DH takes an old wire hanger that is reshaped into a hook and catches the rat. We do this in the bathroom sink as well. GROSS!

[suicides_eve]

i have a small stand up shower with your basic slot drain cover. i took a old pair of fish nets and streched it out over the top making like a cover. it works pretty good at catching everything. And i can throw it away when nasty.


I am also guilty of "hair art" on the bathroom wall.
Nothing like hearing screams at 4 am b/c dbf wasn't fully awake and thought it was a spider on the shower wall:doh: i have a habit of forgetting to take them down.oops

[Laila23]

Can you comb your hair before you shower and while washing/conditioning comb again and catch the shedding strands and throw away?

[mellie]

The Zip-It thing sounds like a good idea, I will have to look for it. And use the wire hanger idea in the meantime!! :-)

And as folks have suggested, try to catch my hair in my hands too!

The drain covers are difficult, because my drain has this pop-up assembly which is hard to keep covered or put a screen over it:

http://65.118.245.21/product/90334.JPG

[Michou]

I am also guilty of "hair art" on the bathroom wall.
Nothing like hearing screams at 4 am b/c dbf wasn't fully awake and thought it was a spider on the shower wall:doh: i have a habit of forgetting to take them down.oops


I've scared myself the same way, that's funny. :D

[Raven69]

I just got the best coolest little plastic thing that fits right over the drain and catches all of the hair. It only cost a couple of bucks and works so great! I am so happy with it!

http://mileskimball.resultspage.com/search?p=KK&srid=S9%2d1&lbc=mileskimball&ts=v2&pw=drain%20cover&uid=218223931&isort=score&w=Hairtrap&rk=7

Wow, thanks! What a great find and its cheap! I usually just manually pulled the gross stuff out. Then I moved to a new apartment and started sticking it to the walls and when done in the shower collecting it all and throwing it away in the trash. This'll make showers go faster...hate having the hair stuck to my hands...

[Aisha25]

I have a drain that has small holes and it has the hair lay on top of it then I just get it with my toes and drag it to the side of the tub till im done then throw in trash. Sometimes it gets clogged then I have to do liquid plumer and hot water. I guess we are all in the same boat;)

[galleth]

I brush while dry, and get a lot of shedded hairs out this way.

Then, when I'm in the shower, I catch the falling hair with my hands and I too am doing hair art on the wall.

Then, every time I wash or rinse my hair, I cath the "hair rat" before it gets gross because it stayed in the drain too long. It's still gross, but less!

I make sure I throw everything out before DH jumps in the shower though... I forgot once or twice, and all he does is make a "smart ass" comment about it and he throws it away for me. :)

[Siava]

mellie, I had this problem, too. Now what I do is condition and fingercomb while in the shower. I collect all the hair in my hands as I'm rinsing them off and set it off to the side. It goes in the trash when I'm done with my shower. Some hair still goes down the drain, but not nearly as much as before. Before, I was having to pull long, slimy hair clogs out with needle nose pliers. Yech!

[Stagecoach]

Actually, we've found that if we unscrew the top or our drain every month, (My sister and I, the only ones with long hair only wash our hair once or twice a week) that we can generally get the hair clog off the drain before it goes down and causes a clog.

[RavennaNight]

Like Magdalene, I remove the hair manually every now and then. I have a plastic pic with a sort of hooked end that I use to help fish it out. It looks kind of like a dental instrument.

I also try to catch as much hair as possible with my fingers while washing. I stick it to the shower wall and throw it away later.

Hahaha :rollin: I do that too with the shower wall. Effective, but I can't forget to clean up before DH uses the shower :p

[Chromis]

The Zip-It thing sounds like a good idea, I will have to look for it. And use the wire hanger idea in the meantime!! :-)

And as folks have suggested, try to catch my hair in my hands too!

The drain covers are difficult, because my drain has this pop-up assembly which is hard to keep covered or put a screen over it:

http://65.118.245.21/product/90334.JPG

When I've lived with similar contraptions I just took the darn thing out and placed the mesh trap over the remaining hole to my heart's content. If I wanted a bath I just used a flat drain plug. Then when I moved I could just screw it all back in and leave it just how I found it and with a lot less hair!

[maskedrose]

The maintenance guy at my last apartement swore by pouring half a gallon to a gallon of bleach down clogged drains. I had tried to take out my rats manually but my drain still clogged, so I called him. He poured the bleach down and voila! clear drain. It makes sense, really - think of how damaging bleach is to the hair on your head - straight bleach ought to eat right through clogs!

[mellie]

Haha, that's true - bleach does eat right through hair!

