How to Get Hair Out of Bathtub Drain?

Your bathroom is your mini sanctuary where you unwind and relax after a long, tiring day. However, a hair clog in the bathtub drain can render your bathroom unusable. In this guide, we will outline effective ways to clear hair from your bathtub drains.

Try baking soda and vinegar

Begin by flushing the bathtub drain with hot water. Next, pour ½ cup of baking soda into the bathtub drain, then pour ½ cup of vinegar. These ingredients will create a chemical reaction that will help dissolve the hair down your drain. Let the mixture sit for 15 minutes before flushing the drain with hot water. If the drain is still clogged, try another method.

Use a wire hanger or a drain claw

Remove the drain guard and shine a flashlight into the bathtub drain to see if the hair clog is visible. If you can see the clog and it’s within reach, use a wire hanger or drain claw to snag the hair clog and pull it out. Simply insert the wire hanger into the drain and move it around. You may feel some friction when the hanger hooks the clog. Ensure you wear gloves as you go about this process, because removing hair clogs from bathtub drains can get pretty nasty. Once the drain is clear, flush hot water down the drain to clear any remaining obstruction or debris.

Use a plumbing snake

If you’ve tried to unclog your bathtub drain using a wire hanger but it’s still slow, it could mean the hair clog is further down the pipe. In that case, you’ll need to use a plumbing snake to dislodge the clog. If you don’t have a plumbing snake at home, you can purchase one from your local hardware store.

Here’s how to use a plumbing snake to get hair out of a bathtub drain.

1. Step 1: Insert the drain snake cable into the drain
2. Step 2: Turn the manual crank if you’re using a manual drain, or turn the motor on to feed the cable into the drain. Let the cable run through at least 3o inches into the pipe.
3. Step 3: Continue to feed the cable into the drain until you feel some resistance. Push the tip of the cable into the obstruction and retract the drain snake to pull out the hair clog.
4. Step 4: Alternatively, you can twist and wiggle the cable so that you loosen the clog and run hot water down the drain to clear the blockage.

Call a plumber to help you out

If all else fails, you’ll need to call an experienced plumber to help you with drain cleaning. Sometimes, you may not be able to clear stubborn hair clogs using the methods mentioned above. Thankfully, a professional plumber will come in with advanced drain cleaning tools and clear even the most stubborn drain clogs in no time. When you need help with drain cleaning in your home, call Neighborhood Plumbing.

Caution: Avoid using chemical drain cleaners to clear hair clogs in bathtub drains. While they’ve been touted as a quick fix for drain clogs, chemical drain cleaners come with many downsides. Chemical drain cleaners can corrode your pipes, they are highly toxic, and are bad for the environment.

If you are looking for an experienced plumber to help you with drain cleaning, reach out to Neighborhood Plumbing.