At Home Haircuts and Your Plumbing: Read Before You Trim

So, you’ve decided to cut your hair or trim your beard. Before you do, we’d like to warn you about plumbing and hair: they don’t mix, and under no circumstances should you be flushing hair down the toilet or rinsing it down the sink!

How Hair Affects Your Plumbing

If you’re regularly cutting or washing hair in a sink, you’re almost guaranteed to cause a clog in your drain or somewhere downstream in your home’s drainage system or sewer line. Mix hair (especially long hair) with soap scum, grease from beauty products, or a dab of toothpaste, and you’ll have a clog that resists most home remedies for clearing drains.

You may have a problem with plumbing and hair if you notice the following issues:

• Slow drainage.
• Increased leaks occur as the hair clog puts pressure on plumbing pipes. 
• Unpleasant odors occur as bacteria colonize the hair clog. 

Common Haircut Habits That Wreak Havoc on Your Plumbing

• Washing hair in sinks.
• Shaving in showers for bathtubs.
• Cutting hair over the sink.
• Flushing hair down the toilet.
• Rinsing hair out of sinks, showers, or tubs.

Preventative Measures to Save Your Pipes

We know a bathroom sink seems like the perfect place to trim hair because there’s almost always a big mirror to guide you through your self-shearing adventure. If you can’t resist trimming over the sink, we recommend taking the following precautions:

Close the Drain

Close the drain to prevent hair from entering. You can line the sink with a paper towel to easily collect the hair. Wad hair cuttings inside the paper towel and toss them into the trash can.

Vacuum Hair Clippings

Vacuum up the clippings with a wet-dry vacuum (do not use a regular vacuum unless the sink is completely dry).

Use a Wastebasket Instead

The safest way to cut hair in the bathroom is to avoid the drain altogether. Use a wide wastebasket to catch your hair cuttings. You can always put the basket in or over the sink if you need to use the mirror. 

What to Do If a Clog Happens

Depending on your plumbing, hair can clog a drain in as little as a few weeks. If a clog occurs, most people’s first option is to reach for the plunger. Plunging can remove minor hair clogs if you use the correct plunger type. 

You can sometimes dissolve a minor hair clog by pouring a cup of baking soda down the drain, followed by a cup of vinegar. When the fizzing stops, pour plenty of boiling water down the drain to help move the clog. Commercial drain cleaners can also remove hair from bathroom drains, but such products are caustic and can damage your pipes. 

When to Call a Plumber

If you’re reading this after you’ve already clogged your sink, please refer to our “How to unclog a sink” video. If you cannot get the drain flowing on your own, Roto-Rooter provides fast, reliable plumbing and drain service. Click to schedule a service or call 1-800-GET-ROTO.

Call the Roto-Rooter Plumbing Professionals Today!