Chromis, I am intrigued....how do you take the drain out? P.S. Your new siggy pig is so pretty!

[Siava]

I can't use bleach - septic. :( I've never done the wall art though. I might give that a go. :)

[Chromis]

Haha, that's true - bleach does eat right through hair!

Chromis, I am intrigued....how do you take the drain out? P.S. Your new siggy pig is so pretty!

Thankies!

The ones I have encountered have all had some sort of screw cunningly hidden in the middle of their innards. Once you have located and destro...er I mean removed that screw, the whole assembly lifts out easily. I did once have to ask maintenance to do it for me because it just wouldn't budge, I worded the service request with humour and reminded them that taking it out would mean I could ensure that there were no clogs and they did it without giving me any guff at all.

[mellie]

Aha....off to find the innards...

[Gothic Lolita]

I've often heard that conditioner causes clogged drains, but never fully understood why. Has anybody more infomation about this? I remember it something to do with the hairs already in the clog and the conditioner glueing them to the pipe.... :(

[mellie]

I don't ever use conditioner, but still get the clogged drains..

Chromis, my drain must have been engineered by a higher form of technology. I can't figure out how to remove it. Darn!

[bjt]

I also use a mesh trap thingie as well to collect hair. It works the best that I have found. and use a snake every couple of years if I need to.

But I've also learned to brush my hair well *before* I get into the shower if I'm going to be washing my hair. It cuts way down on the loose hairs going down the drain.

[hobbitgirl]

Oops this link is better:

http://www.mileskimball.com/MilesKimball/Shopping/ProductDetail.aspx?CID=Home&SCID=Bathroom&ProductID=0000074848&SiteNum=0

I use one of these in the shower and in my regular sink since my hair seems to get everywhere. it works great.

[girlcat36]

I had finally had it with my clogged shower drain! Drano, boiling water, baking soda, vinegar---nothing worked!!! I was so tired of standing in a couple inches of water every morning.
I went to the drugstore and bought a can of extra strength Nair hair remover foam. Worked like a charm! I have a free running drain now!

[mellie]

Haha, pretty clever treatment!!

[pookatrina]

Another Zip-It fan here, I adore them since we've got 2 long hairs in the house.

[mellie]

OK, I'm definitely going to run out and get one of those ZipIts!

[AJoifulNoise]

I've often heard that conditioner causes clogged drains, but never fully understood why. Has anybody more infomation about this? I remember it something to do with the hairs already in the clog and the conditioner glueing them to the pipe.... :(

I know that the OP said this wasn't a problem for her, but I have noticed the destructive power of conditioner. I use a mesh hair-catcher in my drain and it's the conditioner that clogs the mesh! I have to scrub like crazy to get it out. I could definately imagine that getting stuck in the drains like gum... And the hair would just stick to it. eeeeew!

[aprilmay]

My husband replaced all the corroded galvanized metal plumbing drains in our house with wider pvc pipes. This solved the problem. My sink drains get backed up, but that is usually because objects get dropped down them and they are smaller. Good luck! My hair is everywhere in our house even after I clean.

[LaurelSpring]

Pantene was a nightmare on my drain. It really gunked it up terribly. I wouldnt use it anymore ever after that mess.

The zip it thing looks great. Im going to have to find one of those.

Whats really bad is when I would try to scry the hair mosaic and find meaningful pictures in the shapes. Amusing thing to do in the shower. That probably helped send the ex over the edge.

[mellie]

Haha, LaurelSpring, you crack me up!

[mellie]

OK, I just ran over to my hardware store that is just down the street and tried the ZipIt!

It didn't work in my drain, it wouldn't fit inside it. It worked in my sink drain though, and got out a nice sized disgusting looking hair clog with henndigo stuck on it. Very icky.

I wish I could figure out how to get the pop-up assembly out of the drain so I can clean it! Any plumbers out there? :-)

[truepeacenik]

my pop up is simply threaded. It sort of screws in.

I had the opportunity to intervew Ed Del Grande, and Sweetie sent me with the hairball question.
he reccomended a flexible grabber.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Spring-Claw-Flexible-Grabber-Tool_W0QQitemZ310093373494QQcmdZViewItemQQimsxZ200 81020?IMSfp=TL081020123007r24768

[Anje]

My tub has a bizarre threaded stopper (Lowes calles it a "lift and turn" style, but the threaded part sticks out of the drain hole a bit when the stopper is removed) that seems incompatible with a lot of hair catchers, but I've got a sink one on there right now (which doesn't work very well). I would like to have a word with whoever chose and installed those bathtubs.....

