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The 3 Best Drain Cleaners For Hair
Hair is one of the most common causes of clogged drains, especially in bathrooms. Loose strands have a knack for sneaking their way into sink and bathtub drains, which, over time, can lead to blockages in the connecting pipes. But, because the best drain cleaners for hair all purport to accomplish the same goal (removing clogged hair and debris), it's important to focus on the way they achieve this, and determine which manner of hair removal will work best for you.
A manual drain cleaner, for example, requires more effort but is a non-toxic and generally affordable approach. However, if the thought of coming face to face with a wad of greasy old hair makes you feel icky, then a chemical cleaner might be the best bet. A chemical cleaner that's biodegradable can quickly and effectively unblock drains, without costing a lot or damaging the environment.
And, if you find yourself battling tough hair clogs regularly, it may be worth investing in a more sophisticated tool. But, regardless of your preferred process for removing hair, there is sure to be a product that'll work for you. Here are the best drain cleaners for hair available today, so you can get back to showering without any clogs getting in the way.
1The Best Basic Drain Snake
For the price, you'll be hard-pressed to find a more affordable and easier to use drain cleaner than this Valstar drain snake. To use it, you simply insert the snake into the drain until you locate the clog. Then, as you twist it around the drain, the barbed parts of the cleaner latch onto the hair and accompany the snake out of the drain as you pull it back up. What makes this product unique is its bendable plastic material and design that allows it to remove clogs in a pipe’s p-trap, the U-shaped part of the pipe where many clogs happen and less bendable tools are able to reach. It's also able to expand up to 19.6 feet into a pipe to dislodge matted hair. Best of all, the package comes with three separate drain cleaners, so instead of having to rinse off the cleaner which could be a bit gross, you can use a fresh new drain snake the next two times you need to unclog your drains.
2The Best Chemical Drain Cleaner
Although not all clogged drains are able to be resolved with chemicals, blockages primarily made up of hair can be effectively dissolved with a chemical drain cleaner like this one from Green Gobbler. Unlike manual cleaners, it doesn't rely on physical exertion to remove the clog. You only need to pour a single pre-measured chamber of the cleaner into the drain and, for best results, leave it to work its magic overnight. The chemicals will cling to any clogged strands and break them down into a liquid form that can more easily pass through pipes. Although some chemical drain cleaners can be corrosive, this product's formula is safe and won’t damage pipes. It’s also biodegradable, doesn’t produce an offensive odor, and has a four-star rating on Amazon. So, if you're looking for a low-effort way to dissolve clumps of hair from your drain, this product is the obvious choice to buy.
3An Investment-worthy Drain Auger
If hair clogs are a frustrating, ongoing battle, you may be interested in investing in a more sophisticated tool like this General Pipe Cleaners spin-through drain auger. At $25, it is still a fraction of the price of a professional plumber visit and, unlike chemical cleaners, you won't need to keep re-buying it on a regular basis to keep your drains clear. To operate it, you feed the metal cable into the drain. Then, when you’ve reached the hair clog, you tighten the thumb screw and turn the hand crank which “drills” the metal cable into the obstruction, breaking it up, and clearing it out of the way. Afterwards, you simply wash any remaining hair down the pipe with water. Best suited for drains up to 2-inches wide, this tool is made of a quality steel canister with an easy-to-grip handle. And although there is more of a learning curve to use it than the other products on this list, Amazon reviewers have generally given it high marks with a nearly four-star average rating.
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