Is there a good alternative to the 'old' Drano crystals?

[dolot]

Hey folks,
The shower in my girls' bathroom routinely gets clogged with hair. In the past I would use Drano crystals and it would clear right up. A few years ago, though, Drano changed the formulation of their crystals - no more of the metal filings in there - and now it won't clear the hair clogs. I've tried liquid Drano and Liquid Plumber but they work even worse than the new Drano crystals.

Does anybody know of a product out there that clears hair clogs well? I don't mind buying it online if I know it will work, but a little leary of ordering something just because it says "good for hair clogs"

 

[johnjh2o]

This work's great for hair.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/BrassCraft-20-in-Plastic-Hair-Snake-BC00112/305468409

 

[Pat the Plumber CIL]

Zip It , small tool sold at almost any store .
Straight sulfuric acid dissolves hair on contact , it also heats up when it reacts with water . can burn you if it gets on you . Stinks to high heaven and will kill birds . Not to say what it can do to metal drain pipes ." Clobber " is a name brand but doubt they will sell it to anyone but a licensed pro , basically 99 percent sulfuric acid .

 

[Rickyman]

Use a snake

 

[havasu]

Yep, I use the hair snake like John posted. Makes for quick work with no caustic chemicals

 

[Geofd]

If you have access to the trap like Ricky man menti9ned snake it o4 go thru the overflow plate you can also rent
A kinetic it shoots measured blasts of air into the drain just use a wet rag it the overflow and in the sink drain and over flow start with low 20psi pressures it’s very easy to use

 

[Helper Dave]

I'm a long-haired dude, and between my wife and I, we get a lot of hair in our tub drain. I have to clean it out weekly to keep it from getting slow.

As a plumber's helper, honestly, all I use to clean our drain at home is a large paperclip bent up to be a hook. It fishes all the hair out of the drain real easy. The stuff that gets caught is all just after the strainer anyhow. If it's worse than that somehow, time for an auger.

I have seen the hair snake tools at various big box stores, though, and they seem like they'd be nice to have on hand. Lots of different brands, and types, but I'd trust these over drain cleaner. I've seen what the chemicals can do to tub drains, and it'll cost a LOT more than a $3 piece of plastic to fix.

 

[Fmkehoe]

...and in a pinch, a long zip tie or wire tie with several slices along the shaft will grab hair too.

 

[a1draincleaning]

Thrift
Use the hottest water you can

 

[havasu]

Have you ever placed a 1/2 box of baking soda, then a 1/2 gallon vinegar, letting it sit for 5 minutes, then flush with a gallon of boiling water?

Works better than any chemical drain cleaner out there.

 

[Jamesplumbing06]

Go to a small hardware store. Look on isle with cleaning chemicals. My store the acid is called liquid fire. It’s in a gallon jug and wrapped in a plastic bag. Big stores won’t carry it since that nut job a few years back went around a store throwing acid on people. Or yeah don’t use and pick the hair out. Dollar store has the little strainers to keep it from getting in there.

DO NOT EVER PUT ANYTHING HOTTER THAN HOT TAP WATER DOWN YOUR DRAIN. BOILING WATER WILL DISFIGURE YOUR PVC!!! Read the ratings on pipe. Pvc can’t handle over 180 degree water. Hot water does wanders for a clogged drain. But normal hot water from faucet.