Shaving in the sink is not specific to just men. Some women rinse their razors while doing their legs, underarms, and other body hair. Shaving in the sink is a great deal simpler than in a hot shower. However, concerns arise when the sink repeatedly becomes blocked.
If you’re wondering how to shave without clogging the sink, start with prevention. Avoid filling the sink with warm water, and use a bowl or mug to rinse the blade. Cover the sink with a towel or mat to prevent hair from falling in the basin, and insert a sink insert or drain screen to stop anything that gets in. After shaving, use a drain auger to prevent any clogs from forming.
Shave at regular intervals, and clean the sink after each use, using dish detergent and hot but not boiling water. Run the hot water after each shave to dilute and dissolve residue but avoid vinegar and baking soda. They do not help eliminate clogs.
How Do I Keep My Sink From Clogging After Shaving?
It’s easy not to notice a problem initially. Most coarse hair that comes from shaving slides down the sink. However, over time, the drain may become clogged with hair which is not often easily fixed.
All is not doomed, however, if you follow these simple preventative steps:
1. Avoid Filling the Sink with Water
Most people fill their sink halfway with water so that they can effectively rinse their blades, but it is the quickest way to plug the drain. Eventually, you will have to drain the basin, making it impossible to eliminate hair from going down the drain when it’s mixed with water.
To solve this dilemma, fill a small bowl or use a coffee mug to rinse your blade. If the water becomes too disgusting, dump it into the sink and refill it from the bathtub. Another way to do this is to fill two cups with hot water. Rinse your blade using the first cup to remove excess lather and use the second cup for a thorough rinse.
2. Avoid Having Lather go Down the Drain
Shaving soap and shaving cream can plug a drain. Just as you should avoid large amounts of hair going down a drain, you should avoid excessive lather as well. When using these products, have a dedicated bowl containing hot water to rinse the razor to prevent it from going down the drain.
3. Prepare the Sink
Whether you use a manual or electric razor, hair can fly all over the place when shaving, causing a blocked drain. Use a garbage bag or paper towel over the sink as a hair catcher going down the drain. Ensure the bowl is thoroughly covered and that it retains a proper shape (concave) that will allow all the hair to be caught while shaving.
If you have a big mirror, invest in a beard trimming mat. These mats have suction cups that stick to the mirror.
4. Select a Proper Right Drain Insert
Before beginning to shave, unscrew the plug. Insert a sink shroom into the plug. A sink shroom is a special filter insert. Its purpose is to catch hair that gets past a traditional plug. It is also practical since it prevents jewelry and smaller items from falling down the drain, a good way to prevent a clogged shower drain, too.
5. After Shaving, Utilize a Drain Auger
A drain auger is the best way of keeping a bathroom drain clog-free. No matter what methods you take to protect the sink, there is still a chance of hair going down the drain. Even brushing hair over a sink can cause stray hairs to go down the sink. Clogs are inevitable.
Drain augers prevent hair from accumulating in the drain regardless of its source. While they are affordable, they can be large. Smaller alternatives would include drain snakes as they are small enough to fit behind a toilet or underneath a claw-foot tub.
Avoid using chemical drain cleaners as they may eat through the pipes. (This is good advice for your kitchen sink and garbage disposal, too.)
Related: Toilet clogged with poop! What to do?
How Do You Shave Without Leaving a Mess?
Clean the sink carefully after each shave. Do not use vinegar and baking soda to clean the drain. While it may be recommended, most professionals have discovered that it does nothing to prevent plugs.
This mixture will not eliminate grease, which is usually the reason for a clogged drain. Baking soda and vinegar are not surfactants, so they cannot remove grease and oil as effectively as detergents.
Instead, use dish detergent and hot water and pour it slowly down the drain. You can use the drain auger if necessary, and you can repeat the process if needed.
Running hot water will eliminate greasy shaving lather after you shave. It will dilute and dissolve all residue as much as possible.
This is the best way to prevent a clogged bathroom sink. Long hair can get tangled and balled up into a sink. The fewer and shorter hair shaved, the less potential there is to create a clog. Avoid going several days without shaving as this can potentially create a clog in the sink.
Can beard hair block the sink?
Yes, beard hair, pubic hair, shaving foam, and aftershave lotions can cause a clogged sink and the shower or tub drain. If you use any coconut oil or other skin moisturizers to prevent razor burn, they can, too.
How do you dispose of shaving hair?
The best thing to do is collect it on a towel, sieve cloth, or mat, then dispose of it into the trash can to avoid getting anything in the sink.
How do you remove beard hair from sink?
If your preventative measures didn’t work, try removing any beard hairs from the sink using a damp paper towel or even toilet paper in a pinch and wiping up the side of the bathroom sink, away from the drain.
Conclusion
These are simple techniques that both men and women can use when shaving. For women, if your hair is longer, it might be wiser to use the shower or toilet, instead as the sink drain is larger. However, no matter what method you use, always make sure that you check your drains and clear them consistently, or you’ll end up with a shower or toilet clog, too.
While these methods may be more time-consuming in an already busy morning, they can save you a great deal of aggravation over the long term. You can also implement shortcuts to your routine, which are additionally effective.
Instead of garbage bags to collect hair, you can use a large towel. It can be shaken out easily and washed for another use. This way, you are not wasting money.
Most of the ideas are relatively simple to implement. Adding a coffee mug or two to rinse the lather from the blade is a simple solution that doesn’t require time or preparation, but prevents lather from going down the drain. It may also prolong the life of the blade as it will be thoroughly clean from the lather.
The main culprits with bathroom drain clogs are long hair and shaving cream, due to its greasiness and the soap scum it leaves behind. Short hair rinses away easier, whereas long hair has a chance to collect in the plumbing.
However, no matter how regularly you shave, or the shortness of the hair, lather can still end up clogging the sink. It is best to rinse regularly and take extra precautions against using harsh chemicals, but if need be, use a clogging crusher to alleviate any plugs.
