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Suzie Q

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Does anyone have a tried and true solution to hair clogging drains? We use a screen in our personal bathtub, but that wouldn't work in guest baths. We had one guest comment on a slow moving drain and commented she cleaned it out for us. I thanked her. I assumed she used one of those white plastic "hair grabbers," and bought one. It didn't work. I hate to throw more money away. Anyone else have any solutions?
Thanks!
 
Yep, I call it fishing the drain with a wire hanger. We do this often, bend the end of a hanger into a hook shape and go at it and out comes all the hair and debris.
DH has a tshirt that reads "Elbow grease doesn't come in a can" you just have to get in there and pull it out and it's ugly.
 
Yep, I call it fishing the drain with a wire hanger. We do this often, bend the end of a hanger into a hook shape and go at it and out comes all the hair and debris.
DH has a tshirt that reads "Elbow grease doesn't come in a can" you just have to get in there and pull it out and it's ugly..
I'll try it. Thanks!
 
Try dropping a diamond earring down the drain...that will get your significant other to get the wrench out and take apart the sink pipes - pull out the hair wad and find the dang earring! Yes, it really happened! Clogs have a purpose sometimes - if it weren't for the hair, the earring would be in Lake Michigan by now I guess!
On a more serious note - you know they make drain uncloggers - you can buy them in any store. They work wonders - I think it just disinegrates hair!
 
Try dropping a diamond earring down the drain...that will get your significant other to get the wrench out and take apart the sink pipes - pull out the hair wad and find the dang earring! Yes, it really happened! Clogs have a purpose sometimes - if it weren't for the hair, the earring would be in Lake Michigan by now I guess!
On a more serious note - you know they make drain uncloggers - you can buy them in any store. They work wonders - I think it just disinegrates hair!.
No diamond earrings, but I guess I can ask for some for Christmas! Concrete floor under tub, not good. I've tried a drain cleaner years ago and just watched the water sit there. That is why I asked for recommendations.
I tried the wire. I got it about 3-4" down the drain, and couldn't push any farther.
 
i'm not a fan of chemical uncloggers ... some things i've used are
plunging to pull the clog up higher so i can get it out with plumber's snake and/or bent coat hanger
even a bottle brush sometimes works ... the little fibers catch on the hair and you can pull it out ... all gross
dump 1 cup of baking soda into the drain, pour in 3 cups of boiling water
or
1 cup baking soda, 1 cup vinegar ... after the fizzing ... pour in 3 cups of boiling water
or baking soda, followed by boiling water, followed by vinegar
make sure the vinegar is white vinegar and not cider vinegar only because the white vinegar seems to have less of an odor that lingers
after the drain is clear, put in a hair catching drain insert ... i had little mesh/screen type things that you push down into the drains. just get in the habit of cleaning them out after each use (only takes a minute) and saves you aggravation and clogged drains. the mesh thing will fill up quickly but is easy to clean out. i had them in sinks, bath and kitchen, as well
good luck!
edit: here ... they call them strainers or mesh sink drain traps
 
i'm not a fan of chemical uncloggers ... some things i've used are
plunging to pull the clog up higher so i can get it out with plumber's snake and/or bent coat hanger
even a bottle brush sometimes works ... the little fibers catch on the hair and you can pull it out ... all gross
dump 1 cup of baking soda into the drain, pour in 3 cups of boiling water
or
1 cup baking soda, 1 cup vinegar ... after the fizzing ... pour in 3 cups of boiling water
or baking soda, followed by boiling water, followed by vinegar
make sure the vinegar is white vinegar and not cider vinegar only because the white vinegar seems to have less of an odor that lingers
after the drain is clear, put in a hair catching drain insert ... i had little mesh/screen type things that you push down into the drains. just get in the habit of cleaning them out after each use (only takes a minute) and saves you aggravation and clogged drains. the mesh thing will fill up quickly but is easy to clean out. i had them in sinks, bath and kitchen, as well
good luck!
edit: here ... they call them strainers or mesh sink drain traps.
I just tried the vinegar/baking soda/hot water treatment you mentioned. Thanks! The drain seems to be running well so far, but I guess the real test will come when I have a tub full of water.
We have 3 types of drains. One with "cross-hairs" and a stopper, one with a strainer (ours) and the third has a push/push stopper.
 