I'm another fan of the Zip-it. I just keep it under the sink and rinse it after it's been used. The hair wads it pulls up are pretty gross, but you can grab them with some TP and trash them. Between the clogs and the vacuum beater bar, I wonder how I still have hair on my head!

[mellie]

Hm, that metal grabber might work better on this style of drain....I will have to search around for it!

[Robbi Dehlinger]

The things you learn on this site that you cannot learn anywhere else:)

[mellie]

Aha -success!!! DH figured it out - it was a threaded stopper!! So he just kept turning it and turning it and finally it came out. I was able to use the ZipIt in it just fine.

I've left the stopper out and covered it with the plastic drain cover. Hopefully with once a week "Zip"-ping, we'll keep it much cleaner!

Thanks everyone!!!

[gallows_gallery]

My sink in my bathroom wasn't draining properly so I got a long metal coathanger and bent it out so it formed a stick with the hook end bent thinner so it could fit down the plug hole. I stuck it down there and (this is REVOLTING) pulled out a 30cm long dreadlock of hair and toothpaste and mouldy gross stuff. I did it another five or so times and it just KEPT coming. SO gross...but it cleared the drain.

[mellie]

Wow!! So this is the trick, just getting down in there and pulling that stuff out!!

We could have a contest on whose hair clog is the longest, haha!! So far we've got Gallowsgallery's 30cm....can anyone beat that? :-)

[Robbi Dehlinger]

My sink in my bathroom wasn't draining properly so I got a long metal coathanger and bent it out so it formed a stick with the hook end bent thinner so it could fit down the plug hole. I stuck it down there and (this is REVOLTING) pulled out a 30cm long dreadlock of hair and toothpaste and mouldy gross stuff. I did it another five or so times and it just KEPT coming. SO gross...but it cleared the drain.

YUCK, but it cleared the drain:)

[aries]

I don't know about the longest but maybe the stinkiest?! ROFL!!!! We hadn't cleaned the drain in our kids' bathroom in years and one day my oldest son comes down after he and his wife showered because the drain wouldn't drain anymore, I could smell it downstairs in the kitchen (otherside of the house). Everyone in the house was choking and gagging, I thought it was awsomely funny while gagging, while he took it outside with a gas mask over his face. We have small gas masks because of the field my husband and I work in. It was soooo gross I will never forget it. Took a while to get the smell aired out. I don't remember how long it was but sheesh it was gross looking and stunk.

I am another that sticks the hair art on the walls of the shower heh. I always forget to remove it because I put it behind me and forget about it. Hubby just laughs.

We call them drain monsters. There's been other articles written on these lol.

[LilyMunster]

I use a drain sieve-like thingy as well as a plastic tool called a 'zip it'. Home Depot has them for under 3 bucks.

[nimeera]

I finger comb the conditioner through my hair when I shower, then twirl the shed hair in my fingers to make a little ball, and put it on the edge of the tub to throw away when I am done. Helps keep most of it out of the drain. Periodically I take the stopper off and pull out any hair caught in the trap. Once in a while my husband declares chemical warfare on clogs.

[Carolyn]

You guys reminded I was out of that Liquid Plumber stuff :p My bathroom drains are running nicely after a trip to WM ;)

[UncommonTart]

Well, it's gross, but no grosser than anything else I've seen in this thread...

The zip it things will not fit down my drain, but I find that an aluminum crochet hook, stuck down there and sort of 'twirled' around a bit, will pull up almost any clog. It's got to be a fairly substantial hook, though- about a 6mm I think. The clogs have been a lot less frequent since I finally bought one of those little plastic mesh things, but I still get 'em. (I have to take out the mesh thing and replace the drain stopper to take a bath, and then when I get up early the next morning, sometimes I'm just too tired to bother finding the darn mesh thing again. I always regret this just as I am fishing for the resultant clog. :o)

[embee]

I found that the crochet hook works for getting the drain monsters out. I have one in the bathroom for just that purpose.

A good brushing before washing takes most of the loose hairs off, and then the little screen doodad that fits over the drain catches several hairs when I wash my hair, and so far so good! Since I got the little screen thingy I've not had a problem.

... knock on wood... ;)

[EmpressRi]

Oh boy, I just rehashed my traumatizing evening when I ran across this thread.

Well my bathroom sink became pretty badly clogged lately (I think my niece was washing her hair there when I wasn't around) cause the water would NOT go down! So I finally got my zip it, which I had to purchase on ebay because NO ONE had it, not home depot or lowe's or the mom and pop hardware shops in my neighborhood. So I finally got it.....and LAWD hammercy the hair and gunk I pulled out of the drain! The smell was like my old fish tank that I threw out months ago.

