Let’s cut to the chase – we know this can be gross, if you don’t want to touch the slimy hairball living in your drain (who does?), we’ve got options just for you! So, unless your family has the hairstyling’s of 2009’s club scene crush, Pitbull AKA MR. Worldwide (that is, you’re all bald), then the chances of hair being the cause of a sudden or unexplainable drain clog is exceptionally high!

Disclaimer: if you have children in your house, then this could be literally anything.

Anyways, hair clogging up the drains in your sink and tub can be a real nuisance and if you leave it, it could cause a complete blockage or worse, it could cause a deep blockage where your hanger can’t reach! This is nothing to be ashamed of, everyone with hair has this problem at some point. And we know that despite your best efforts, you’re here reading this because you’re still finding yourself on occasion bending wire hangers and using the pointy end of a comb to try and snag the slippery, slimy hairball, right? We get it, we see it all the time.
As a first stop, let’s talk hair - different types of hair require different home solutions – or more persistent efforts. Mustache hair is unavoidable – even if you have a ZZ Top beard, those suckers are going to end up in your drain over time. Pet hair may only be a problem if you bathe your pets at home, more so if you had an Old English Sheep dog, than a hairless terrier. And long hair (the worst culprit of all); well, that luscious, thick mane threatens the integrity of your drain with every wash! But have no fear, Canyon Plumbing is here and we have a couple DIY solutions.

Note: These suggestions won’t work if you have a complete or nearly complete blockage. If the water is draining, even if slowly, then it’s safe to try.

Repeat after me: “If the drain won’t flow, it’s a no go!”  
(Please don’t try to put more stuff down a blocked drain)

So, let’s get down to business:

#1 Recommendation:

‍‍Baking Soda and Vinegar – it won’t be as fun as a grade school science experiment but you won’t have to touch the slimy hairball!  
Step 1: Boil a pot or kettle of water. Once it reaches a rolling boil, take it to the suspect drain and pour it down. Wait about 1 minute – let it marinate.
Step 2: Mix 1 cup of vinegar and a ¼ cup of baking soda, and then pour that down the suspect drain. You will hear it working – or at least you should hear it working. A little snap, crackle, pop is completely normal. Leave it for about 15 to 20 minutes.
Step 3: Return from whatever you did for the 15 or 20 minutes, and boil some more water. When that water reaches a rolling boil, take it to the suspect drain and pour it down.

Pro Tip (literally, he’s our Service Manager): Squeeze half a lemon into the boiling water before pouring it down the drain.

There should be some visible improvement in water flow – if there is no improvement then again, we recommend you call us. Or, if there’s still enough flow – you can try one more thing.
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#2 Recommendation:

Salt and Baking Soda – how cool is baking soda?
Step 1: Mix a cup of baking soda and a half cup of salt.
Step 2: Pour the mixture down the drain. Leave it for 12 to 12 hours. It will react, it will foam and fizz – don’t panic, we want it to do that! If it doesn’t we may need to talk to someone with a chemistry degree.
Step 3: After waiting the 12 to 24 hours, go get your handy-dandy pot or kettle, boil some more water and when it reaches a rolling boil, pour it down that stubborn drain!
Again, you should see immediate results! If you don’t, then we are probably dealing with a real doozy. No fret, we have one more….
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#3 Recommendation:

‍‍Bleach – we try to stay away from this one, because, chemicals.
But this is a viable solution that often works. It’s as simple as pouring half a cup of straight bleach into that ridiculously stubborn drain. Then wait about a half hour to an hour. If there is improvement but only a little, repeat the steps.

If you spend multiple days and countless hours trying the above and you still have a drain that won’t budge like the guards outside of Kensington Palace, then it really is time to head to your local hardware store and buy a drain snake, or skip the line and call a plumber