Honestly, I’ve had better luck with a wire hanger than those plastic snakes sometimes—especially for hair clogs. The plastic ones are okay, but they can bend too much and miss the real blockage. About the stopper, yeah, it’s gross what builds up under there. But I’ve actually had tenants who made things worse by forcing stuff down with plungers, so I’m kinda cautious about that method. Ever tried a baking soda and vinegar flush? It won’t fix a big clog, but sometimes it helps loosen things up before you snake it.
Wire hangers have saved me more than once, especially when the clog is mostly hair. I do like those plastic snakes for quick jobs, but yeah, they’re flimsy if you hit a stubborn blockage. One thing I’ve found—if you unscrew the overflow plate and feed the snake down there, sometimes you get better access to the clog. Baking soda and vinegar is great for maintenance, but if it’s a full-on clog, I usually end up pulling out the gunk by hand (gross but effective). Never had much luck with plungers in tubs either... seems to just push stuff around.
Never had much luck with plungers in tubs either... seems to just push stuff around.
Same here, plungers are pretty much useless for tub clogs in my experience. Here’s what’s worked for me over the years:
- Wire hanger for hair, but I usually end up using a proper drain snake—less bending and more reach.
- Unscrewing the overflow plate is a must. Most of the time, the clog is right there at the crossbar.
- If it’s really stubborn, I’ll use a wet/dry vac to suck out the mess. Not pretty, but it works.
- Chemical drain cleaners are my last resort—can mess up pipes if you use them too much.
Honestly, nine times out of ten, it’s just a nasty hairball. Gloves and a trash bag, job done.
I get the appeal of the wet/dry vac trick, but I always worry about what’s actually getting sucked up—seems like a recipe for a gross mess or even damaging the vac if you’re not careful. Anyone else ever had issues with that? I usually stick to the snake and avoid chemicals too, but I’ve had decent luck with baking soda and vinegar for minor clogs. Not sure it works on the big hairballs, but at least it’s safe for pipes and the environment. Ever tried that route before giving up and going for the heavy-duty stuff?
I get the appeal of the wet/dry vac trick, but I always worry about what’s actually getting sucked up—seems like a recipe for a gross mess or even damaging the vac if you’re not careful.
Can’t blame you there. I’ve seen folks use the shop vac and end up with a tank full of standing water, gunk, and—one time—a hairball that looked like it belonged to a small animal. If you don’t have a filter that can handle wet debris, or if there’s something sharp down there, it can definitely mess up your vac.
I’m with you on the snake. It’s ugly work but usually gets the job done, especially for those monster hair clogs. Baking soda and vinegar? I’ve tried it plenty. Works okay for slow drains or when you catch it early, but once it’s a solid wad of hair and soap scum, that fizzing isn’t doing much except making me feel like I’m trying. Still, better than dumping caustic stuff down there.
One time I had a client who swore by boiling water after the baking soda/vinegar bit. Didn’t do much for their tub but made the bathroom smell like salad dressing for half a day.
