Long hair often looks fantastic, but is unappealing when it lies in a shower drain. When hair combines with debris such as soap scum, it creates a sizable clog that blocks bathrooms drains and sinks.

Knowing how to remove these hair clogs, and the main steps of drain cleaning, is helpful for every household and one of the things you should be cleaning more often at home.

Does hair dissolve naturally in a drain?

A hair is biodegradable, it will dissolve naturally or with natural products in a sink or drain. However, this process can take up to two years, so it is natural that people want to speed up the process.

If you can reach the hair, it makes sense to remove it manually. Wear gloves and place it in a bucket or bin bag before disposing of it properly. If the hair is out of reach, use tweezers, needle nose pliers or professional equipment like a plumbing snake, available from a local hardware store.

How to best remove hair clogs in a shower drain?

The most commonly cited method to remove hair from a drain is a cup of baking soda and vinegar. This combination is highly effective at removing many clogs and blockages, and a hair clog is no different.

Baking soda can fix shower drain blockages

The following home remedy is a great way to reach clogs, and flush them through:

  • Place soap dish into a drain
  • Use one cup of vinegar or white vinegar
  • Use a half cup or cup of baking soda, placing both of these ingredients into the drain
  • Wait five minutes and the combination will froth and fizz in a chemical reaction
  • When the fizzing stops between five minutes and about a half hour, flush a cup of hot water down the drain

In most instances, this will be enough to remove a hair clog, but in some cases, you will need to repeat the process, up to two cups. You can also use a plunger at this point, which will hopefully collect the hair clog, allowing you to easily remove the hair. A wire hanger (preferably a wire coat hanger) can also be used.

Does hydrogen peroxide dissolve hair in drains?

Yes, hydrogen peroxide dissolves hair in a drain, and many other blockages.
It is a good idea to use a cup of hydrogen peroxide alongside the vinegar and baking soda combination outlined above. If you find that the vinegar and baking soda concoction isn’t enough to clear hair, this additional step might make the process of clearing a shower drain easier.

Organic or chemical drain cleaners?

Of course, there are times when baking soda and vinegar aren’t strong enough to clear hair from a shower drain, and you should consider other options to clear a clogged shower drain.
If you are considering a commercially available cleaning product, you’ll likely have a choice between organic or chemical products.

You have choices for drain cleaning

Organic or natural products will usually contain enzymes, with enzymes breaking down organic material such as waste, food and hair. There are many benefits and downsides to this solution with a pro being it is less corrosive on your pipes compared to chemical solutions, but the clog removing qualities are not as powerful.
With some solutions, you need to let the mix sit overnight to remove all the hair from the tub drain.

Not everyone wants to use harsh chemicals to deal with a clogged drain

A chemical product is often highly effective at dissolving chemicals and reaching clogs, but they cause other problems. If this product is used too often, it can damage and even destroy pipes and drains. If you have a porcelain sink or bowl, don’t use this cleaning substance, as it is known for damaging porcelain.

Wear rubber gloves when using products with acidic properties or disinfectant properties

Also, when dissolving materials like hair, toxic chemicals create heat, and in a narrow space like a drain, heat leads to corrosion and potentially cracks in some materials.
While many people want a quick and simple way to remove long hair from clogged drains, bottled drain cleaners or liquid bleach aren’t always the best solution to unclog a sink drain.

Can I pour boiling water down the drain to clear hair blockages?

There are many opinions on the use of boiling water in clearing drain blockages. Hot water is a common component of solutions, but the greater temperature of boiling water causes problems. You run the risk of scalding yourself, and if your pipes are plastic or in poor condition, boiling water might weaken or break them. Please proceed with caution if using water at a high temperature.

Can I hire a professional drain cleaning specialist?

It is always best to try and unclog a blocked sink drain yourself before turning to a drain cleaning service, but if you don’t have time or have had no success in clearing a clogged drain, you can call on a professional plumber to deal with a blocked bathroom sink drain.

Regular maintenance is important

Being proactive, using a drain cover or drain stopper is useful in caring for bathroom sinks. Human hair, and dog hair, looks terrible in sinks, and it causes major problems. Professional advice can help prevent hair from blocking drains and preventing water from draining properly.

Why are hair clogs a problem?

If reading through ways to dissolve hair in a drain makes the process seem too much like hard work, you might wonder if hair clogs are a problem to concern yourself with. The answer is yes.

Tangled and knotted hair slows water down, which is a concern in itself, but when hair binds with other materials, it creates sizable blockages. Hair blending with fat, grease, oil, soap scum and other debris creates blockages, and can cause serious problems.

Hair clogs also lead to nasty odours and funny smells, which are often unpleasant. Clearing hair blockages from your drains makes your bathroom or kitchen a more pleasant place.

The popular baking soda and vinegar concoction is a handy way to unclog your shower drain, and there are many proven methods to deal with a clogged drain in a bathroom or laundry room. Sometimes though, you need more support in removing stubborn hair clogs from a blocked drain.