Then I pour a pot of boiling water down, then some baking soda and vinegar, then MORE boiling water, so it's better now. My fiance is going to take that part that stops the sink out from the bottom cause there was still some hair stuck there, but I am never washing my brushes in the sink again cause I refuse to go through this again lol.

[EmpressRi]

I wonder if a plumbing snake would work? They are pretty gross but to me at least preferable to using my own hands.

I used to plug the bathtub in our old apartment all the time and Drano only worked for a week or two and then my bathtub would back up again. :justy:

Now I try to stick my hair on the shower wall as it falls out instead of letting it rinse down the drain, I've lived in my new apartment for six months without any drain clogging *crosses fingers*


i have a small stand up shower with your basic slot drain cover. i took a old pair of fish nets and streched it out over the top making like a cover. it works pretty good at catching everything. And i can throw it away when nasty.


I am also guilty of "hair art" on the bathroom wall.
Nothing like hearing screams at 4 am b/c dbf wasn't fully awake and thought it was a spider on the shower wall:doh: i have a habit of forgetting to take them down.oops

I thought I was the only one that did this lol. My mother saw that tonight and had a heart attack. She told me what would my fiance say if he saw it. I told her I'm sure he'd rather the hair on the wall than plugging up the drain lolol.

He would have a fit though, he doesn't know I do that! I wait till it dries too then I pluck it off. Hopefully we can have our own showers lol.

[Bene]

ahhhhh yeah :(


gotta bite the bullet and reach in and get it when the drain seems a little slow, followed by a full bottle of drano for good measure. but, i recently found an article for natural way of cleaning out the drain though, i'm gonna give this a shot next time around:





Got a clogged or slow draining bathroom sink? You'd be horrified to see what's down there: grease, hair, soap film, organic wastes and whatever else you wash down the sink. Here's a natural formula to unclog that bathroom sink without harsh chemicals...



Pour 1/2 cup of baking soda down the drain, followed by 1/2 cup of white vinegar. This will create an acidic reaction much like your elementary school volcano science project, eating away at whatever is down in the pipes. Then followup with a cup of lemon juice or diluted lemon juice extract to help neutralize any odours that might emanate from your drain cleaning. That's it!

We also like to use the baking soda and white vinegar solution on the sink itself, as this simple formula is an effective limescale and scuff marks remover when used with a sponge.



http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/how-to/how-to-naturally-unclog-the-bathroom-sink-044368

[Gecko]

I keep hold of my hair that falls out as I'm putting condtioner on (then I save all I've collected). And my brother will pull some out of the drain every once in awhile...

[galleth]

My shower drain actually clogged two days ago (even though I collect hair "rat" from the drain everyday), and I couldn't reach anything that clogged it with my bare fingers. (I know, gross!!!!)

So, I did the baking soda, vinegar and boiling water thing. (I was about to call the plumber so I thought... what the hell...)

First time - about 1/2 cup BS down the drain, then pour vinegar down. Let react, then pour down boiling water. Sloooowly went down, still clogged. Poured some more vinegar - Now I could tell that it was reacting from more deeper in the pipe, since the boiling water had moved some of the remaining BS down. Flushed again with boiling water. Better.

Repeated a second time (it went down really well ), and a third time for good measure. We had 4 showers since then with no problems. I hope it stays that way.

I also suspect that it's the conditioner that's causing all those problems. When I take out the "hair rat" from the drain, there is still a lot of condish in, and it's like glue. I guess it sticks to the inside of the pipe, and collects hair that way... I'm guessing the boiling water, and BS-vinegar helps breaking it down, loosening up the whole thing...

I'm wondering if it would make a difference to "flush" the drain after every shower with very hot water (to get rid of condish residue as much as possible)?

[Ryanne]

When I shower I finger-comb my hair and twist the fallen hairs around my plastic comb. It works great.

[tsc]

We have a heavy-duty snake in the house for hair clogs.

I used it to snake out the kitchen sink the other week, since it was running slow.

I gagged when I discovered it was a hair clog. I don't wash my hair in the sink.

HOW!?

[rileysmama32208]

we just had our tub snaked out by the plumber for this very reason YESTERDAY! ugh. I thought i'd been so good but NOTHING took care of that clog... not baking soda/vinegar, not drano, not our own snke... we resorted to the plumber :(


and i make "hair wall art" tooo... drives my husband NUTS, lol.

