How to Dissolve the Hair in Your Shower Drain
Many of us get quite disgusted at the sight of human hair. Sure, we like it while it’s on us, but when we see fallen hair we are immediately grossed out. Even if you’re not disgusted by a strangers hair in your food, you certainly are by the clumps of hair you find in the shower.
Well, that ball of hair is why we are here. Besides being unpleasant to look at, it is the most common cause of a clogged shower drain. Although you can easily unclog it by removing the ball, it’s not always accessible by hand.
I’m guessing some of you don’t even want to touch it if you can. You would rather use some kind of chemical to dissolve the hair. That’s what we’ll be doing, a guide on how to dissolve hair in the shower drain follows.
You can dissolve hair in the shower drain using store bought drain cleaners or a homemade mixture. Vinegar with baking soda, and bleach with water are the most common mixtures made with household items.
There’s still more to know. Stay with me while we go through this, step by step.
Table of Contents
How to check for hair clogs in the shower drain?
Shower drains are bound to be clogged with hair. There’s no getting out of it. Even if we religiously refrain from shaving under the shower, our heads still lose more than 100 hairs a day on average. So if you find a clog, it will most likely be long hair from the head or shaved hair.
One is worse than the other though. If long hair forms a ball or doesn’t get through, most likely, it will clog the drain at the top. Short, shaven off hair will form a ball but it will also go through the drain. So, the clog will be deeper in the drain with smaller hairs.
Pet owners know that there is one more type of hair to worry about. Those that own a dog or a cat but don’t have a yard, must clean the dog in the shower. Both cats and most dog breeds shed their fur like crazy. All that hair will clog the shower drain.
So, how to find out with certainty if it is indeed hair that clogged the drain?
It’s quite easy to do. You’ll only need a flashlight. Remove the cover of the drain (we’ve an article on how to do it if you get stuck), and point the flashlight in the hole. Usually, you’ll find hair at the top straight away. That doesn’t have to be the case though. Make sure to look for clogs deeper in the drain.
Word of caution. The clog in the shower drain doesn’t necessarily have to be visible. If you find that water won’t go through the drain, you have a clog. Stick around to find out how to dissolve hair in the shower drain. You can also check out our guide to unclogging shower drains.
Once you’ve made sure that hair is clogging the shower drain, you can move on to dissolving it.
Products for dissolving hair in the shower drain
The easiest way to deal with that nasty ball of hair is to use a store bought shower drain cleaner. You can find some great products that make shower drain maintenance quite easy. You can use these products regularly, even if the drain isn’t yet clogged.
Something to know about shower drain cleaners. Most of the products are for universal shower drain remedy. That means; cleaning up debris build up, protecting pipes from corroding, and, of course, dissolving hair. However, there are some products specifically made for dissolving hair.
I’ll offer both kinds of products, you decide what’s best for your situation.
Shower drain cleaners
As I said, these are products for regular drain remedy. It’s advised to use them once in a month. Using them more than twice in a month can have the opposite effect. They may cause plumbing damage. So, if you used them this month but you only want the hair dissolved, I advise on buying a cleaner specifically for dissolving hair.
Some of the following links are affiliate links to Amazon.
XIONLAB Safer Drain Clog Remove *
This product can be used on all kinds of drains. It works as well as any other drain cleaner. The advantage with this product is that it’s biodegradable. That means, it won’t release toxins while it cleans the drain.
Lemon Scent BIO-Flow Drain Strips *
Clogs in the shower drain are followed by an odor. This shower drain cleaner comes with a pleasant scent that will eliminate the odor. It will refresh your shower drain.
This shower drain cleaner left an impression on users because of how much it takes for it to take effect. It’s advertised as the fastest acting shower drain cleaner. So, if you’re up for a quick solution, check this out.
Best drain cleaner for hair
Now, if you already used a chemical for eroding protection or odor elimination, it’s best to go with the drain cleaner specifically for hair. Also, these products are better at dissolving hair than the universal ones. So, it’s a good option to consider either way.
This is absolutely the best drain cleaner for hair in our opinion. It comes with a reasonable price and it works wonders. The hair in your shower drain should dissolve quite easily.
Liquid-Plumr Hair Clog Eliminator
Another hair clog eliminator that you could say it’s the runner up. You can use it in any type of septic system. Doesn’t damage any kind of plumbing material.
This isn’t a chemical that you pour in the drain, it is a handy tool. I know you’re here for chemical products, but I think you would want to consider this as an option too.
Push the snake in the drain until you reach the hair clog. Then, twist and spin the handle in order to puncture or catch the ball of hair. When you feel that the clog isn’t there anymore, just take out the snake drain.
These were the store bought drain cleaners. What about the ones you can make yourself?
How to make a homemade drain cleaner?
Up for a more creative solution? You can make 2 different solutions with common household items. Keep in mind though, store bought products can be more effective. The homemade mixtures work too; you may have to do it more than once though.
Vinegar and baking soda
As I said, items that every household should have. If you don’t have them on hand, buy them from the nearest store.
Pour 1 cup of baking soda in the drainer and follow it with a cup of vinegar (here’s a vinegar on Amazon that we like to use). You can be free with the vinegar, care to not overuse though. Let the mixture sit in the drainer for 15-20 minutes.
In the meanwhile, prepare a pot of hot water. The water should not be boiling hot. Pour the hot water in the drainer to clean off the drainer. You can pour another pot of hot water or go along with water from the shower.
Test the drain out or check it out with a flashlight. If you see something left out, repeat the process once again. Wait only 10 minutes this time if you are scared of damaging the plumbing.
What’s the other mixture?
Bleach and hot water
I, personally, don’t prefer this method. But if this is all you have on hand, you can use it as a one-time thing. Bleach works wonders in dissolving hair but it can also damage the pipes if left to sit for a long time.
Pour a cup of bleach in the drain and let it sit for 10 minutes. The advised timing is 15 minutes, after that the pipes may corrode. That’s why I say, go with 10 minutes, it’s just safer.
Then, wash out the bleach with hot water. Just the same as with the vinegar and baking soda cleaner.
That’s it about the drain cleaners that dissolve hair. A couple of tips you may want to know and we are done.
Additional tips
Make sure that hair is clogging your drain instead of an object that may have fallen in. Drain cleaner will do nothing against a plastic or metal object.
Try unclogging methods that don’t include chemicals. If the clog is reachable, you can clean out the drain with some handy tools.
Long hair and pet hair hangs on the top of the drain. Consider removing the hair after showering in order to prevent clogs. Use hair dissolvent after shaving.
Carefully read the instructions on the drain cleaner products. Following the instructions is crucial in how efficient the cleaner will be.
Nothing more to add. Good luck unclogging the drain cleaner, hope this helped you.
Related questions
Can Coke dissolve hair in shower drain?
Yes, you can use Coke to dissolve hair in the drain. Plumbers don’t advise on it though. Pour a 2-litre bottle of Coke in the drain and let it sit for 1-2 hours. Then, wash away with hot water.
What do plumbers use to dissolve hair?
Plumbers mainly stick to their drill auger. The plumbing snake clear out any kind of hard clogs. Usually, plumbers are not called for hair clogs.
