the top 5 ways to remove hair from your drainsHaving hair clogging your drain is a common but annoying issue that can affect sinks and bathtubs. Fixing the issue can be simple, and may even be done with products you have in your home right now.

Drain Snake

An extremely common device found in any plumbing store and most department stores, a drain snake is a very effective tool that can remove hair and other clogs that may be in your pipes.

Once the clog has been found, slowly pull the snake backwards. It will have small barbs along the length that will catch the hair or other debris and pull it out as well. This can be a very quick, cheap, and easy way to remove a variety of clogs in your bathtub or sink drain pipes.

Baking Soda and Vinegar

An extremely easy and simple home remedy that can help move clogs along is a mixture of baking soda and white vinegar.

Start by adding a small amount of dish soap down the drain. This will help the baking soda and vinegar work around the clog and break it up. Then, add one cup of baking soda followed by one cup of white vinegar to the drain and wash it down with a few cups of boiling water.

Long Tweezers

If you can see the clogged hair near the drain itself, you may not need any fancy tools in order to remove it. In fact, a pair of tweezers may be all it takes to get a hold of the clog and pull it out. You may need to remove the drain cover in order to provide room for your fingers or the tweezers to access the clog.

DIY Plumbing

If you are confident in your DIY abilities, you can do your own plumbing repairs by removing the S-shaped, L-shaped, or P-shaped drain pipes in the area where the clog is present. In most cases, the hair will be stuck in these bent areas of the pipe.

Remove the pipe with a drain pipe wrench and have a bucket underneath the pipe in order to catch excess water. Be sure you are wearing gloves, especially if you placed any caustic drain clearing liquids down the pipes previously.

If you notice the clog in this removed section of pipe, you can easily remove it and clear the pipe of the hair. Replace the pipe in the same way you removed it and give the drain a test to see if this was the only clog present or if there may be more clogs further down.

Call a Professional

If none of the above methods have been able to clear out the clog or if you are not comfortable with your own DIY projects, you may have to call a professional plumber in Discovery Bay or beyond. While this service is not free, it will be much cheaper than dealing with complete water backups and plumbing damage if the clog is not dealt with properly.