My bathtub drain is CLOGGED with hair

[Peacan Tan]

Actually I do use a hair stopper . . . so yeah. It's THAT serious

...and you remember to clean the hair catcher after every hair washing/co-wash ,ect right?

 

[AuNaturalMaMa]

Sorry this is OT...but how do you wash alllllllllllllllllll that hair in the sink??

Lol! I have a really deep sink. I can't stand washing my hair standing up in the shower. I have to spend time afterwards removing hair from where the sun don't shine. It annoys me. So either I wash in the kitchen sink which is really deep or I use the downstairs bathroom and kneel over the bathtub and use the faucet.

 

[BostonMaria]

and the plot thickens....

So did you get the tub fixed yet?

 

[silenttullip]

I did dawn and plunger... All was well

 

[Solitude]

Draino can wear at your pipes. ZipIt does the job and I rarely have to use it. Best $2 I ever spent.

This is why I don't like to use it.

How did you go about using the Drano tho?

I pour it in and let it sit for an hour or until I'm almost ready. Then I run the scalding hot water for about a minute.

You sound like you need a plunger tho.

Bleach works just as well...but I use that on minor clogs.

I use bleach regularly to keep gnats from getting in my drains. That's probably why I don't get many clogs.

 

[MrsHdrLe]

Caution: Make sure you can use Draino or Liquid Plummer before you go out an buy! (Ask hubby or your apt. manager if that applies) Those products can literally eat through your pipes, causing an even BIGGER problem, especially if you live in an older house or apartment.

 

[AuNaturalMaMa]

Caution: Make sure you can use Draino or Liquid Plummer before you go out an buy! (Ask hubby or your apt. manager if that applies) Those products can literally eat through your pipes, causing an even BIGGER problem, especially if you live in an older house or apartment.

Good advice. When I lived in an apt draino and such was not allowed because of what it could do to the pipes. If something was clogged you could use boiling water down the drain. If that didn't work you had to call maintenance.

 

[tropical-punch]

What kind of Drano did you use? My mom bought the foaming/pipe cleaning one and it got out the clog that even the high grade/highly caustic/drain "poison" couldn't get through.

 

[kellistarr]

Sorry this is OT...but how do you wash alllllllllllllllllll that hair in the sink??

I wondered the SAME thing!!!!

 

[Lady S]

Vinegar & baking soda. Then a whole lot of hot water.

 

[CrueltyFree]

I'd just try to get the hair out with a snake. Use a hair stopper from now on. Make sure it's fine enough where hair won't slip through. The chemicals are bad for your pipes and the environment.

This is why I can't be bothered to do my hair in the shower.

 

[cutenss]

Get a Zit It from Walmart for about $2.00. I use it, then I put it back in the package for next time. I can get 3-4 uses out of one. A white man worker with a loooooong ponytail sweared by it. He was so right

 

[coyacoy]

What is this? Is this the same as Drano?





Ladies, I'm telling you, I've done Drano, Liquid Plumber, etc. to NO avail . . . just a waste of money when it comes to my tub

go to home depot and get one of their products - i can't remember the name, but it comes in a black bottle and has a clear plastic bag over it. that stuff is hands down the best drain unclogger ever. works miracles - sorry i can't recall the name, but if you go to home depot and describe it to one of the sales people guaranteed they will know what your talking about. that ish is industrial strenf!

 

[ChocalateDiva]

My remedy is free!! Boil a big pot of hot water and pour it down the drain. Usually takes 3 of my big turnip green pots and the drain is clear.

 

[Kindheart]

I normally take the hair off my shower filter everytime i wash my hair ,you defintley need a filter and make sure to clean it everytime you shower.

 

[keepithealthy]

Thank you OP because I have had several clogs since my hair has gotten longer. I have used Drano and the stuff in the black container that was mentioned. Both worked well. I was dealing with another bad clog this week.

