How To Dissolve Hair In Shower Drain - Rider Drains | Drain unblocking | Emergency drain services (2024)

A common problem in households across the country is hair clogging in bath and shower drains. Hair lingering around the plughole is unappealing, but if hair clogs in drains, it can cause significant problems in your drain network.

Therefore, knowing how to dissolve hair in your drains is vital information for households, and you have a few methods to consider when looking to unclog hair from a drain, which we will cover today.

Ways To Remove Hair From A Shower Drain

If you are dealing with a clogged drain and standing water, you want an effective solution to clear your bathroom sink drain. Thankfully, you have options, and in some cases, all you need is about a half hour to clear your drain and pipes from long hair, clogs and other debris.

Most of these methods will also work on removing soap scum and other blockages from a tub drain, so it is worth your while checking out these top tips.

Dissolving Hair In Your Drain

If you want to remove a clog from your sinkhole, you’ll need the following items and products:

• Dish soap
• Baking soda - usually a half cup or one cup of baking soda
• White Vinegar
• Plunger
• Something to collect the hair in, a bin bag or bucket
• Rubber gloves
• Petroleum jelly
• Warm tap water and if you are careful, boiling water

The first step to dissolving hair in clogged drains is to pour dish soap into your drain, then one cup of vinegar and then a half-cup to cup of baking soda.

Baking Soda And Vinegar Is A Potent Mixture That Dissolves Hair

Allow five minutes for this mixture to undergo a chemical reaction, where it formulates and fizzes. After this, pour a cup of hot water down the sink. (If you are sure you don’t have plastic drains, you can use boiling water, but proceed with caution.)

In many cases, this will get rid of hair, unclogging your drain. In some cases though, you’ll need to use a plunger to thoroughly clean out the drain.

Follow Instructions And Leave Time Between Flushing Mixtures

When there is a lot of hair, or it is proving hard to shift, consider repeating the process or increasing the amount of baking soda you use.

However, be mindful to not use too much baking soda, or that could clog too. Always flush hot water through the shower drain after using this mixture, which will hopefully remove it.

Removing Hair With Tweezers Is A Simple By Hand Method

If there isn’t a lot of hair to remove, and you can see it around and just inside the plug hole, it might be best to tweeze the hair out.

To help you see further down into the drain, you can use a torch, or the torch feature on your smartphone. This should help you see clumps of hair, and hopefully, you can easily reach and remove these items.

If you don’t have tweezers, a pair of needle-nose pliers should be sufficient to dissolve a blockage from your bathroom drain or pipes in a natural way.

Use A Snaking Device To Reach Clogs In Your Shower Drain

If the previous method or two don’t get rid of a massive clog from your shower drain, you’ll need something more substantial, and you have a range of specialist products or equipment to choose from, including:

• A drain snake
• A plumber’s auger
• Draining rods

Alternatively, some people use a wire coat hanger that they can twist into a shape that can reach down their drain. If you have a wire hanger in the house that isn't in use, it is a quick and cost effective way to deal with clogged shower drains.

A Drain Snake Is An Effective Way To Break Stubborn Blockages

A drain snake is the first option you should consider, and you can buy these online or from a hardware store.

Work your drain snake into the drain until you feel resistance, and it will hopefully break up clogs, and pull debris back with it. Again, make sure you have a bucket or bin bags on hand to place any removed debris from the drain.

Flush Through The Pipes After Using A Drain Snake

Once you have driven a snake as far as it can, be sure to flush the shower or bathtub drain through.

At a minimum, use hot water, but many households find the baking soda and vinegar concoction mentioned above is a great way to finish this cleaning process.

Use Commercially Available Cleaning Products

You know there is a great range of commercially available cleaning products to choose from, and some of these are chemical cleaning products.

Not everyone is happy with harsh chemical cleaners or liquid bleach, so be sure to read the ingredients carefully when purchasing a product of this nature.

Also, be sure to read the instructions carefully to ensure you use the product appropriately, and safely. Some product require you to leave them be for a few hours, and some need to sit overnight in shower drains or bathroom sinks.

