The $13 Bathroom Item I Could Never Live Without (Yes, Really)
On that unpleasant chore list of cleaning the bathroom, which task is your least favorite? Organizing the medicine cabinet? Scrubbing the toilet? For me, it’s de-gunking the tub drain. I could always count on needing to clear the it yet again, and absolutely hated switching between using tweezers or looking for the drain snake that always seemed to go missing (even though I felt like I was using it constantly).
Growing up, my mom went through countless hair catchers for the shower my sister and I shared. When those didn’t work, she’d snake the tub, and when that didn’t work, she’d call the plumber to help relieve the drains, which had been totally choked by our combined hair.
Once my husband and I bought our first home, I knew I didn’t want to factor a routine plumber’s visit into our maintenance budget. So I turned where all new homeowners go: Reddit. Specifically, the trusty Curly Hair subreddit, hunting for hair catcher recommendations. That’s how I followed the wisdom of the curly-haired crowd and purchased my true bathroom savior: the $13 TubShroom.
Before we get into all the reasons why I love it, we need to acknowledge that I am not alone in my devotion. The TubShroom is a cult favorite, currently rated 4.3/5 stars on Amazon. With 18,892 ratings. Clearly I have been sleeping on this.
The 2-inch-wide TubShroom works similarly to other drain catchers in that it’s easy to install: Simply swap out your tub’s drain stopper, and pop this one in its place. From there, the design differs from traditional catchers. Since it doesn’t need any parts to sit over the outer drain, no water will start to build up around the seam—and no hair will slip under, either. And, unlike other hair catchers I’ve tried, the TubShroom doesn’t slow down drain flow with a chunky mesh that chokes up within minutes and leaves you finishing your shower with a foot bath. (Did I mention that I’m basically a one-woman lifetime study of hair catchers?) Instead, the TubShroom discreetly and efficiently collects hair by positioning drain holes around an interior column that fits into the drain. Water moves through no problem, but stray hairs wrap around the base until you remove them.
Because the TubShroom is made of silicone, you’ll need to clean it from time to time to prevent buildup from your bath products. After removing any hair that’s caught, you can just run through your dishwasher on the top rack (!) about once a week. Yes, you read that right: You can outsource the cleaning on this magical cleaning creation. It’s basically like your drain cleans itself.
Two years of using the TubShroom after a lifetime of trial and error, and I can safely say our household of curly-haired humans and a long-haired pup think it’s $13 well spent. I could never live without my TubShroom… and my shower drain literally couldn’t go on without it, either.