You may have heard stories of drains clogged with human hair, but do those stories hold water?

Drain hair is the stuff that accumulates in the pipes on the floor. It gets there in several ways. It is usually the shed hair by you and your family. The floor drain gets a regular, daily dose of hair from both humans and pets.

It comes in on the wash water and can contain hair from the laundry. It can come in on the overflow when water sits in the sink. It can come in on the broom, mop, and other cleaning tools.

You can see the clog of hair in the floor pipes in the bathroom, but you may not notice the drain hair that doesn't make it down the drain. Hair has a way of accumulating in the sink trap and slowing the drain. You need to clean around the drain a little every time you clean the sink.

Does the hair that makes it down the drain eventually break down? In today's article, let's explore what you need to know.

Does Hair Break Down in the Drain?

We've heard stories of hair that gets caught in the drain and doesn't disintegrate. This is true for some people.

The biggest problem with hair in drains is that you don't know it's there. Hair doesn't break down. Sometimes after a long period of time, it may become loose and come out in the water, but it doesn't break down.

The hair that causes sewage backups and tub and sink clogs usually aren't from the drain.

In new installations, the pipes are plumbed with a hair strainer. This screen prevents hair from entering the pipes. Over time, the screen may become clogged when you notice that your drains are not draining well.

How to Prevent Hair Clogs?

The best way to prevent hair clogs is with regular cleaning. When you clean the bathroom, clean the drain next. Use the drill with your cleaning tool to clear the drain. You can also use the drill to remove the hair strainer if you have one. Keep a hair strainer in the kitchen and other shower areas.

You can collect hair in a plastic bag and take it to the dumpster for disposal. Use the vacuum attachment to clean all around the sink and bathtub, and shower.

Some unproven claims that you should use a hair strainer on your bathtub. The theory is that the drain will catch most of the hair, and the strainer will catch the rest. It may work, but it will require emptying the bathtub drain more often.

Tips to Keep Hair from Clogging the Drain

This collection of hair in the pipe beneath the bathroom sink is typical. Hair clogs can be a problem if you often don't clean them out. Here are some tips to prevent hair clogs in your bathroom drain.

Use strainers in all drains

Vacuum around the drain several times a year

Clean up hair and lint as it accumulates

Keep hair out of the sink by using a strainer

The Bottom Line

Slow drains can be the result of hair in the drain. Hair will eventually work its way down the drain when you clean it. The best way to prevent the hair in the drain is to clean the hair out of the drain regularly. This means cleaning them when you clean the sinks and tub for your drains.

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