How to Dissolve Hair in a Bathroom Sink Trap

Yuck! There is nothing more disgusting than staring into a sink that doesn't drain. Hair is the biggest culprit in the bathroom, and the longer the problem is left unchecked, the more you will be staring at the used toothpaste as it swirls around and around, going nowhere.

Several remedies are available to dissolve hair in the sink pipes before calling in a plumber. Harsh chemicals are recommended by manufacturers of harsh chemicals, but if the earth's health is a concern to you, then eco-friendly household products and some ingenuity will dissolve the hair and make the water in your sink swirl with ease.

Moustache hair, beard hair, head hair and dog hair all collect in a sink, and it goes down the drain. Most of it makes it past the elbow joint in the pipe below the sink, but some of it collects in and above the elbow. The more hair that gathers, the less water gets through. If you don't want to put on your plumber's hat and separate the pipe to clean it, then homemade solutions are a first option if you want to dissolve hair in the sink.

Yes, vinegar is good for salads as well as for use as a household repellent. Spray vinegar along a sliding glass door to repel ants. Use vinegar mixed with baking soda to dissolve drain hair! The acetic acid in the vinegar mixed with the baking soda creates a powerful solution that puts the kibosh on drain hair. Follow these simple steps:

• Boil a kettle full of water.
• Pour it down the drain to loosen the hair.
• Mix 1 cup of vinegar and 1/4 cup of baking soda. Whisk to dissolve the baking soda.
• Pour it down the drain.
• Wait.
• While you are waiting, boil another kettle of water.
• Pour the boiling water down the drain.

Your drain should be clear, but if it is not, don't call the plumber yet.

For another solution to dissolve hair in a drain, follow these steps:

• Mix 1 cup of baking soda with 1/2 cup of salt.
• Pour the mixture down the drain.
• Let it sit overnight.
• In the morning, boil water and pour it down the drain.

You may have used a wire hanger to open a car door in some years past, but the hanger is also a versatile tool for creating a "snake" to slither down your drain.

• Open up the hanger.
• Bend a tip to create a snagging tool and work it into the drain.
• Like the claw in a child's arcade game, the tool hooks onto the hair, and you should be able to pull it up and out.
• Whatever you do, do not flush the hair down the toilet. You will get an even bigger snag that is nastier than the sink problem.

An enzyme-based drain cleaner is safer for the environment as well as being safe to use. It doesn't require protective gloves and won't harm your pipes whether they are lead or PVC. If the commercial product contains sodium hydroxide, don't use it. It is caustic for you, your pipes and the earth.