Hair Today, Blocked Tomorrow: 3 Types of Hair That Will Block Your Drains
Blocked bathroom drains are unpleasant, to say the least. Clogged shower drains leave you standing in dirty water. Blocked sinks make brushing your teeth a challenge, and clogged toilets can render your bathroom uninhabitable. If your bathroom drains are giving you a headache every morning and evening, hair could be to blame for the blockages.
Generally, you should avoid putting hair anywhere near your drains or toilet because eventually, a blockage or backup will occur. Three main types of hair cause blockages.
1. Hair From Your Head
The hair that humans shed from their head, whether long or short can end up blocking bath and shower drains. This usually happens because the hair mingles with both human oils and oils from shampoos and shower gels. For instance, products that contain coconut oil are especially bad for drains. The issue worsens when that oil meets hair and causes it to stick to your drain's pipework.
2. Hair From Shaving
If you shave in your sink or bathtub, you run the risk of blocking your drains. Even if the hairs are tiny, they can still cause a blockage that demands the aid of a professional plumber. Shaving gels also tend to contain oils like camelina oil and oat oil. And even if you don't use shaving gel, there is still plenty of oil in your skin to cause your hair to clump up inside your drains.
3. Pet Hair
Just as with human hair, pet hair is also notorious for blocking bathroom drains. This is especially true if you often wash your dog in your bathtub. Your oils, combined with those of your dog and the oils in the shampoo, will mingle with dog hair to create a sticky clump within your drain. Combine that dog hair with shaving hair and hair from your head, and you have one very blocked drain.
Fortunately, you can continue to do the aforementioned activities and protect your drains from hair blockages.
Use a Drain Blocker or Some Steel Wool
You don't have to stop shaving or washing your dog in the bath or sink. Instead, you can simply purchase a drain blocker or strainer to catch the hair before it goes down your drains. You can even use some steel wool to do just as good a job. Once you have finished, you simply remove the hair and dispose of it. This should help to prevent any blockages by human or pet hair.
To learn more about blocked drains, contact a plumber in your area.