We've all got jobs around the house that we will put off for as long as we can, but nothing really instils dread in a homeowner like unclogging the bathroom drain.
Luckily, bathroom drain cleaning doesn't have to be one of your daily cleaning habits, but it definitely needs to be done more regularly than you'd probably like. Similar to how it's helpful to know how to tackle cleaning your kitchen drain – we love this tip from Nancy Birtwhistle for that – mastering an effective method for unclogging your bathroom drain is also a top priority.
And this one from Sort Your Life Out team member Iwan Carrington is a cheap, quick, and simple method for clearing your drain of unwanted hair and product build-up.
Try Mr Carrington's nifty drain unblocking trick
Unfortunately, your shower drain is one of the most gruesome places to clean, but one that requires regular maintenance. Therefore, it's one of the chores in your home that you really have to grin and bear, especially if you want your bathroom to smell good and your shower to work properly. Declogging the drain is essential.
"I’ve got a great little trick to clean your shower plughole using a big cable tie and a pair of scissors," starts Iwan as he demonstrates how to remove hair from the bath drain he sits in during an episode of Sort Your Life Out.
"In the direction of the pointy end, cut some diagonal lines, alternating as you go," he explains while cutting the large cable tie. Iwan then pushes it down the drain, point end first and begins moving it up, down and around the inside of the drain slowly.
"We’re essentially fishing for hair right now,” he says rather grimly. Once you've done this for 30 seconds, you can slowly pull the zip tie out, and it should have caught a pretty impressive amount of hair and product build-up on the cuts you created."
You can safely dispose of the 'fished out' hair in your bin and give the cable tie a wipe, then a rinse to clean away any smaller bits of dirt or grime left behind.
If you don't have a spare cable tie lying around, there are similar ways to remove hair from your shower drain, from dissolving gels to drain covers that help prevent hair build-up in the first place.
However, this method just shows you don't need to splurge on luxury cleaning products for your drain; save those for your kitchen countertops and hardwood floors.
There's nothing quite as frustrating in your home as a clogged drain. And whilst there's also a drain unblocker, it doesn't always quite rid your pipes of tangled hair and built-up dirt, plus you don't need to make it yourself.
These drain protectors are ideal for keeping in your bathroom sink, where hair is often caught in the plug. While you'll still have to watch out for product buildup, this strainer will catch most of the hair which quickly clogs your drain.
It's always a good idea to have a few bottles of drain unblocker in your home at all times, especially for your bathroom drain. This one from Mr Muscle is safe for all pipes and will make quick work of clogs.
The drain isn't the only hack Iwan shares; he also shows you how to clean an iron using a nifty little paracetamol trick.
"This packet of paracetamol cost me only 39p. You want the iron hot enough that it melts the paracetamol tablet, and then using a pair of tweezers, I’m going to gently rub it over the scorch mark," he starts.
"It’s kind of acting like a baby rubber. And then using a damp cloth, I’m just going to quickly wipe off anything that’s loosened. Look at it. Certainly cheaper than buying a brand new iron," finishes Iwan.
You can use a popular painkiller, aspirin, to help remove stains from clothing, at a fraction of the price other stain removers cost.
If you want some more of Mr Carrington's wisdom, we swear by these bicarbonate of soda cleaning hacks that actually work.
And should you have burn marks on the top of your toaster, Iwan has an expert cleaning hack for that, too. "This happens when crumbs on top of the toaster heat up and then leave tarnish marks like this. And all you need is just some good old tin foil. Just screw up a little ball of it, and this acts like a magic eraser. Give it a little wipe with our water and white vinegar," he instructs.
