How to Clean Hair Out of a Drain
Hair going down your drain can cause a lot of problems, from slowing the drain down, to clogging it up completely. In order to get your drain flowing properly, you’ll either have to break the hair up, or pull it out of the drain by hand.
Hair is most often the problem when your shower, bathtub or sinks aren’t draining properly. It’s best to attack the problem head-on, so as soon as you notice an issue, try some of these methods to clear it out.
Home Remedy
This remedy for a hair-clogged drain involves baking soda, vinegar, and grease-fighting dish detergent. First, you’ll want to pour some of the detergent into the drain. Then, pour a cup of baking soda into the drain, making sure it actually gets down into the drain. Immediately after that, pour a cup of vinegar down the drain. This should cause a fizzing sound in your drain.
After the fizzing stops, wait five minutes, and boil some water. Pour the boiling water slowly down the drain. The baking soda and vinegar help to break up the hair in the drain, while the hot water clears it out. Following all of this, you can try plunging the drain. If it’s a stubborn clog, you may have to repeat the process several times.
Pliers
While plunging the drain can work, pulling it out of the drain manually can do an even better job of clearing the hair out. For this, you’ll need some tools. A screwdriver, a pair of needle-nose pliers, a flashlight, and some rubber gloves should suffice. First, remove the drain stopper, which may just pop out. Take the opportunity to clean it off, while it’s out. Once you have a clear opening, use the flashlight to spot the hair, and use the pliers to pull it out of the drain. After removing the hair, run some hot water to make sure the drain is clearing properly before putting the stopper back.
Zip-it Tool
A zip-it tool is a long, flexible stick with barbs built on to it, in order to clear drains of things like hair. To use it, put it into the drain, and work it around. As you pull it out of the drain, the barbs should catch any hair and debris that is clogging the drain. Once you’ve cleaned the clog out, run some hot water, just to make sure the drain is clear.
Remove the Drain
One way to get to the bottom of a clogged drain is to remove the entire drain and clean it out. Here are the steps to doing that, using a flat-head screwdriver, a wrench, locking needle-nose pliers, standard pliers, and gloves.
- Remove the Stopper.
- Using the wrench, insert it into the drain, and turn counter-clockwise, until it becomes loose.
- When it becomes loosened, remove the wrench, and insert the needle-nose pliers.
- Lock the pliers into place when you clamp onto the “X” crossbar of the drain.
- Grab onto the needle-nose pliers with either the wrench or the standard pliers, as low as possible, and turn, counter-clockwise.
- Once the drain is loose enough, turn the needle-nose pliers until the entire drain comes out.
Once removed, wash the drain in a sink or a bucket, being sure to clean off any debris or hair. If you need to replace the drain, make sure to bring it with you to the hardware store in order to find a replacement.
Drain cleaning service in the Schererville area
If you’re trying to unclog hair from a drain, and it’s not working, it may be time to call in the professionals. In some cases, clogs can also signal a deeper or broader plumbing issue, such as a sewer line blockage. For reliable drain cleaning service, the team to trust is Reichelt Plumbing. Schedule an appointment today by calling (219) 322-4906.