[Drynwhyl]

One of my cats has a thing for playing in the tub, especially the drain hole, so she gets my hair out with her claws :D <3

Otherwise, I collect my shed hair during the washing, when I condition/comb it, so there's not much left in the drain.

edit:
and I, um, keep that hair in a box...I'm sorry to throw it *hair psycho*
It is useful for making artificial dreadlocks for people :D

[sahiba]

and I, um, keep that hair in a box...I'm sorry to throw it *hair psycho*
It is useful for making artificial dreadlocks for people :D

How about selling them? :eyebrows: :)

[Drynwhyl]

eh, It's not that much, I get about one good lock in three months...So it's more of a friend thing, having my hair on their head and stuff :)

[GlassEyes]

I just got the best coolest little plastic thing that fits right over the drain and catches all of the hair. It only cost a couple of bucks and works so great! I am so happy with it!

http://mileskimball.resultspage.com/search?p=KK&srid=S9%2d1&lbc=mileskimball&ts=v2&pw=drain%20cover&uid=218223931&isort=score&w=Hairtrap&rk=7
This.

There are two longhairs in this house including myself. My sister has near-to-waist length hair and my hair is super curly, and combine them both in a drain and it makes for hairballs any cat would be suprised at. Those things work wonders.

[yogachic]

I never thought of putting the hair on the wall or ledge. I just say "oh well", and wash the hair off my hand with water. I figure "I'll pull it out of the drain later. I need to stop that. Every few months we have a huge, long glob of hair we pull from the drain. EWWW

[Arctic_Mama]

I advocate taking out the stopper for a hair strainer, actually... and I should take my own advice because our drain is getting unbearably clogged!

[jessie58]

I am another who collects hair and sticks it on the wall. I have made plenty of hair art and have even left messages for my DH with hair. Also did you ever notice how many times hair will make pictures by itself, like body parts and stuff. I do try to remember my best to remove it from the shower, unless I have left a message for DH. :D

[squiggyflop]

my poor dad pulls the hair from the drain.. if he doesnt then it gets clogged and he ends up using drano or plumber in a drum.. i am usually pretty good about placing shed hairs on the side of the tub and disposing of them later..

[Teazel]

I used to stick hairs to the shower wall (and remove them later - most of the time! :D) but now I don't have to, because a couple of years ago I found a stainless steel drain sieve that takes care of the problem perfectly. It's the simplest little device, and only cost NZ$2! :cheese:

No more drain monsters for me. :taz:

[Robbi Dehlinger]

Hi!

Don't need such things yet, but hope to soon:)

[girlcat36]

Okay, I must confess. All hair goes on to the shower wall. Can't bring myself to let it go down the drain! I try to clean it off sporadically!

[Sam-I-Am]

I am another who collects hair and sticks it on the wall. I have made plenty of hair art and have even left messages for my DH with hair. Also did you ever notice how many times hair will make pictures by itself, like body parts and stuff. I do try to remember my best to remove it from the shower, unless I have left a message for DH. :D

You are hilarious! I never thought of doing that!

I have to:

Comb my hair before a shower to get as much out as possible
Put a plastic hair catcher over the drain
Stick my hair to the wall
Clean out the hair catcher when the shower is done

And still, somehow, the hair goes down the drain. I think the problem is that one or two of my hairs will go down the drain, get caught on a piece of metal that is in the drain hole, and then the hairs that my husband and my dog shed get stuck in the hair clog that is forming. We just use a wire hanger with a bent end and stick it down the hole. It pulls out some beauties. Hubbie calls them drain turds.

[Peter]

Now I try to stick my hair on the shower wall as it falls out instead of letting it rinse down the drain, I've lived in my new apartment for six months without any drain clogging *crosses fingers*I do this too and it seems to work fine. My drain hasn't gotten clogged in a good year now, while it used to every couple of months.

[maunaloa]

This.

There are two longhairs in this house including myself. My sister has near-to-waist length hair and my hair is super curly, and combine them both in a drain and it makes for hairballs any cat would be suprised at. Those things work wonders.
Agreed. I bought a similar looking item at Bed Bathy & Beyond. It's great!

[Electronika]

I have noticed considerable clogging in my vacuum. One day I was wondering why it wasent doing the job it once did. I flipped the vacuum so the part that sucks up all the carpet guck was facing upwards, thats when I was truely suprised how much of my own hair was entangled in it.

Yuck! hair getting caught in the drains is gross, and hair in my brush too. But, it is everywhere!

[mellie]

OK - I need help to solve a mystery!!

So, I bought one of the drain covers that folks have recommended here:
http://www.buyacehardware.com/ace-hair-snare-drain-cover-46166.html

It catches all the hair very well. Plus, since I've been washing with soapnuts, there's hardly any hair shed anyway, just one or two hairs.