I didn't want to use any more chemicals because I was worried about damaging the pipes. I went out and purchased Zip It. It worked like a charm!!! I go two uses out of it because my mom used it downstairs.

So once again thank you OP for starting this thread and thank you ladies for recommending Zip It!

 

[MamaBear2012]

I had the same problem. Drano didn't work, baking soda and vinegar was a no-go, nothing...then I just had to be a big girl, and get to work. The way my drain is set up, there is a part that sticks out and all of the hair gets caught on that part. Basically, the hair had wrapped itself around this little piece. So, I got a wire hanger and started untangling. It took all of 5 minutes and I was mad at myself for even wasting money on Drano.

 

[belldandy]

Clorox has a drain gel thats safe for all pipes. Just like drano. That baking soda vinegar plunger aint doing nothing for a stubborn drain of hair. I just cleared my tub 3 weeks ago cuz my hair cligged it so bad it was taking literally 24 hours for the water to clear

this.
but i would try a snake or hanger first.

 

[OrangeMoon]

Don't know if you into using chemicals but Liquid Fire is a beast. I think DLewis recommended it long time ago. I poured it directly down the drain and you could hear the hair and whatever else that's in the drain sizzle away. The only thing is I would wear gloves and goggles when I used it...you could never be too careful. I used it when we lived in our apartment and now that I'm a homeowner so far so good. I've only had to use it three times and I've been living in the house for two years now...once in the utility tube in the basement, once in my bathtub and then the bathroom sink. Clogs melted instantly.

 

[kryolnapps]

Wow I didn't know about the Zip It! Thanks for starting this tread OP. I don't like using chemicals, bad for your pipes, bad for the environment. Baking soda and vinegar work well for smells and general cleaning but not for clogs, at least in my case.

I can't use a hair catcher/filter because I have a drain stopper.

 

[MsChelle]

So glad I stumbled on this thread. I went through an entire large bottle of Drano last night and it did absolutely NOTHING.

 

[napbella]

I went and got the zip it last nite and pulled out some nasty stuff, worked great. Just cost over $3 at home depot.

 

[NIN4eva]

You're not crazy OP, absolutely NONE of that Draino or Liquid Plumber crap works for me, and even with the hair stopper I still get minor clogs from shed hair and conditioners. You've gotta snake that ish girl. Most dollar stores have some sort of version of the zip it or snake.

btw, I think this is a perfectly valid reason to start a thread. A lot of us on the board have lot more hair than we've ever had and the constantly clogging drain can be really frustrating... I have 2 jobs and go to school 5 nights a week, the last thing I wanna do is play plumber.

 

[greenandchic]

I too use a wire hanger to get the hair out. Once I get a hold of a few strands, it all comes out in one gross glob. About once a week I routinely pour boiling water down the drains to loosen up the oils/butters/conditioners that get stuck down that and that helps a lot. Vinegar and baking soda is for maintenance, but when you have a real hairy clog, forget it.

I try to avoid using Drano and other caustic chemicals in my home as much as possible (I don't even use bleach), but when all else fails... I end up leaving it much longer than instructed (usually overnight) and clear with boiling water with plenty of ventilation and mouth/eye protection.

 

[keepithealthy]

I can't use a hair catcher/filter because I have a drain stopper.

kryolnapps I thought I couldn't use one because my tub has a drain stopper but I just cut around it and it did a good job of catching the hair. I tested it tonight when I detangled.

I used one that looked like this
http://www.kaboodle.com/hi/img/2/0/0/5e/a/AAAAAuY_QaMAAAAAAF6jnw.jpg

 

[LovelyLouboutin]

The liquid drain stuff never works for me. I like the Draino crystal remover (or any crystal remover) it burns/melts the hair away.

 

[virtuenow]

What is this? Is this the same as Drano?