Acidic Properties Make A Difference For Draining Properly

You will likely want to avoid contact with some chemical drain cleaners and toxic chemicals, and it is worthwhile investing in protective equipment such as rubber gloves, face masks and even goggles if you plan on using harsh chemicals to clear out hair from a drain. Always wear gloves when working with corrosive or harmful substances.

Not All Commercial Cleaning Products Effectively Dispose Of Hair

Another thing to consider before you buy a product like this is how effective it is at unclogging hair from sinks.

There is a feeling that these products are highly effective at removing grease, soap scum or fat from a pipe, but hair presents a tougher challenge.

Please read reviews of these products to see if other users have used it to wear away hair, and if they did, what they thought about its effectiveness.

Hire A Professional To Clear Hair From Your Tub Drain

If you don’t have the time or products to clear hair from your drain, or you don’t like the idea of this work, you can hire a plumber to do this work for you.

This is costly, but for peace of mind, and access to the best tools and products, some households will more than justify the investment.

Remove A Clog Effectively

Plumbers have dealt with clogged sinks and shower drains on many times, and they’ll have techniques for removing or dissolving hair from a sink or shower drain.

They’ll likely have substances and tools that make quick work of the problem, so if you want the hair issue removed in next to no time, hiring a plumber makes sense.

Professional drain cleaning services cost more, but for many, drain cleaning by an expert is value for money, especially at removing stubborn hair clogs.

Replace Your Drain

This is an extreme method to having a hair-free drain system, but if worst comes to worst, this might be a solution to consider. Ideally though, try everything you can before this becomes a viable task.

If it is the only option, leave the work to the experts who will ensure you do not make a bad problem worse!

Can You Prevent Hair Clogs From Blocking A Drain?

Given the difficulties in removing hair from a sink or drain, it is best for households to be proactive in dealing with this issue. Given some people are hairier than others, it is natural that some households have more of a problem with hair in a sink than others, but it is an issue that will likely arise from time to time in every home.

Prevent Hair From Getting Into Your Shower Drain With A Removable Cover

This is why there is a strong argument for investing in a drain cover, a drain stopper, a smart plug or hair stopper.

There is an extensive range of products designed for stopping hair from entering your drain, which means clogs in the pipe never happen. You'll find a great selection online or in a local hardware store.

When your hair clogs on the outside of your sink around these stoppers, it isn’t attractive, but knowing you can scoop it up and dispose of it quickly is a great comfort to many homeowners.

Why Is Hair In Your Sink And Drains A Problem?

You might not think hair in your drain is a big problem, but it can cause significant damage. Hair becomes tangled, and when these hairs combine with oils from various bathroom products, they become tangled and start to clog.

This clog of hair makes existing blockages worse, and can lead to back-ups and water not flowing freely through the drain.

Don't Place Too Much Pressure On Your Pipes

If this problem persists, the pressure might cause a crack or fracture within the pipe, and before you know it, there is a significant issue with your drainage system.

Hair by itself can cause problems when it blocks a drain, but when hair combines with other bathroom debris, such as soap scum or toilet paper, it causes significant problems.

Hair Can Clog Up Kitchen Sinks And Drains Too

Of course, this is also true for hair in a kitchen sink. While hair is most likely an issue in a bath or shower drain, or in the wash basin in a toilet or bathroom, hair is a concern in kitchen sinks too.

There are many benefits of clean pipes and whether you use home remedies, store bought options or hire a professional plumber, you'll like the outcome when you clear your drains and pipes.

Resolving A Clogged Shower Drain Shouldn't Be Too Difficult

Given a hair clog looks unsightly, most people want to remove it, but the dangers of a clogged drain means knowing how to remove all the hair from a drain is helpful.

Remedies such as vinegar and baking soda are a good way to clear a hair clog, and there are specialist products like bottled drain cleaners or a plumbing snake which help with the process.

Using hot water makes sense, but be careful when using boiling water, both for yourself, and its impact on pipes.

No matter what method you opt for, you can release short and long hair from a blocked drain, allowing you to enjoy your bath or shower again.