So, I know that it's not hair clogging my drain. Yet, it still drains very slowly, and I have to treat it once a week with a drain cleaner or we end up with water up to the ankles even after a quick, 2 minute shower.

Isn't that WEIRD?

So, what is causing the slow running drain, if it's not hair? Is it soap scum or shampoo residue or oils from our body?? All that we use in the shower is Kirk's Castile Soap (in bar form), soapnut foam (on my hair), and DH uses Suave shampoo for his hair. That's it! We never take baths, or use any other products in the shower. So, what is causing the clog?

And most importantly, how can I keep it fast draining without using nasty evil chemical drain cleaner every week?

[mellie]

Hmmm...I did some research and found this:

http://www.doityourself.com/stry/unclogtubdrain

Keeping Drains Clear

Clearing a blocked drain isn't a lot of fun. It's much better to prevent a clog from happening in the first place. Here's some tips on how you can keep your bathtub drains free flowing.

* Use strainers in all your drains to stop hair from going down the drain. It's easier to clear out a strainer once a month than unblock a drain every six.
* Don't just drop small pieces of soap down the drain assuming they will dissolve and wash away. That's how soap builds up in a drain.
* Once a month, pour a kettle full of boiling water down the drain. This will melt any grease (body oil) and wash it away before it can build up. (Don't do this in a toilet; the boiling water could crack the porcelain).
* Every three months or so, pour a half cup of baking soda in the drain then slowly add a half cup of vinegar. Let the mixture sit in the drain for a few minutes and then rinse it away by running lots of hot water down the drain. This will not only keep your drains free running, but clean smelling as well.



Guess I'll try those last two suggestions!

[windinherhair]

We have a cover over our drain where the hair catches. I clean it out after every shower. Maybe there is a way you can get one of those covers. I can see how your drain would easily clog if all the hair was always going down... especially after how much I remove with every shower!

We lived at our other residence for over 2 years and not once did our shower drain clog, and all we had was the cover (strainer) over the drain that I kept cleaned.

(Edit: Ha, I didn't realize how old this thread was. :) Sorry! )

[kdaniels8811]

They have something similar at Wal Mart and that is what I use and no longer need drain cleaners. It gets all the hair!

[mellie]

I did get one of those, but the drain still runs very slowly, so it's not hair that's the problem but probably soap scum/body oils. I just tried the suggestions of baking soda/vinegar, and boiling water. Seems to have helped a bit but I'm not positive till I try showering tomorrow.

[meph]

I too stick the hairs on the walls. I hate it when my hair sticks to my hands, it feels gross. When I'm done showering I throw the hairs away and it kind of helps with the clogging. I also use a plunger now and then to get the hairs that escaped out.

[Mabel Grey]

:eek: I have been known to use a long crochet hook and hot water. But then again I use less shampoo and sticky stuff than most, I also use a clay and poppy seed body schrub that seems to have some weird kind of drain cleansing power. Hmmm...maybe need to rethink that.
Having very fine hair, it seems to slide right through the drain baskets, so I gave up on them. A drain snake works also. Good luck.

[mellie]

So it seems the suggestions of baking soda/vinegar and boiling water seems to have worked (since it's not a hair clog after all)! DH just took a shower after I did those treatments and he said it drained very nicely.

[Teacherbear]

I ZIP-IT (http://www.zipitclean.com/)!

Yucky, but very earth-friendly!

As a preventative measure, I use the white strainer thingy that looks kind of like a hat.

Together, I only have to clean my drains about once per year.

[mellie]

Teacherbear, I did try the Zip-it, but it didn't work for my bathtub drain for two reasons - one is that it turns out the clog wasn't caused by hair but by soap scum/body oils, and for another, when I put the Zip-it down into the drain, when I pulled it back out, all the little barbs caught on the metal cross-hatch of the drain (which is not removeable) and broke off (causing an even worse clog). I've been using the drain cover mesh thing that you described and that works well to keep hair out.

The Zip-It worked fine in my bathroom sink though!

[Kirin]

A little late to this thread, but yes, baking soda and vinegar, plus boiling water are the key. The water has to be SUPER hot and sit a minute after putting the baking soda/vinegar in. Liver salts, if you can find them, also work very nicely for this job.

If you continue to have a true hair clog issue, try using 1/2 cup of straight chlorine bleach in the drain and let sit for ten minutes, then pour down boiling water.

Edited to add: Using the bleach method once a month in the drain providing your drains can handle bleach (most plumbing can easily) is a good idea regardless of clogs. It kills the built up germs and bacteria that harbor there, and, incidentally can stop "bug" problems such as roaches, silverfish and centipedes coming up the drain. Roaches tend to love kitchen sinks due to the food content and residue down them.

