Septic System Maintenance: An Introduction

Has your tub drain suddenly slowed down, leaving water pooling around your ankles as you shower? This can be pretty frustrating to deal with, but in most cases, the culprit is just hair. All it really takes is for a few long strands to weasel their way down the drain, and then soap scum and smaller hairs will get stuck on those long hairs, creating a clog.

Here's the good news: you can remove the hair from your tub drain yourself. You just have to follow these steps.

1. Unscrew and remove the drain cap.

Most tub drains are covered by some sort of drain cap or cover. This cover is secured to the floor of the tub with two or four screws. All you need to unscrew the screws is a screwdriver — usually a philips head. Dry the screws off, and unscrew them all. Then, you should be able to pull the drain cap off. It will probably have some gunk underneath it. You can scrub this away with a toothbrush and some baking soda. If it's still gunky and smelly after that, pour some bleach water over it. This will kill any mold and remove odors.

2. Use pliers to grab and remove the hair.

With the drain cap removed, you should be able to see down into the drain. You might want to aim a flashlight down there for a better view. Use a pair of needle nose pliers to reach down into the drain and grab the chunks of hair and gunk. You might have to pull on them pretty hard to free them since the hair can get really caught. Put the gunky hair in a bucket so you can throw it away outside. 

3. Rinse everything else away with some vinegar or bleach water.

Once you have removed all the gunky hair from the drain, it's time to get rid of any remaining grime. As you did with the drain cover, you can pour some vinegar down the drain. If you hate the smell of vinegar or just want something a bit stronger, some warm bleach water will work, too. Let the bleach or vinegar just sit in the tub for a while as this gives it more time to remove the gunk and kill mold.

All there is left to do is screw the drain cover back on! Your tub should now drain better. Repeat this process the next time it slows down. If you have any questions, contact a drain cleaning service.