Ladies, I'm telling you, I've done Drano, Liquid Plumber, etc. to NO avail . . . just a waste of money when it comes to my tub

I had the same problem a couple of months ago since i started washing so often. It even had my bathroom sink plugged as a side affect to the bathtub. Drano, snakes, nothing did it until I made a little contraption (w/metal duckbills clips & bobby pins) and pulled the hair up myself. Pretty gross...and it took a while to get it all. I haven't had a problem since-- and the result cleared up both clogs.

 

[cia_garces]

Caution: Make sure you can use Draino or Liquid Plummer before you go out an buy! (Ask hubby or your apt. manager if that applies) Those products can literally eat through your pipes, causing an even BIGGER problem, especially if you live in an older house or apartment.

Wow...I live in an apartment and didn't even know this. Oops!!

Good advice. When I lived in an apt draino and such was not allowed because of what it could do to the pipes. If something was clogged you could use boiling water down the drain. If that didn't work you had to call maintenance.

Boiling water you say? That will def be my next go to solution.

Get a Zit It from Walmart for about $2.00. I use it, then I put it back in the package for next time. I can get 3-4 uses out of one. A white man worker with a loooooong ponytail sweared by it. He was so right

2 bucks?! Between the drano I originally bought and the next stuff I purchased that did the trick, I could've saved about 10 bucks had I bought this thing.

My remedy is free!! Boil a big pot of hot water and pour it down the drain. Usually takes 3 of my big turnip green pots and the drain is clear.

Sounds like it would do the trick since the stuff I used was pretty much a chemical that "burned" whatever was in my pipes.

So once again thank you OP for starting this thread and thank you ladies for recommending Zip It!

Yeah, OP!! Thank you!!!

I too use a wire hanger to get the hair out. Once I get a hold of a few strands, it all comes out in one gross glob. About once a week I routinely pour boiling water down the drains to loosen up the oils/butters/conditioners that get stuck down that and that helps a lot. Vinegar and baking soda is for maintenance, but when you have a real hairy clog, forget it.

I think having a hair strap and weekly maintenance is definitely the key to avoid having these issues. Thanks for the suggestions!!!

 

[carletta]

OK.............I HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM FOR 1 YEAR. DRAINO, CALLED A PLUMMER OUT, SNAKED !! N.O.T.H.I.N.G. WORKED............FINALLY FOUND SOMETHING THAT DID WORK FO SURE !!!!!! IT DISOLVED A.N.Y.T.H.I.NG IT CAME INCONTACT WITH (EXCEPT PIPES) YOU CAN GET IT AT LOWES.....BUT U HAVE TO BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL WITH THIS PRODUCT !!!!!!!... I ONLY RECCOMEND THIS IF YOU HAVE A HOUSE ( NOT APARTMENT!) BEACAUSE IT SMELL LIKE ROTTON EGGS FROM THE FUMES IT GIVES OFF (WOULDNT USE IN A APARTMENT BUILDING)


IT'S CALLED: THEOCHEM 32oz CLEAN SHOT SULFURIC ACID DRAIN OPENER ( LOWE'S)

LOOK IT UP ONLINE AND SEE WHAT THIS PRODUCT DOES !!!!!!! I WISHED I HAD FOUND THIS 8 MONTHS AGO !!!!!!!!

 

[BlackHairDiva]

So now that I'm co-washing almost daily, my bathtub drain is totally clogged . . . I end up standing in a tub full of water and it's just gross. Even my tried-and-true baking soda and vinegar method isn't getting the job done.

I really really really do NOT want to use a snake or anything like that . . . I'm afraid of what I might pull up! I think I'm going to try using some nair or neat . . . I've read online that putting that down the drain and letting it sit for 30 minutes can do the trick.

I've also read that if you put some liquid Dawn down the drain and then use a plunger, that helps also.

Any thoughts or other tips?

YES , you need a Zip it tool. Its cheap, easy to use and does the job. If you gotta hubby/So let him do it .Here is a clip of how it works:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eD6z3BS8YyA