Skip to main content
Home Maintenance

How To Unclog A Bathroom Sink Clogged With Hair

Hair will always clog a bathroom sink.

When it comes to home maintenance and projects, there are some highly desirable and fun ones and then there are the unsightly and less-pleasurable ones. Having to remove hair from your bathroom sink is definitely a disgusting one. The clogged line has built up debris, algae, smells, and all-around disgusting gunk. Luckily for the homeowner, there are some tools and techniques to safely remove the hair. Looking for information on how to unclog a bathroom sink clogged with hair? Baking soda and vinegar will work to loosen the hair before you plunge it out or work it out.

Let’s take a look below at what the best options are for unclogging a bathroom sink

How To Unclog a Bathroom Sink Clogged With Hair? – Your Options

Removing hair from a clogged bathroom sink drain has very few options. In most cases, it requires the homeowner to troubleshoot the maintenance and determine what works best for the clog. Let’s look below at some recommendations for removing the hair from your bathroom sink drain.

  • Tweezers – Simply remove the drain plug from the sink drain and go to work. Tweezers might be long enough to pull the hair clump from the clogged area in the pipe. Also, consider needle nose pliers, they are longer and easier to use. Use a flashlight to determine what you can capture with your pliers.
  • Baking soda and vinegar – Use dish soap and a cup of vinegar with a cup of baking soda and watch the chemical reaction. Add these to your sink drain and wait 5 minutes for it to work. This combination will eat away and loosen parts of the hair clog and built-up soap scum. Rinse it all down by pouring boiling water down the drain. Consider using a cup plunger to loosen any remaining debris.
  • Snaking tool – Purchase a zip-it tool from your local hardware store or use a wire hanger. Remove the sink drain and insert the zip-it tool. Pull up what is clogged in the drain and see if that fixes the clog. Rinse the remaining clog with baking soda, vinegar, and hot water down your drains.
  • Remove the entire drain – This is the last resort and involves removing all parts and pieces underneath the sink. Removing the P-trap, and drain plug allows you to determine where the clog is and if you can pull it through with your fingers. Be sure to wear rubber gloves to protect your hands from unsanitary conditions. Also, consider a respirator so you don’t inhale the chemicals that are trapped.
Purchase a hair removal tool to unclog your bathroom sink drain.

How Can I Prevent A Bathroom Sink From Becoming Clogged With Hair?

There are a couple of ways that you can prevent hair from getting into your bathroom sink drain. First, do not cut any hair close to the bathroom sink. Second, consider using a drain stopper system that acts as a hair catcher. Be sure to read up on what works for you and your type of bathroom sink. Keep an eye out for any other inventions at your local hardware store that prevent hair from clogging your sink. There is a tool that allows water to get into the drain pipe and keep debris out.

How Much Does It Cost?

The cost to unclog a bathroom sink drain from hair can cost you between $100 and $250. Depending on what is involved and if the plumbing services have to snake the drain or clean it out for you, will determine the cost. Completing this project as a do-it-yourself with basic home chemicals will cost you between $10 and $100.

Other Recommended Maintenance

Now that you are aware of your options for removing hair from a bathroom sink drain, you can start looking into other areas that could get clogged. For example, getting to know why the toilet is overflowing might be a good start. When plumbing gets clogged it could be from a variety of things.

Next, read up on other areas of your home that can experience clogs. If you own garbage disposal it could also get clogged. Be sure to only put in a garbage disposal what is recommended by the manufacturer. Certain foods should never go into a garbage disposal or you will clog it.

Lastly, while you are in maintenance mode around your home, this might be a good time to change your furnace filter. Read up on what a dirty furnace filter actually looks like so that you can change it when the time comes.

Only dispose of the right foods in your garbage disposal or it too will clog.

When Do I Call A Professional?

Some homeowners are not sure how to take about the drain plug from their bathroom sink, or they physically cannot do it. Regardless, calling on a master plumber is a great idea. Not only can they remove the clog in a timely manner, but they can also snake your entire plumbing system to ensure the pipes are clear. Additionally, call on your local home inspection team. They can conduct a sewer scope of your entire plumbing system to determine if there are other reasons for the clog.

Conclusion

Understanding how to unclog your sink drain can be a big burden. Not only do you need the correct tools, but you need the time and knowledge to not break anything in the process. Call on a professionally licensed master plumber to assist with this project. They can ensure that nothing is damaged or broken when removing the parts of the plumbing to clear the clog. Also, utilize your local home inspection team to conduct a full sewer scope of your plumbing. Reach out to ACE Preferred Inspections for a sewer scope, during a full home inspection in the low country of South Carolina