Whether you shave every morning or trim your beard occasionally, you can bet that shaving when inside the shower is pretty much easier and more convenient.
The steam and heat open your pores and soften your hair, making shaving more comfortable, especially if you have sensitive skin.
Even better, the running water makes rinsing stray hairs, stubble, and shaving cream easy.
But, Will Shaving In The Shower Clog The Drain?
Well, shaving in the shower can clog the drain. And while you may want to associate shower drain clogs with long hair that clamps up the drain, it is the shorter hair that gets through the drain holes which causes clogs. All in all, the good news is that you can shave in the shower without clogging the drain.
Keep reading to learn more about shaving while in the shower and how it clogs the drain.
See Also: Should You Keep The Bathroom Door Open Or Closed After Taking A Shower?
How Shaving In The Shower Affects Your Drains
Hair, especially short hair, seems harmless, right? Unfortunately, hair is a super-clogging substance for many plumbing systems.
At the very least, hair can make a clog more serious.
This is mainly due to the inability of hair to dissolve in water and even strong in agents used to clean the shower drain.
Since hairs attract and latch onto oils and soaps, they can easily form tangled mats in the drains.
Inside the shower drains, they may collect around oils from your skin and cleaning substances, and small soap pieces that make their way into the drain holes.
That’s why dumping or pouring oily products down the shower drain is highly discouraged.
With an existing clog, hair will make it worse.
See Also: Should You Leave The Shower Curtain Closed Or Open After Showering?
What To Do If Your Shower Has Been Clogged By Hair
Does your shower drain slowly or not at all after shaving?
Your hair is likely causing a clog — the hair and soap combo is a common culprit of shower drain clogs.
When it comes to unclogging a hair-clogged shower, while you may be tempted to use typical drain chemicals, the bad news is that they do not dissolve hair.
Worse, if the drain-cleaning agent is powerful enough to disintegrate hair, it is likely to cause pipe damage, which can result in more serious issues.
Instead of pouring caustic chemicals down the drain, call your plumber to unclog your drain. It is common for plumbers to use a plumbing snake or suction equipment to unclog hair-clogged shower drains.
How To Shave In The Shower Without Causing Clogs In The Drain
You probably keep running the risk of clogging your shower drain every time you shave in the shower.
Interestingly, you don’t have to stop enjoying the convenience of shaving in your shower to avoid clogs.
Here are practical tips to avoid shower drain clogs that may result from shaving:
1. Use A Proper Shower Drain Strainer
You can install a drain screen to catch the air before it goes down the drain, then commit to cleaning it after shaving.
Essentially, a drain strainer is a unique device, usually designed and made from mesh combined with rubber, which catches hair and other solid debris that can cause clogging and other plumbing issues.
Notably, a strainer can be difficult to install it on some tuns and showers.
With a little creativity, you can as well make yourself a protector for the shower drain.
2. Make A Hair Catcher Using The Disposable Razor
Instead of throwing out used disposable razors, you use them to create hair catchers.
To create a hair catcher from a disposable razor, remove the guard on the bottom and cut off the handle to about mid-shaft, and use the head as a tool to catch hair over the drain.
That way, you will prevent hair from going down the drain.
3. Avoid Electric Razors
Electric razors cause hair to fly everywhere. You don’t want hairs to spread all over your bathroom.
4. Run Hot Water After Each Shave
You can avoid or minimize hair-related clogs even when on budget.
One of the easiest ways to avoid clogs is running hot water, especially after shaving in the shower.
Hot water quickly disintegrates oily products and soap, which would otherwise attract and cause debris to stick along the drain.
Ultimately, this ensures most debris, including hairs, drains down the plumbing system.
FOUR Ways To Prevent Clogs In The Shower Drain
Apparently, there are a lot of things that cause your shower drain to clog. Even so, there are several ways to minimize shower drain clogs.
Here are practices that can help minimize clogs:
1. Avoid Shaving When Hot Water Is Running
While running hot water can help prevent clogging, it can contribute to clogging if you leave the water to run as you shave.
Hot water causes hairs not to sink but float around the shower.
This means the hair will be last to drain, which can clog the drain pipe.
2. Clear The Drain With Vinegar And Baking Soda
To the surprise of many, vinegar and baking soda are effective unclogging agents.
Put about a half cup of baking soda to flow in the drain, and add one cup of white vinegar.
After about 10 minutes, clear the drain with some hot water.
3. Clean Your Drain Regularly
Proper maintenance is key to the functionality of any fixture and associated systems.
To keep your shower drain working properly and avoid clogs, clean it out with hot water at least once a week.
For the best results, you can use hydrogen peroxide or a cleaning brush to remove grease buildup.
4. Avoid Soaps With Deodorants
Scents can build up, align the drain line and cause a clog over time.
Always avoid any soaps that have deodorants.
Conclusion
Nobody likes or wishes their drain to clog. The best way to keep drains clean is by avoiding letting things that can cause clogs to go down the drain.
That way, your plumbing system will require less maintenance.
If you shave from the shower, hopefully, this post gives insights into avoiding shower drain clogs.
A good-quality shower drain strainer will help minimize the amount of hair that could go down the drain.