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If you find yourself standing in a pool of water during every shower, you might be wondering how to get hair out of a shower drain. Hair collecting in shower drains is common, and it’s usually possible to remove it without much fanfare.
Is this your first time trying to get hair out of a shower drain? Don’t worry! We’ve assembled some simple step-by-step guidance for removing troublesome clumps of hair, so the water can flow freely down the drain again.
Here’s how to remove hair from your shower drain:
1. Unscrew the drain cover or strainer
Different showers have different covers for the drain. If yours has a strainer that’s held in by one or more screws, simply unscrew them and use the screwdriver to pry off the strainer.
If you’ve got a tub with a push-in stopper, make sure the stopper is in the open position (i.e. water can flow past it). You should be able to unscrew the stopper by turning it counterclockwise.
In some cases, a big clump of hair will be stuck to the strainer or stopper itself. By removing this piece, you will dislodge clog. This is the easiest hair-in-drain removal job you could ask for! Unfortunately, it’s not usually this simple. If a pulling out the strainer doesn’t also pull out a whole lot of hair, you’ll need to move on to the next step.
2. Use your fingers to pull out hair
Look down the drain. If you don’t see anything, shine a flashlight down there. Is any hair visible?
In many cases, a ball of hair will be sitting pretty close to the drain itself. Put on some latex gloves and reach down with your fingers. Grab the hair and pull it out. You may need to do this multiple times if there’s lots of hair.
IMPORTANT: Be sure you’re only putting your hands on what you can see. If you reach too far down the drain, you could cut your fingers on something sharp. We only advise putting your fingers into the area closest to the drain itself and only when there is visible hair to remove.
3. Make a hair removal tool
When you can’t reach the hair that’s down there, grab a wire coat hanger. Unwind or otherwise straighten it out. Use a set of pliers to make a small hook at one end of the wire.
Stick the wire down the drain until you meet some resistance. Twist it around some and then pull it back up. In many cases, this will remove the clump of hair that’s blocking your drain.
4. Pour boiling water down the drain
Is the shower still clogged or were you not able to remove hair using the above methods? In some cases, you may be dealing with a blockage that isn’t caused exclusively by hair. The issue may have to do with soap scum and other material that has accumulated inside the pipes. The small amount of hair that is down there has stuck to the gunk and is blocking the drain.
You’ve essentially got a clump of nasty goo that’s preventing proper drainage, and boiling water can help to dislodge it. Boil a pot of water on your stove or in an electric kettle. After it comes to a rolling boil, remove it from the stove and immediately pour the water down the drain. You may need to do this a few times.
5. Use baking soda and vinegar
After pouring boiling water down the drain, pour in a few tablespoons of baking soda followed by a cup of vinegar. You will hear a sizzle, which indicates that the vinegar and baking soda are reacting. Together, they can help break up and dissolve any remaining sludge that might continue blocking the drain.
We recommend doing this after pouring boiling water down the drain to clean out any gunk that the boiling water alone couldn’t dislodge. It’s a good way to keep the drain clean.
Note that we don’t recommend using a chemical drain cleaner when you have a clog that is still blocking the flow of water. The drain cleaner will collect on top of the clog. Then, if a plumber has to remove a section of pipe to solve the problem, the drain cleaner could spill out into your home and cause damage.
6. Still clogged? Try a plunger or a plumber’s snake. Or both.
Sometimes, the clog is deeper down in your plumbing system or is just too big to dislodge without some brute force. A plunger might help. Be sure to use one that’s made for sinks and shower drains!
Place the plunger over the drain, forming a tight seal. Be sure there’s at least a little water in the tub or bottom of the shower, partially covering the plunger cup. It’s also a good idea to place a rag over your tub’s overflow opening to prevent water from going through it. Plunge up and down until you dislodge the clog. If this doesn’t move the clog along, grab a plumber’s snake. For most shower drains, the correct size is ¼”.
If you’re comfortable using a plumber’s snake, it can be a good way to remove a clog that’s blocking a deeper section of pipe. The snake will travel deep down into your plumbing system and bump up against the clog. When you feel resistance, you can twist the snake around until it hooks on the clump of hair (or whatever is down there). Then you can gently wind the snake up and discard any material that is stuck to the end.
In many cases, the snake itself will break up the clog. You won’t have to do anything except clean it off after reeling it back in.
7. Is the drain still clogged? It’s probably not hair.
When none of the above remedies work, you may have a more serious plumbing problem on your hands. It’s time to call a plumber who specializes in drains and sewer systems.
While it isn’t always the case, a difficult-to-locate clog could indicate a blockage in your home’s sewer line. This is a more serious problem, potentially resulting in sewage backup into drains if left to worsen.
An experienced plumbing company will perform a camera inspection to identify the location of the clog and the type of clog it is. After that, they can recommend the best course of action to remove it.
Now you know how to get hair out of a shower drain. But if you’re still struggling…
Don’t worry! You’re not alone. At PV Heating, Cooling & Plumbing, we help locate and destroy troublesome clogs at homes all over Metro Atlanta.
If you’re having trouble with hair or other buildup in a shower drain, give us a call today at (470) 231-0076 or simply fill out the contact form on this page!
