How to Clean Hair from Drains

When hair is rinsed down the drain in your shower or bathtub, it can get trapped in the pipes. Over time, soap scum and more hair can cause a larger blockage to form, making it impossible to use your shower or bathtub. 

If the blockage in your Beavercreek, OH, home’s pipes isn’t cleaned, a buildup of water pressure can cause the pipes to burst or crack.

A large hair clog in your pipes should be handled by a professional plumber since they have the skills and tools necessary for clearing this type of blockage. They will also repair any pipes or seals that are damaged. Before your plumbing reaches this point, there are things you can do to clean hair from drains yourself.

How to Clean Hair from Drains in Your Beavercreek, OH, Home

Before you call for plumbing repair, you can do a few things to try to clean your home’s drains yourself. These methods won’t require you to use complex tools or know much about your home’s plumbing system. These are quick fixes that you can try before you call for professional plumber help.

Pull Visible Hair from the Drain

If you can see that hair has collected on the drain trap in your shower or bathtub, some hair has likely gotten past the trap. To begin, you should put on a pair of latex gloves. Pull the hair off of the drain trap until it appears clean. This will ensure that hair won’t be rinsed down your drain at a later time. It will also make it easier to remove the trap.

The next step involves removing the drain trap. Most traps are screwed into place, so you will need to use a screwdriver. Other traps can simply be pried off with your fingers or a flathead screwdriver. Once the trap has been removed, you can use a flashlight to look down into the pipe. 

You will likely see a clump of hair in the pipe. You can try using your finger to pull the hair up, but needle-nose pliers are usually more useful. If the pliers don’t work, you can try making a small drain snake out of a wire coat hanger. Just make sure not to push the clog deeper into the pipe. 

Once you clear the blockage, run the hot water to ensure water flow is restored.

Use a Vinegar and Baking Soda Rinse

While commercial chemical solutions can damage your pipes, you can create a natural solution at home to clean hair from drains. For this method, you will need dish soap with grease-cutting action, baking soda, vinegar, and a plunger. You should also have boiling water ready to use for later.

Start by squirting some dish soap into the drain to fight the grease that may be clinging to the inside lining of the pipe. Next, pour a cup of baking soda into the drain and make sure all of it goes into the pipe. 

The third step involves pouring a cup of vinegar into the drain to start the reaction. Your drain should start to fizzle. Let the drain fizzle and wait five minutes after it dies down. 

At this point, you should pour the boiling water down the drain. This will clear the drain of the hair and soap scum that the baking soda and vinegar loosened. You may need to do some light plunging to completely clear the blockage. If you still don’t get better water flow after a few minutes of plunging, it’s time to call a professional plumber.

Use Hot Water and a Plunger

If you have a light hair clog in the drain in your Beavercreek, OH, home, you may be able to clear the drain with some hot water and elbow grease. You will have to run the water for a few minutes first to get the temperature up, giving you enough water for plunging. Once the water is hot, try using your plunger to clear the drain. 

After a few minutes, you should hear a gurgling sound. As you pull the plunger away, strands of hair may float back up from the drain. Remove the hair before it has a chance to float back down into the drain. If the drain doesn’t clear after a few minutes, you’ll need to contact a Beavercreek, OH, company that offers plumbing repair services.

Get Plumbing Help

Whether you have a clogged drain or a leaking pipe, call Dean’s Plumbing for professional service. Our certified technicians will fix any plumbing problem in your home to help you avoid water damage and more extensive repairs. Call us today!