Ours is called My Husband....he takes it all apart opens up the drain etc etc...
 
Seems like an inordinate number of "bad shedders" this year......always grosses me out.
 
A regular (once/month anyway) concoction of vinegar and baking soda. Otherwise go for the full strength stuff whenever the drain slows down. We remove the drain cover whenever the plastic pipe starts looking dirty and scrub the pipe out with a toilet brush.
 
Ours is called My Husband....he takes it all apart opens up the drain etc etc....
It's pretty easy, really, to clean the J-trap. In fact, that's what that J-shape is there for - to trap stuff so that it doesn't clog up the pipes.
Just put a bowl under it to catch the water that will flow out. Unscrew and clean then put back on.
Five minutes, tops. And no need to add anything into the drain. Just take the globs of hair out.
The clog? It's just the J-trap doing its job.
Of course, if there's a hubby around to do his job and clean the J-trap out for you, well, even better!
 
Ours is called My Husband....he takes it all apart opens up the drain etc etc....
It's pretty easy, really, to clean the J-trap. In fact, that's what that J-shape is there for - to trap stuff so that it doesn't clog up the pipes.
Just put a bowl under it to catch the water that will flow out. Unscrew and clean then put back on.
Five minutes, tops. And no need to add anything into the drain. Just take the globs of hair out.
The clog? It's just the J-trap doing its job.
Of course, if there's a hubby around to do his job and clean the J-trap out for you, well, even better!
.
Innkeeper TG I used to have that Einstein quote on my siggie line on this forum!
I also had this one:
If I had only known, I would have been a locksmith. Albert Einstein
and I love this one:
Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler. Albert Einstein
and this one:
He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed.[FONT=
&quot] [/FONT]
Albert Einstein[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]

 
Ours is called My Husband....he takes it all apart opens up the drain etc etc....
It's pretty easy, really, to clean the J-trap. In fact, that's what that J-shape is there for - to trap stuff so that it doesn't clog up the pipes.
Just put a bowl under it to catch the water that will flow out. Unscrew and clean then put back on.
Five minutes, tops. And no need to add anything into the drain. Just take the globs of hair out.
The clog? It's just the J-trap doing its job.
Of course, if there's a hubby around to do his job and clean the J-trap out for you, well, even better!
.
Innkeeper TG I used to have that Einstein quote on my siggie line on this forum!
I also had this one:
If I had only known, I would have been a locksmith. Albert Einstein
and I love this one:
Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler. Albert Einstein
and this one:
He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed.[FONT=
&quot] [/FONT]
Albert Einstein[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]

.
Just love the one about as simple as possible. Just perfect!
 
I do not like to use chemical cleaners especially since we have a sewage treatment plant, those mess up the chemial balance in the plant. I keep my drains cleaned by cleaning them out once to twice a month with one of those white plastic teeth grip rods. They do work and keeps my drains running well.
 
The solution is to clean them out frequently. blech! It's amazing how much hair can get in a tub drain especially.
 
I was going to start a rant thread entitled "The World Would Be Better Off Bald" (or at least, my B&B would). My problem isn't hair clogging the drains; it's hair on the tub, or the toilet, or the sink. You think you've cleaned it, but the cleaning cloth just deposits it somewhere else. Inevitably, some guest will deposit at least one uncleanable hair in a bathroom and you chase it around, then end up putting the hose on the Kirby and vacuuming the bathroom after it has dried. Just in case. Guests always give us high marks for cleanliness, but the process is taking a toll.
 
I was going to start a rant thread entitled "The World Would Be Better Off Bald" (or at least, my B&B would). My problem isn't hair clogging the drains; it's hair on the tub, or the toilet, or the sink. You think you've cleaned it, but the cleaning cloth just deposits it somewhere else. Inevitably, some guest will deposit at least one uncleanable hair in a bathroom and you chase it around, then end up putting the hose on the Kirby and vacuuming the bathroom after it has dried. Just in case. Guests always give us high marks for cleanliness, but the process is taking a toll..
Have you tried vacuuming the bathroom before cleaning it? Gets a lot of those pesky hairs out of the way. Worse yet is when you realize YOU'RE the one shedding!
 
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