The $0 hack a plumber recommends for unblocking drains instead of store-bought cleaners
9honey Living's The Wash Up: Your 30-day spring cleaning guide is a month-long series aimed at making your annual house clean easier with hacks and expert advice.
Few things are as irritating as realising your bathroom drain is clogged with hair, but the solution isn't nearly as tricky as you might think.
With plenty of hacks out there to unclog a drain, it's important to err on the side of caution – the last thing you want is to cause more harm than good.
Sydney plumber and owner of MyTap Nick Hagop tells 9honey that prevention is key when it comes to hair clogging your drains.
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Once you remove the grate, you can pull the hair out with your hand or an old coat hanger. Getty Images/iStockphoto
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"Hair alone generally won't block the main 100mm sewer line on the property; however, it generally blocks basins and shower drains," he explained.
"Replacing the basin plug and waste with a hair-catching type will solve the basin issue; as for the shower, there are some aftermarket baskets that can be added into the drain."
But to actually clear the drain you can save yourself some cash because Hagop says chemical drain cleaners aren't the best option for getting hair out.
Instead, "the good old-fashioned taking off the grate and pulling it all out by hand" is the most effective method.
Hagop says the method for taking off the grate depends on the colour of its border.
"The red border type simply lifts out, no fuss, the blue border type needs to be turned a quarter of a turn and then the centre part lifts out, it may require a screwdriver to assist [and] if you've got the yellow type you're screwed [because it's] fully sealed and can't be removed.
"If you've got a red or blue [border on the grate], once the grate is removed, simply put your hand in and pull out all the hair.
For those with forearms or hands too large for the grate, the plumber has a simple hack using an item you probably have at home.
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This type of basin waste will help prevent hair going down the drain. Getty Images/iStockphoto
"I find that using an old-style metal coat hanger that I've bent into a hook and then spinning it around until it winds up all the hair like fairy floss on a stick does the trick," he says.
Hagop warns to be careful when unclogging drains so that you don't damage your plumbing.
"Avoid chemical cleaners, don't stab the drain with anything sharp unless you want a much bigger problem and if you're going to shove a hose up the pipe, make sure you remove all hose fittings off the end as they generally fall off inside the drain."
If you're not confident unblocking the drain yourself or have more than a superficial blockage it's time to call the professionals.
"The best advice still remains, call a plumber. That's why we're here," Hagop says.
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