[Teacherbear]

Mellie, I'm sorry it didn't work for you. I have to be careful pulling it out of my tub drain, too.

[Nypsy]

I pull the hair out with my fingers (with gloves on, and my fingers are freakishly long so you might not be able to reach down that far). Tweezers would probably work. I usually get a clump of hair about 1 1/2 wide and 6 inches long filled with goo, it's gross, but at least it's stuck together. And then I pour baking soda then vinegar down the drain a few times to get all of the leftover goo and hair.

[Spiffyhink]

I generally just clean mine out with a chopstick every so often. It's gross, but it works, and I don't like pouring nasty chemicals down there. I do stick my hair on the walls, though. My mother had come over to help me clean a while ago, and since I'm lazy and never clean them off, was greeted by two very hairy walls. She was quite amused, and I imagine I'll be hearing about it for quite some time.

I really need to get me one of those drain covers, though. I've stuck both of them on my wish list for when I go shopping!

[Longlocks3]

If you continue to have a true hair clog issue, try using 1/2 cup of straight chlorine bleach in the drain and let sit for ten minutes, then pour down boiling water.

Edited to add: Using the bleach method once a month in the drain providing your drains can handle bleach (most plumbing can easily) is a good idea regardless of clogs. It kills the built up germs and bacteria that harbor there, and, incidentally can stop "bug" problems such as roaches, silverfish and centipedes coming up the drain. Roaches tend to love kitchen sinks due to the food content and residue down them.

I second the bleach. Poor DBF has a brand new house that had great drainage until I started staying over and now that I live here. Of course, for some reason he thinks its MY hair! LOL But yes we were cleaning the tub with bleach and poured some down it followed by hot water and presto, great drainage.

[Speckla]

My husband uses a plunger every few months or so and *ick* at the plug of hair that he pulls out.

[lines-wine]

I have a wee "grabber" device that is used primarily to pick up errant screws etc. in PCs...as it is approx. 18" long & flexible, it works well at pulling the "hair spiders" out of the drain.

[Flynn]

Strainers. Sink strainers for plugholes that are small enough, or netting (actually, tulle, but hey) underneath the grating part of any that is too big.

[LaurelSpring]

I'm bumping this because I finally bought myself a Zip It yesterday and I absolutely love it! I had a clog that had got down further than I could reach it and I hate to use chemicals so I got the Zip It. It worked like a charm.

On a side note it looked like most of the mass of hair I pulled out was clumped up with henna. I wonder if the henna is clogging up my drain or my septic.

[Nicoliee]

When I wash my hair the loose hairs I get out I stick on the bathtub wall until I'm done then throw them away.

[Kaelee]

I get something called a Zip-it from Lowes. It costs like $2 and it pulls all the hair right out. Works great!!!! I've got one sitting in my bathroom waiting for the next time my hair decides to strangle my drain. :)

[GRU]

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b23/ImaHockeyMom/boards/holythread_res_batman.jpg



:lol:

[NotInPortland]

Wire hanger, it's not pretty but it does the job ;)

[AspenSong]

The hair catcher things do nothing for me..no help at all. I use the William 2000 to unclog the drain. lol. Hubby usually does it because he's very weird about checking that like every two weeks. (he's hilarious...he can't pick up dirty clothes and move them 2 feet to the hamper, or anything like that...but the Drains he obsesses over) He mentioned he checked it this weekend and pulled "chewbacca" out of the drain with a hanger. lol. Funny...but gross.

[fluffybunny]

I had a horrid shower clog. I used to fish the hairs out and/or pour the toxic drain chemicals down every month or two, finally they quit working. I tried the little Zip-it, nothing. Got a proper plumber's snake and routed it down there. Darn thing got stuck on the way out! I was about to despair, gave it a final hard yank, and to my horror, a hair wad the size of a large kitten came up. Embedded in the hair wad was a length of wire hanger. Obviously the prior resident had been using the wire hanger method and lost it! Now I had been in the house nine years at that point, and my hair had been catching on the wire. The drain cleaner had just been dissolving a path through it, so the hair kitten was all half-disintegrated. It was the most disgusting thing!

Since then I got a wire mesh drian cover http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002508Q5E/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_2?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B0028NF0BQ&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0NX75QYJ874AW8ZJ4TKNand I'm adamant about not letting hairs go down the drain. I never want to remove a hair wad again.

[Anywhere]

I used to manually remove the hair. We don't get clogs much anymore since I began taking my shed hairs and balling them up and sticking them to the side of the shower. I dispose of them after.

