How to Remove Hair from a Clogged Drain

Posted: August 31, 2021 to Plumbing Tips

There’s nothing more frustrating and disgusting than a drain full of hair. While this is a common problem, it’s not always easy to solve. And that’s particularly true if you don’t take the right approach.

On the plus side, there are several fixes you can experiment with. These include:

• Plumber’s snake:

  This is the most simple way to remove hair from a drain. Insert the snake and let the claw at the end do its job. If you’re lucky, you’ll remove all or enough of the hair to open up your drain once again.

• Boiling water:

  When hair mixes with soap, grease, and other common household items, it can result in a serious clog. Boiling water has the potential to remove a clog by breaking down the debris holding the hair in place.

• Vacuum:

  This is one of the most overlooked ways to remove hair from a clogged drain. If the clog is toward the top of the drain, insert the vacuum hose attachment as far as possible. You may be surprised to find that you’re able to remove all or most of the hair that’s causing your trouble.

Did all of these fixes come up short? Are you tired of wasting your time and money? Rather than continue down the same path, put everything away and call a plumber.

A professional can visit your home, assess the situation, and provide you with a clear overview of your options. For example, you may assume that you have a simple clog, but your plumber could come to find that it’s something more serious.

The last thing you want to do is leave the drain as-is and hope for the best. It’s not going to get better on its own. In fact, there’s a good chance that the problem will get worse.