How to Get Hair Out of Your Shower or Bathtub Drain

Using Baking Soda and Vinegar

Pour baking soda and vinegar down the drain. Carefully pour 1 cup (128 grams) baking soda down the drain, then chase it with 1 cup (240 mL) of distilled white vinegar. The drain should start bubbling and fizzing, dissolving the hair, grease, and dirt clogging the pipes. Optionally, use a funnel to make sure all the baking soda goes under the drain guard. Mix the baking soda with ½ cup of table salt and heat up the vinegar for extra cleaning power.

Let the drain bubble for 15 minutes, then pour boiling water. Heat a pot or kettle of boiling water, then pour it down the drain to flush the baking soda, vinegar, and dissolved hair from your pipes. Wait another 15 minutes, then turn on the water. If the water still pools in your tub, try another method.

Using a Coat Hanger Hook

Bend a wire hanger into a straight line, leaving a small hook at one end. Use your hands to bend a wire hanger as flat and straight as you can. Make a small curl at one end of the hanger that can fit into the drain. You may need to wear work gloves to give you enough traction to bend the wire. It doesn’t matter if there are a few slight bends in the hanger. Just try to bend the center part as straight as you can so it can fit down the drain. Optionally, bend the other end of the hanger into a half-square shape you can use as a twisting handle.

Remove the guard, insert the hook into the drain, and pull up the hair. Unscrew the drain guard, twist it counterclockwise, or pry it up with a flathead screwdriver. If you find a screw underneath, unscrew that too. Push the hook end of the wire into the drain until you feel resistance. Fish the hook under the hair blockage and pull it up. If you have a shower and tub combination, you might be able to take out the drain guard by pushing it down and twisting it to the left. Carefully move the wire up and down through the blockage to collect as much hair as possible. The hanger shouldn’t get stuck on anything, but if it does, push it back down, wiggle it, and try pulling it out again.

Rinse the drain with baking soda, vinegar, and hot water. This can help flush out any leftover hair or grime in the drain. Sprinkle 1 cup (128 grams) baking soda into the drain, then pour 1 cup (240 mL) white vinegar. Let it fizz for 15 minutes before flushing the drain with a pot or kettle of boiling water. Alternatively, just pour a kettle or pot full of boiling water directly down the drain. After you’re done, reattach the drain guard. Turn on the shower—if the water doesn’t flow down the drain, try another unclogging method.

Using a Drain Snake or Auger

Remove the guard and insert the snake or auger into the drain. Twist, unscrew, or pry the guard off the drain. Insert the end of a plastic drain snake or metal auger into the drain pipe until it won’t move any further. When you feel resistance, you’ve hit the clog. If you have a tub and shower combination, try pressing the guard down and twisting it to the left to remove it. Wear safety glasses and rubber gloves while handling an auger or drain snake to protect yourself from debris and standing water that may splash up.

Rotate the snake or auger counterclockwise until the clog is gone. Rotate the plastic drain snake or crank the metal auger’s handle counterclockwise to break up the clog. Continue to crank and push the auger or snake down until you don’t feel resistance anymore. Slowly pull the snake or auger out of the drain and dispose of the hair. If your tool gets stuck, wiggle it up, down, and side to side until it comes out easily. Plastic drain snakes are meant to only be used once, while metal augers can be reused.

Rinse the drain with hot water and put the guard back on. Turn the hot water tap on full force and rinse out the drain for about a minute to make sure the drain is clear. You might see bits of grime and debris come out of the drain. Once the drain is clear, put the drain guard back on. If you see large globs of hair rise to the surface, pull them out with your hands and discard them. If the drain is still clogged, use a second drain snake or try a different method.

Preventing Hair Clogs in Your Shower Drain

Buy a shower drain hair catcher to stop the issue at the source. A shower hair catcher can be an efficient way to prevent clumps of hair from collecting and eventually causing a clog in your drain. To clean it daily, just pull it out of the drain and scoop the hair into the trash.

Brush your hair before or after you shower to keep hair out of the drain. This way, the majority of your loose hair follicles end up in the trash instead of collecting in your shower drain. If you need to brush your hair in the shower, designate a place to collect the hair instead of letting it collect in the tub or on top of the drain.

Flush the drain every month with baking soda and vinegar. To prevent hair and grime buildup, pour 1 cup (128 grams) baking soda and 1 cup (240 mL) of white distilled vinegar down the drain. Wait 10 minutes, then flush out the pipes with a pot or kettle full of boiling water. If you think hard water is building up in your pipes and causing clogs, you may have to ask a plumber to install a water softening system in your home. In addition, take off the guard and remove the hair and grime at the top of the drain every month.