It can ruin the warm and coziest of early morning wake-ups, no it’s not the piercing buzz of the alarm clock, it’s the slush of water under your feet immediately after turning on the shower. The culprit: a completely or partially clogged bath tub, shower drain, typically caused by hair and other various nasties.

While you stand there, helpless and dreaming of life without an inch of sudsy bath water under foot, you’ve probably wondered, “What’s the easiest way to unclog a hair filled shower drain?” Well, the answer might surprise you, not just with how easy it actually is but that it can be done using zero harsh chemicals (like Draino, the Works, etc), cost less than one dollar, and have a minimal envirohuman impact.

Step 1: Unfortunately, there is no easy way to dissolve hair (the good Lord must have used some serious raw materials when He made that stuff!) so the first thing you must do is use a screw driver or your fingers to remove the drain cover. Usually the main clog will be just beneath this, if not a few inches down and can be easily removed using a straightened coat hanger. So bite the bullet, pull it–try, try not to look at the monster that’s been residing in your pipes–and throw that thing away!

Step 2: Now the fun part! Using a half cup or so of baking soda and a small bottle of plain white vinegar, pour in the baking soda followed by the vinegar. Once the combination has stopped foaming, you can flush the remaining clog out by pouring boiling water down the drain (a great place to use your tea kettle). Depending on the seriousness of your clog you can also use a small plunger to help pass the blockage.

Congratulations! If you’ve made it this far, your clog has likely subsided, your drain cleared, and your envirohuman impact minimized! If your drain is still clogged after all the steps listed above, you might have a more serious problem that may require the assistance of a trained professional (butt crack and all). You could try a regular store brand clog remover but they will likely yield no better results than the method listed above and with a considerably more negative impact on the environment. Also this way you don’t have to stock chemicals that could be potentially lethal to children or pets!

So keep all natural and ditch the harsh chemical treatments! You can save some time and money knowing that you’ve just reduced your envirohuman impact a little bit more. Not to mention your morning shower will be free of standing, soapy, dirty water!

EHI There! Share your own green household tips below!

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