Can You Flush Hair Down the Toilet – Quick Guide

Have you ever found yourself trying to take a relaxing bath in your tub and suddenly noticed some annoying gunk of hair floating in the water which led you to question “Can you flush hair down the toilet?“.

Are you sick and tired to find a lot of hair-fall in your tub or bathroom floor and just want that ball of unwanted black hair to disappear? If your answer is yes, then you definitely need to stick around!

We tend to take our toilets for granted as it may seem not that significant. However, when it comes to disposing of our waste, it certainly plays a huge part.

Also, hair-fall is a common problem that occurs to any and every individual in the world, so it’s normal to ask if it’s safe to flush that hair down the bowl.

 In this article, we will address all your questions and concerns on everything you need to know about the possibility of flushing hair down the toilet and what happens if you do so. Go forth and read on!

Can You Flush Hair Down The Toilet? (The Possibility)

Toilets are a present-day comfort that takes care of human waste, but getting rid of other things using your toilet is not an excellent idea.

Your drainpipes at their fullest are just four inches in diameter, which implies that even tiny, almost harmless objects have the potential to cause serious plumbing problems.

It will undoubtedly cost you hundreds of dollars to employ a professional plumber to snag the clogged drain, not to mention the burden of fixing water damage due to an overflowing toilet.

Instead of dumping them into the garbage, flushing various household items such as wet tissue, toilet paper, tampons, and many more can block drain pipes, pollute the water supply, or even cause environmental harm.

But how about hair? Is it safe to flush down?

Although it may be enticing, flushing any hair down the toilet bowl is not safe. Actually, among the most frequent causes of a blocked drain pipe is hair.

Even if the toilet itself won’t likely get clogged by the hair, your pipes and drains below most certainly can over a period of time.

Can Hair Go Down The Shower Drain Safely?

It is common to experience hair fall when taking a shower, especially when you’re feeling a little bit stressed with work lately.

It might be a daunting task to pick up all those hair-fall and throw it out of the bin, so you opt just to let them flow down the drain. You may even wonder “Can hair go down the shower drain safely?”

But be aware and cautious about this kind of thinking. Although it can go down the shower drain, it's not advisable to let it merely do so. 

Like your toilet bowl, your locks can clog up your pipes and potentially damage them, causing you more trouble repairing expenses.

If you want to avoid this, it’s better to brush your locks and throw those that fall out before taking a shower to avoid them from falling off.

Better yet, place a catcher in your drain hole to catch any debris that may make its way through your drain.

Is It Ok to Flush Short Hair Down the Toilet? [Pubic Hair]

Now that you know it isn’t advisable to flush down your locks in your pipes, you must be wondering is it ok to flush short hair down the toilet such as pubic hair since it’s not that long and messy.

It can be quite embarrassing to throw out pubic hair in your trash can especially when you’re living with other people, and they might see your trimmings.

However, flushing out pubic hair isn’t advisable.

It may not quickly clog up your toilet pipe, but it can potentially do so in the long run.

As a result, this might risk you from paying thousands of dollars for plumbing services to deal with the problem.

That is why It’s better to wrap your trimmings in a piece of paper or tissue and throw it in your trash can.

Not only will it save you from embarrassment, but it will keep your drainage system safe too.

Just like the saying goes, better safe than sorry!

The 3 Main Reasons Why Hair is Not Safe For Your Pipes

There are countless reasons why flushing hair down the toilet is not safe for your pipes.

Not only will it create problems for your bathroom drainage, but it can also make you pay more for a plumbing service repair since untreated drainage problems can lead to leaks in your house.

There are 3 main reasons why hair is a big NO to flush down your toilet, and here’s why:

1. It Is Strong –

Not many people know this, but hair is pretty strong. A tiny piece of strand could bear 100g in weight: the whole person’s total hair could sustain 12 tons or the mass of two elephants.

It is not as heavy as iron steel, but it is something like titanium or hardened glass fibers used to create bulletproof vests.

So imagine this plugging up your pipe. Indeed, it’s going to be a challenging task pulling it out!

2. It Gets Easily Snagged –

 The hair seems to grab on anything that comes in its path. If your bathroom has a brand-new pipe, you do not have many defects in them, but for those who have had any tear and wear or have been restored.

There are usually some rough spots or corrosion areas that will capture any hair that falls its way. Thus this results in fast clogging.

3. It Breaks Down Slowly –

Because of its durability, hair tends to break down slowly compared to other materials such as toilet paper or cotton balls.

As a result, if your hair begins clogging up your drain, you can’t expect it just quickly to break down over a period of time.

Instead, it will quietly stay in your pipes getting worse and worse until you have no choice but to call a professional plumber.

How To Naturally Unclog Your Toilet From Hair

If you’re already experiencing some blockage and clogging issues, it’s better to know the methods you can do to unclog your hair or even your shower drain from all those unwanted debris.

We have here two of the best natural methods you can follow since doing this is safer and will not damage your toilet and pipes’ quality.

Method 1: Using Vinegar and Baking Soda

Start off by adjusting the water level in your bowl. The water must be half full before you can start with the unclogging process. If the water is too low, you can add hot water until it reaches half, or almost full.

On the other hand, If the water level is a bit too high, scoop some out to prevent any spillage.

Once the water level has been adjusted, you can now begin pouring in one cup of baking soda. Wait for 5 seconds and slowly add a cup of vinegar.

Fizzing may occur, but this is normal since it’s a chemical reaction created by the two products.  Let it stay for 30 minutes before flushing out the bowl.

Method 2:  Using a Household Bleach

Begin by putting on protective rubber gloves and goggles to secure your hands from the bleach and goggles to help prevent any water splashes that can hit your eyes.

Note: Open the window to create ventilation since unpleasant fumes may accumulate in your house.

Once done, you may now add 2 cups of household bleach into your bowl and let the magic work for about 10 minutes.

After waiting, start adding in hot water until it fills the bowl halfway. Let this rest for five more minutes. Then flush the toilet twice to get rid of any debris left and to ensure it is now clog-free.

Conclusion

Now that your question about “Can you flush hair down the toilet?” is answered,  you are now ready to prevent any clogging issues that may occur and even counter those that have already happened!

Knowing how to take care of your bathroom pipes will not only save you the time of fixing them, but it will also save you the cost of hiring a professional plumber to do the task!

The next time you find yourself thinking about flushing down hair, make sure you remember this guide, it’ll undoubtedly help you in the long run.