Hairy Situation: Three Steps to Unclogging Your Drain Chemical-Free

It’s the season for entertaining and unless you have a family full of bald uncles, your drains will be working overtime and might have you pulling your family’s locks out of your shower. Here’s what you can do to try to clear that hair clog without using harsh chemicals.

While a tangled mess in your drain is better than having your relatives tangle over politics at the dinner table, solving the problem with chemicals isn’t good for your pipes or the environment. In addition to hair, all the hair products your relatives brought to fix their tresses—like gels and mousses—attach to the trapped hair, clumping up an already hairy situation.

Instead of reaching for a caustic chemical, the solution might be in your pantry.

The Hidden Home Remedy for Clogged Drains

Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, is a natural compound that can dissolve mineral deposits and organic materials. It has disinfectant properties that can fight odor-causing bacteria and fungi— \that means it is up to the task of managing that mangled hair.

3 easy steps to use baking soda to unclog a drain:

Unclogging a hair-clogged drain using baking soda will require baking soda, white vinegar, and hot water.

1. Measure one cup of baking soda and pour it down the drain. Immediately follow the baking soda with one cup of vinegar down the drain.
2. Watch for a fizzing in the drain and five minutes after the fizzing stops, flush the drain with two quarts of hot water.
3. Repeat this process until the clog clears.

For a stubborn clog, try pouring a cup of baking soda and a half cup of salt down the drain and let the mixture stay in the drain overnight before flushing it with two cups of boiling water.

The good news is these natural methods will not harm your pipes nor the environment. In fact, it’s a good idea to use this process as regular maintenance for your drains.

The Secret to Keeping Your Drains Hair-Free

The best way to clear hair-clogged drains is to avoid getting them clogged in the first place! Running the tap during shaving, brushing your hair before showering, and keeping the drain screen clean are all things you can do to stop a hair clog before it happens.

There are some clogs that a home remedy may not be able to fix. Clogged drains that become too large for natural solvents can become lodged deeper in your drain than you can clear on your own. The experts at Len The Plumber have professional techniques and equipment that can get to the root of the problem, even if those roots are your aunt’s dyed ones.