#134 in Tools & Home Improvement
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Reddit mentions of Cobra Products 00412BL Zip-It Drain Cleaning Tool
Sentiment score: 16
Reddit mentions: 66
We found 66 Reddit mentions of Cobra Products 00412BL Zip-It Drain Cleaning Tool. Here are the top ones.
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Use it to clear clogged and slow-running drainsQuick and easy application by simply inserting and removing from drainAn alternative to harsh drain-clearing chemicalsDisposable after each useFeatures durable poly construction
Specs:
What is your solution for the shower hair? I've just been draino blasting it when it gets clogged.
Edit: Wow I have a lot of replies!
Here are the top suggestions:
Less than $5 on Amazon.
I suggest this:
http://amazon.com/dp/B000BO9204
3 or 4 bucks at a hardware store. In/out and the drain is clear, 10 seconds. No fishing around with a coat hanger. Reaches way the hell farther down around corners than you can with a coat hanger.
You can get a Zip-It which does the same thing for about $2.50 at Lowes or Home Depot. It is disposable, though, not reusable.
Zip-it's ... a plastic thing that goes down the drain and pulls up the hair. All it is that's clogging your drain is hair, and this avoids putting very harsh chemicals down your sink (which is bad for your plumbing as well as the environment!)
I've found them a lot cheaper than this, but this is the product: http://www.amazon.com/Cobra-Products-00412BL-Zip-It-Cleaning/dp/B000BO9204
And even though it says it can't be reused, it totally can. Eventually the little teeth fall off and you have to get a new one but you can get like 20 uses out of 'em, or more if you just pull the hair off of them when you're done using them.
Buy a 5 dollar Zip product at your favorite discount store. You can just rinse and reuse for a long time and they work great for long hair removal. Amazon
Sometimes I find brushing my hair before I shower helps get rid of a few loose hairs which saves my drain from getting clogged as fast. I also keep a trash can right next to the shower so as hair comes loose in the shower I can just put it in the trash instead of down the drain. (this really only works well if you have long hair. When my hair was short it was pretty much impossible to catch it and toss it)
If you're able to remove the drain plug then a plastic zipper style drain cleaner works amazing. I used to buy Drano and it took forever and never really cleaned the drain very well plus it's not very good for your pipes. The zipper cleaner thing physically pulls out all the hair which is faster and more effective than trying to slowly dissolve it. I buy them for cheap from my local hardware store in the plumbing section.
If you can't remove the drain plug then covering the drain with a drain hair catcher works pretty good at catching hairs and drastically slowing down the time it takes to clog the drain. Some of them stick to the tub, some of them just sit on the top of the drain, some are reusable, some are disposable. Depends what your preference is but they work pretty good too and especially on drains that have a plug that is hard to remove.
Get one of these - Zip-It plastic drain cleaning tool. Costs about 3 dollars; pulls this crap out of the drain really easily so you use it more often which prevents worse stuff.
Just buy a Zip-It (or the generic version). These work really well on tubs and showers for me.
https://www.amazon.com/Cobra-Products-00412BL-Drain-Cleaning/dp/B000BO9204
I bought this thing on a lark. It's a bendable plastic strip with little teeth to catch on debris. You use it like a snake. It actually works really well to get hair out of there before there's a clog. It's absolutely disgusting, but it does pull lots of hair and other stuff out of the drain.
Edit: product says it's disposable, but I've used the same one for a year and a half; you just have to be willing to clean it after you're done using it.
These Zip-It drain cleaners work wonders, and the crap it pulls out is absolutely vile. No need to use nasty caustic chemicals.
We use one of these to remove the shower drain wookiees at our house.
Zip-It Drain Cleaning Tool: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BO9204/
I've had issues with recurring drain clogs at the last two rentals I've lived in. Once or twice a month, I'd run to Wal-Mart and buy a jug or two of the six-dollar Gel/Foamer/Whatever product that Drano recommends for recurring clogs, in an effort to avoid having to take showers while standing in a three-inch pool of filth. And then, after googling around for awhile, I found this product--which is available at Wal-Mart for about three bucks. Used it on every drain in my house, nearly puked in amazement at the toxic mess that it managed to yank out of my pipes, and it's been now been three years since I've had any problem whatsoever.