[ddiana1979]

I got a little tiny metal drain cover that fits *perfectly* inside my shower drain (so perfectly, I have to use tweezers if I want to pull it out). It has small holes, maybe a diameter half the size of a pencil. I clean it out after every shower. No more drain problems! Yay! It was dirt cheap. I think I got it at Walmart.

[TrichPrincess]

Another Zip-It fan here, I adore them since we've got 2 long hairs in the house.
I love my zip-it!

[ravenreed]

I do this too. I call it my abstract wall art. :D

However, if I forget to go back and get the hair off the shower wall, my sons wash it down the drain anyway. Guess how I found this out? After the tub backed up and we used a zipit out came all the hair I thought was going in the trash!!


I used to manually remove the hair. We don't get clogs much anymore since I began taking my shed hairs and balling them up and sticking them to the side of the shower. I dispose of them after.

[princessp]

I love my zip-it!

Yup, have a zip it too. Lovely DH does it though. I might be a little spoiled in this regard. :p

[Cowgirl16]

When the drain gets slow my husband pulls the drain cover off and using a long pair of forceps he pulls the hair up. It is gross (I gag so much he does it for me :puke:) I've heard using all that drain cleaner is hard on your pipes.

[Malibu Barbie]

LOL, I squirt a little nair down the drain after I wash my hair. I also have wire basket that fits in the drain. I remove it to squirt the nair in and leave it. Wierd yes but it seems to work.

[FallHare]

I do this too. I call it my abstract wall art. :D


That's hilarious -- and so accurate! My walls tend to look like a hairy version of a Jackson Pollack when I shower! May I have permission to refer to mine as "wall art" also?

I also confess that I frequently forget to clean up the wall after my shower. But with two (brown) long hairs in the house, my DH usually just assumes they are his and cleans the shower out when he sees them. :eyebrows:

[ravenreed]

Please feel free! :D



That's hilarious -- and so accurate! My walls tend to look like a hairy version of a Jackson Pollack when I shower! May I have permission to refer to mine as "wall art" also?

I also confess that I frequently forget to clean up the wall after my shower. But with two (brown) long hairs in the house, my DH usually just assumes they are his and cleans the shower out when he sees them. :eyebrows:

[swivelhop]

When in doubt - Lye Lye Lye. Eats hair fast.

[kteachone]

Now I try to stick my hair on the shower wall as it falls out instead of letting it rinse down the drain...

That is what I do too--it helps alot!

I've discovered that my drain twists off (the plunger part) and I can pull it out. Most of the hair is right at the top, so I pull it out and twist the plunger back in. I looked it up on Google.

[GRU]

That is what I do too--it helps alot!

I've discovered that my drain twists off (the plunger part) and I can pull it out. Most of the hair is right at the top, so I pull it out and twist the plunger back in. I looked it up on Google.


I have that same type of drain on my tub, and baths only happen a couple times a year in my house, so I removed the plunger/plug (I keep it under the sink, in case someone does want to take a bath, and I bought a simple "old-fashioned" type plug-on-a-chain for me to use when I mermaid soak my hair after cassia/henna).

I got a Hair Stopper (http://www.amazon.com/Hair-Stopper-Drain-Protector-Strainer/dp/B003B02L2G) for my drain, and it *really* works well. It doesn't "float away" or get off-center like some of them do, because the center part actually fits down inside the tub opening. Not sure when I bought it (and it was only about $3 at a local Walmart-type store), but it's probably been about 9-12 months now, and I haven't had to pull ANY hair out of the drain since.

:cheese::cheese::cheese::cheese::cheese:

[soapstone]

No chemicals!!

http://zipitclean.com/

[sanfen]

Oh! I came straight to the end of the thread to post about the ZipIt!!! It is a great tool.

The procedure can get gross, but I always have a box of vinyl gloves (allergic to rubber/latex) available for gross jobs - I toss them right out afterwards.

ETA - I think I got mine at Target.

[ravenreed]

Ours was all of about $2.50 from Walmart. We also have vinyl gloves and my son used the Zipip and threw it and the glove away.


Oh! I came straight to the end of the thread to post about the ZipIt!!! It is a great tool.

The procedure can get gross, but I always have a box of vinyl gloves (allergic to rubber/latex) available for gross jobs - I toss them right out afterwards.

ETA - I think I got mine at Target.

[mkmulwee]

I have a hair catcher gadget in my drain,a zip it, and a husband with long hair too so he cant grumble about my shedding :) I suppose Im lucky. Ive found that not detangling my hair in the shower helps and brushing my hair before i bathe helps.