How To Unclog Bathtub Drain Full Of Hair (Without Vinegar)

In this detailed guide, we’ll explain to you how to unclog bathtub drain full of hair. If you realize that even after removing the stopper, the bathtub continues to retain water, there is probably an issue with the drain pipes.

Most people don’t realize this, but a considerable amount of hair is removed from their body and gets stuck in the drain pipes when they take a bath.

However, it’s incredibly difficult to remove the ball of hair. The hair ball is coated with lots of soap, body oils, and develops a slimy texture. It’s one of the most disgusting things that you will see in your bathtub.

It’s gross and it’s just going to make you angrier than before. The worst part is that no matter how many times you continue to clean the drain pipes, it just keeps reappearing again and again.

A lot of people try to take a hard approach, thinking that they can use chemicals to literally melt the hair. However, that’s not as easy as you might think.

Instead of going for strong chemicals and taking such a complicated approach, you should know that there are several simple options available to you.

Fixing a drain that’s blocked due to a ball of hair is not as problematic as you might think. In some cases, even the use of harsh chemicals is not a wise move. The clog tends to become harder with time, and it’s going to get incredibly difficult for you to get rid of it.

What Kinds of Hair Clogs Your Drain?

There are several kinds of hair that may cause a blockage in the drain pipes. You have to understand that the texture of the hair that grows on different parts of your body is different. Let’s talk about the most common kinds of hair that is likely to cause a blockage in the drain pipes.

Moustache Hair

While the hair on your face is not long or thick at all, you have to understand that it is likely to get stuck in the pipes. It’s arguably one of the most common causes of a drain clog.

But, what if you don’t shave your beard at home and go to a barber regularly? Even then, moustache hair is likely to get stuck in the pipes.

You have to understand that a small proportion of the hair is likely to fall in the drain pipes during the simple act of putting water on your face, or even when you are just trimming the hair.

The moustache hair is incredibly resilient as well, so getting rid of it is going to be quite a problem.

Long Hair

This one’s arguably a given. You already knew that long hair would be included on this list. This rings true for women with longer and thicker hair.

Since most women like to wash their hair at least three or four times in a week, you have to factor in its presence in the drains. It doesn’t matter just how good your hair is, a few of them are almost always going to break off and fall into the drain pipes.

You can try to pick up and get rid of as much of it as you possibly can, it’s just going to accumulate in there again. Some part of it might get stuck in the drain pipe, and because it’s so long, you might find it difficult to get it out.

Dog Hair

If you give your dog a wash in your bathroom like most people, you have to understand that dog hair is likely to get stuck in the pipes and turn into a hairball.

If you have pets in the house, you have to understand that it’s not just human hair you have to deal with. Some dogs and cats shed a lot, and it’s going to be quite difficult for you to run around the house and keep everything neat and clean.

It’s definitely not easy to find it all accumulating in the drain pipes. Then, you have to acknowledge the possibility that these different types of hair are likely to mix with each other. It’s definitely not easy to care for.

Thankfully, regardless of the kind of hair that is clogging your drain, there are a few ways by which you can get rid of it. Here are a few simple techniques that you can use to rid your drains of hairballs and other problems.

How To Get Hair Out Of Bathtub Drain (Without Vinegar)

If there’s water pooling around your bathtub or around your shower drain, we have some highly proven and effective methods that you can use to unclog it. Here they are.

A Combination of Vinegar and Baking Soda

A mixture of vinegar and baking soda is incredibly strong and is just what you need to get rid of almost any kind of substance that’s blocking your drain pipes.

This also includes your hair. It’s an incredibly potent mixture that you can use to clean up the drain pipes. The best part is that all of these substances are readily available in most kitchens, and they are incredibly inexpensive as well.

You might have already used this mixture in other things around the house, mainly because distilled vinegar and baking soda are incredibly versatile.

However, there’s a method that you need to follow when you want to get rid of a drain blockage. The first step is to put on the kettle and let at least two pints of water boil in there.

Once you are done, you just need to pour this boiling water down the drain pipes. This is important as it will help loosen up the hair ball that’s clinging to the drain pipes.

Give it a couple of minutes, and in this interim period, just mix a quarter cup of baking soda with at least 300 ml of vinegar. Then, you just have to pour it down the drain pipes.

You will instantly hear a sizzling sound, as if there is a reaction going on in the drain pipes. Don’t worry about that; your drain isn’t going to blow up!

Give it a while, and the noises are going to subside. Then, just wait a half hour, before you repeat the whole thing step by step again. Start with the boiling water, wait a couple of minutes, and then pour the mixture inside the drain pipes again.

This is an incredibly effective way of cutting out the hair blockage and cleaning the drain pipes. Just turn on the shower and see if the water still pools up in the drain pipes. If it does, there are a few more methods that you can try out.

Mixing Salt and Baking Soda

Here’s the thing: baking soda is quite effective when it comes to unclogging drains, and that’s why it’s used so frequently. Instead of using vinegar, you may want to substitute salt in the solution.

Use at least a half cup of salt and then mix it with a full cup of baking soda. This is just going to leave you with a mixture of powder and crystals, so just chuck it down your drain pipes.

Give it at least 24 hours. You will hear fizzing noises that are quite similar to someone opening a large sized bottle of soda. The fizzing is going to eventually help melt these hair balls.

When you wake up in the morning, you just have to pour a jug of boiling water down the drain pipes. It’s going to solve the problem altogether.

In most cases, this should do the trick. But, if that didn’t work either, here’s another excellent option available to you.

Bleach

This article was primarily focused on providing solutions that do not involve harsh chemicals. However, if none of the solutions work, you may want to consider using bleach.

Bleach is an incredibly potent mixture of basic chemicals that is going to clean out all kinds of clogs from your drain pipes. The acidic nature of hair is going to be neutralized by the bleach easily.

Just make sure that you do not pour a whole lot of it. You may want to refer to the instructions given on the bottle before you decide to pour it in. Start with a single cup of bleach and see how that works out.

If that doesn’t solve the problem, you may want to drop another cup of bleach down the drain pipes. Bleach isn’t an expensive choice either, and there’s a huge difference between the price of bleach when compared with other drain cleaners.

Keep in mind that bleach can cause a reaction if it touches your skin. Make sure you wear work gloves and put on a pair of safety goggles before you decide to start using bleach in your drain pipes.

These are just some of the most effective ways on how to unclog bathtub drain full of hair. None of these are difficult to implement, and they will get rid of that disgusting hairball for you!