My wife has long black hair, clear to her butt, so there is always a lot of hair going into the drain. My hair is short, but I'm losing hair now and even the short hair gets tangled into the glob that sticks together with the soap scum, conditioner and any other thick product that goes down the drain. If you've ever tried to clean a clogged tub drain you know just how nasty that job is.
So for years, we've used any product we could find to prevent me ever again having to do that. We've tried all sorts of plastic and chrome filters, some of which did catch hair but had other issues. The four products I review below are the BEST of each type:
Recommended: TubShroom, Danco 10772, OXO, and the generic wire mesh baskets. Other systems, not so much.
1. TubShroom LOOKS very good, catches the hair, medium easy to clean, but is colored so it doesn't look as bad when packed with hair and soap scum. Does not have a way of closing the drain without removing it and using your old plug. Easy to install, easy to remove, but the long hair wraps around and requires patience to clean. For us, it needs to be cleaned (water standing in the tub, but still draining out) about every two weeks.
2. Danco is taller than the TubShroom, and has a black filter, so it readily shows the soap scum that sticks to the hair. The main advantage of the Danco is that you can very easily push the chrome colored top down and close the drain on purpose if you want to take a bath instead of a shower... no searching for the old drain plug you haven't used in months. This screen is harder to clear of long hair because it really grips the hair to prevent it going down the drain. Using a brush to clean it makes it a little easier. It is tall, so it's easy to accidentally kick it when the tub is in use. That doesn't cause it to stop working, just looks crooked. We clean ours every two weeks or so because of water standing in the bottom of the tub during showers.
3. OXO disk is by far the nicest looking of the 4, since it looks more like a standard drain. It catches all of the long hair and most of the shorter hair, but it clogs with every shower, requiring you to reach down and wipe it clear with your fingers. It does stay in place on most drains, but some of the newer tubs will allow it to be kicked out of place pretty easily.
4. The screen baskets (a dozen identical brands sold) catch everything, but clog quickly because the screen plus the trapped hair catches all of the soap scum. It must be cleaned after every use, otherwise the scum dries, making it harder to clear out. Takes a few BANGS on the countertop to clear it completely.
OF THESE FOUR SYSTEMS, All prevent hair from going down the drain, but the TubShroom is the least hassle and looks best when left for two weeks between cleanings. I do not enjoy taking a shower when water builds up in the tub, so I personally prefer the TubShroom and the Danco, but the others will do the job quite well.
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