Skip to main content

Definitely the best way to clean a bathroom sink or shower drain!

Over time most bathroom sinks and shower drains get clogged with smelly combinations of hair, soap, and grease. Many people don't want to deal with it so pour toxic chemicals down their drains to try to clear it out. However, this is expensive, dangerous, and really doesn't work well -- the chemicals don't dissolve hair effectively.  Here is a quick, simple, cheap, and more effective solution -- albeit a bit stinky. Plus it is much better for our environment and world.

Steps:
1) Get rubber gloves, a bucket/trashcan with liner, and either a straightened coat hanger with a small hook bent into one end or a Zip-It (Amazon, HomeDepot).
2) Remove the sink stopper/strainer or shower drain cover.
3) While wearing rubber gloves, use the coat hanger or Zip-It to snag the goopy hair balls from your drain.
4) Replace drain cover.
5) Wash sink or shower flower if necessary.

Yes this is yucky and smelly but you don't need a plumber or dangerous chemicals and it works fast.

BTW, the Zip-It works better than a coat hanger as it has more snagging hooks and bends around and thru the trap. Despite what the package says, you can (and should) carefully unsnag gunk from it and then rinse and reuse -- no need to throw it out (at least until it is truly worn out) -- just be careful, the plastic hooks are a bit sharp.  For long drains use a plumbers snake but that is more work.

For more tips please read:
http://www.sheknows.com/living/articles/808474/clean-out-your-shower-drain-without-chemicals

Enjoy!

Comments

Unknown said…
I honestly find cleaning the bathroom sink and shower drain two of the most tedious things to do but i have no choice but to do it. It is important that we clean them otherwise dirt will accumulate and it will be harder and more time-consuming to do it. Thanks for these great tips. This is going to be useful.

Terracqua.net

Popular posts from this blog

The best way to dispose of dog poop

Based on my research, the best way to handle dog poop is to use a reusable pooper scooper and flush the poop down a toilet . Pros: - Sewer systems are designed to handle poop (yours and your pet's) safely and effectively (this was verified by calling the local sewage treatment plant in Sunnyvale, California) - The poop is treated and recycled fairly quickly and safely back into the environment Cons: - Need to carry the poop to a toilet - Need to purchase or make a reusable pooper scooper Here are other alternatives generally listed from healthiest for environment to least healthy. Use a flushable poop bag and flush down a toilet. Pros: - Sewer systems are designed to handle poop - The poop is treated and recycled - Easy to carry bag around to pick up poop Cons: - Flushable bags can "melt" in rain or other very wet conditions - Flushable bags should be kept sealed in another plastic bag before use - Flushable bags are a bit expensive and hard to find - Flushable bags smell

New Best Way to Handle Dog Poop

I've found an even better way to dispose of dog poop than the one I documented in 2008 at  http://ecopractice.blogspot.com/2008/03/best-way-to-dispose-of-dog-poop.html It works by using a funnel-like attachment on your sewer cleanout so you can drop the dog poop directly into your sewer line without necessarily using any water! Here is a picture of me doing this: This is neater and easier than putting the dog poop in a toilet to flush. Saves water too. The sewer cleanout accessory we use is the Doggie Doo Drain Dog Waste Sewer Line Attachment . The reusable device we now use to pick up poop on walks (instead of using a plastic bag) is  Nature's Miracle Jaw Scoop . It is easy to carry and holds the poop in the little bucket its jaws create. The medium size model can hold dozens of small poops or a couple of big poops from a big dog (we have little dogs). There is also a jumbo size if you need it. If the poop is solid and not sticky, no water is needed as the poop

Zero Waste Restaurant Takeout

  Take out food containers are mostly trash and cannot be recycled due to mixed materials and contamination. The good news is that it is legal and super easy to  get zero waste takeout from most ANY restaurant in California  that can serve onto its own reusable plates!! This way you can get your food to eat at home on real plates with real cutlery and not create any trash. Read on to learn how! In the picture above I am picking up a pizza in as Zero Waste way as possible from Jake's of Sunnyvale -- the pizza goes into an aluminum pizza container I made from two 20" pizza pans. The paired set of aluminum pans then goes into a reusable pizza bag that keeps the pizza warm -- watch out, a fresh pizza makes the aluminum pans very hot (and sterile)!  I bike it all home in my covered all purpose bike trailer. I use a clean sheet to line the inside when carrying food. Here is a sequence of pictures I took at a different pizzeria that show off the pans I use. I tried to find a couple o