Stop right there.
Buy this.
You can also find it in home depot. There is no need to take off the drain. I am guessing someone in your house has long hair. You will need to do this often.
You can thank me later.
Looks like it works on the same principle as the Zip-It Drain cleaner
http://www.amazon.com/Cobra-Products-00412BL-Zip-It-Cleaning/dp/B000BO9204
Have you ever seen one of these? They work really great at pulling hair up out of the tub drain, even if there isn't a clog. Being proactive and all that shit.
Before paying someone to come out, try using a zip it. It's cheap and could get all of the junk out very easily.
Get a Zip-It! I've had one for years. It's cheap, effective, and also works to pull hair clogs out from my vacuum cleaner without having to take it all apart.
P.S. I've used the same one for years, you don't need to discard it after each use.
I would go with this but same thought... I have two and they work like a charm every time.
I think they're talking about this?
Is a no see um a fruit fly? I've never heard of the bug being called that, but at my last apartment we had a drain fly infestation which are teeny tiny little black flies that live in your...drains.
I got rid of them by doing a couple things:
How does nobody in this thread know about ZipIts?
http://www.amazon.com/Cobra-Products-00412BL-Zip-It-Cleaning/dp/B000BO9204
Literally a $3 reusable, immediate non-chemical solution to the problem.
I'm having the same issue; you may want to try one of these. I also avoid using Drano, as it's very toxic and never seems to work anyway.
Yeah, just I was thinking... plastic pipes?
I would recommend instead:
and for a sink in particular... look at how the sink stopper works and clean it.
Buy one if these and clean up your own damn hair.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000BO9204?pc_redir=1405387659&robot_redir=1
[best purchase after moving in with my girlfriend] ( http://www.amazon.com/Cobra-Products-00412BL-Zip-It-Cleaning/dp/B000BO9204/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374807354&sr=8-1&keywords=zip+it])
Here... I think: http://www.amazon.com/Cobra-Products-400-Drain-Cleaning/dp/B000BO9204
That is the worst product photo I've ever seen.
I use a Zip-It Drain Cleaning Tool. Its basically a flat plastic stick with barbs to pull up hair. Works like a charm.
http://www.amazon.com/Cobra-Products-400-Zip-It-Cleaning/dp/B000BO9204
Dude...
Zip it?
Don't use drain chemicals, use one of these. They actually work and don't release nasty chemicals into the wild.
Speaking of tool belts, you may want to include the [Zip-It] (http://www.amazon.com/Cobra-Products-00412BL-Zip-It-Cleaning/dp/B000BO9204) style drain cleaner and the curved hemostat for the inevitable sink/tub clogs. Also, check out videos for removing sink stoppers. The lift arm/stopper intersection is where most hair accumulates in sinks.
I use one of these fuckers right here. Push it as far in as it will go, move it in a circle, in and out a few times (that's what she said), then haul out the nasty clump of demon jizz blocking your drain. Repeat as necessary.
Get a ZipIt, stick it drown the drain and it will likely pull a giant hair snake out of the drain.
I have super thick hair that is past my waist and I used to buy so much Drano. Have you ever tried the zip-it? It just pulls the hair out of the drain and the results last a lot longer than liquid plumbing stuff for me. Plus there are tons of disgusting videos of youtube to show you how to use it. And those little drain strainer things help a ton too, because they keep the hair out of the drain in the first place.
You'll want one of these eventually. Works especially well in slow shower drains.
I just found a link on Amazon. I warn you not to click on the customer photos. Gross.
I guess it's like a snake for household use.
I use one of these
It works, but man, it can be gross.
This is the best thing ever for clogged drains, especially if it's a bunch of hair stuck in the tub.
SOLUTION!!!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000BO9204
$0-5 Sink drain cleaner My tub is really clogged even though I just moved in. Gross!
$5-10 This lunch container. To contain my lunch.
$10-20 Lion King Blu-Ray Because of childhood.
$20-50 New Super Mario Bros. 2 This game looks super fun. I mean... it's for my cousin... brother... baby...
We had an epic clog in the bathroom sink once. The prior owners liked to cram hair down there or something. We ended up having to shut off the water to the bathroom, removed the piping, and manually scraping out all the goop and hair in the pipes. Then put it all back together and water test it. Took about 90 minutes and it has worked well ever since.
