How to unclog a drain.
The #1 reason for a clogged bathtub drain is hair. We lose about 100 hairs a day and most while taking a bath or shower. The hairs get caught on the crossbars at the opening of the bathtub drain and accumulate until it slows or causes a clogged drain. Under the stopper, the bracket also catches and traps hair.
The 1st step to unclog a drain is removing the hair around the opening to the bathtub drain. The easiest and most effective tool to unclog a drain is The Drain Claw. You simply insert The Drain Claw into the drain, working your way around the opening or stopper and giving it a twist. With over 100 small interlocking hooks, The Drain Claw will grab hair and allow you to pull it out.
It is amazing how much hair can build up under the stopper in a bathtub drain. If you use The Drain Claw weekly or monthly, you will keep hair from traveling further down the drain and becoming clogged.
For hair that has traveled beyond the reach of The Drain Claw and clogged a bathtub drain, we have a couple tips. Using a wet/dry shop vac you can pull up many clogs. You will need to cover the overflow above the bathtub drain with a wet rag. You can also remove the overflow cover and stuff a wet rag into the opening, making sure to hold onto it when using the vacuum. If possible, remove the stopper. Most are held in place with a set screw on the side of the stem under the stopper. After using the shop vac, hair and debris can get caught on the crossbars or bracket at the drain opening. Use The Drain Claw to remove this. This technique is effective on older homes with drum traps that are impossible to rod.
You can also try a plunger if you don’t have a wet/dry shop vac. Make sure to cover the overflow. A small flat bottomed plunger works the best for bathtub drains. Use a pumping action first, then fill the tub with water and after pressing down with the plunger, pull up hard to create a pulling action with the water. Pulling the water back is more effective at opening some clogged bathtub drains.
Another popular trick to unclog a drain is to pour 1/3 of a cup of backing soda down the clogged drain and then follow that up with 1/3 of a cup of vinegar. The reaction will churn up the water and in some cases loosen a clog. For older homes that have a drum trap, this will help with odor in your bathtub drain.
If you still have a slow or clogged bathtub drain, we would suggest a chemical opener that is a base such as Bad Cat Drain Opener. Bases are much safer than acids.
The Drain Claw is the fastest, easiest and safest way to unclog a bathtub drain caused by hair. Get one today for $6.99 or 3 for $15.00 and use it regularly to keep your bathtub drain from becoming clogged.