If you have to go that route get a pair of disposable gloves, one of those plastic drain snakes (about $2-$4 at HD), and a hook and pick set (saw one at autozone for $1.79). Don't forget some plumber's tape(just got some for $0.52 at walmart).
You can use either a big channel-lock pliers or an actual plumber's wrench (usually more expensive) to take apart the pipes, if you need to buy some measure your pipe sizes ahead of time. You will either need 2 of them, one to counterbalance your wrenching, or some other way to hold the other end in-place while you unscrew stuff.
Good luck!
As an aside: the amazon stuff I linked is waay over priced, but it lets you know what I am talking about, and I'm too lazy to find the best prices for stuff in your area.
Hair's the problem, not cum. Your drain became a spooge trap of rotting human hair, and your batter batter got caught in the crosshairs.
https://www.amazon.com/Cobra-Products-00412BL-Drain-Cleaning/dp/B000BO9204
Get yourself one of these. Run it into the drain every month or so, twist a few times and start yanking. For anything deeper in the drain, you are gonna need a plumbing snake or a drain auger. Hair and sebum can be cleared deep in the drain with Magnesium crystals and draino, but only if there's a full clog. Avoid using chemicals in your drain unless you don't have a choice. You can wind up causing damage over the long term.
Clear your pipes in the shower all you want, just make sure you clear your pipes on the reg.
If anyone wants one from Amazon...they're fairly inexpensive
You could try using some type of plumbing snake. Unfortunately, I haven't tried any of them so I cannot give you first hand advice.
Edit: After looking around Amazon this snake has a lot of good reviews and is very cheap (under $3) so it may be worth a try.
They sell tools like Zip-It Drain Cleaning Tool, which are just a flexible plastic stick with backfacing barbs on it... you stick it in, and pull out a dreadlock...
Duct tape, aa batteries and absolutely one of these . I use it for so many things.....clearing drains, unclogging vacuum hose, retrieving cat toys from under fridge/oven.
The Zip it is awesome also.
If there is one lasting skill inflicted upon me from 4 years in the USMC - its how to clean anything.
The sink you linked to in the image looks old enough to be classic porcelain / china rather than the newer, fancier - but dramatically softer & easier to damage composite materials.
China can stand up to brutal scrubbing from things like comet or ajax powder.
Newer composite material cannot - you will damage the finish.
Best of all are the ancient porcelain covered, cast iron sinks. Those will absorb any and all forms of cleaning short of a wire brush on a drill and just not care.
So to be safe, go gentle.
Soft scrub on a sponge as recommended by /u/iwuvbinny is a good start.
Two related thoughts that may or may not apply to your dorm:
If housing doesn't make plungers easily available at any hour of the night invest in one - save yourself from a really awkward conversation with a neighbor in the wee hours of the morning. Oh, I realize a plunger isnt exactly something you want to take with you if you move to a new dorm next year, so the temptation to buy the $3 one will be your initial reaction. Yeah, don't do that. You don't need a $30 turbo-deluxe either. Something like this is money well-spent:
http://www.amazon.com/Korky-93-8-Original-Plunger/dp/B001DDP4JA
Since you'll be in the right aisle anyway, look for a drain opener / zip-stick like this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Cobra-Products-00412BL-Zip-It-Cleaning/dp/B000BO9204
Especially if women use your sink/shower. Long hair is murder on drains. Drain-o is $5-10 a bottle and is only good for 2-3 clogs. A zip-stick is $3 and lasts just about forever.
Just a suggestion, try YouTube for questions like this next time.
Get one of these plastic strips and some rubber gloves.
For me it's cheaper and more effective than drain cleaner to remove the accumulation of long hair. If you're still having problems then you need a plumber to snake your drain.
My ex did this constantly, and had the nerve to claim that some combination of my facial hair and shaving cream were the reason the sink kept getting clogged. No way those nasty clumps of two foot long hairs we keep pulling out of there could have anything to do with it, right?
On a side note, a long plastic thing with barbs on it often worked a lot better than drain cleaner.
I'd just use this.
http://www.amazon.com/Cobra-Products-00412BL-Zip-It-Cleaning/dp/B000BO9204/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_t/183-1063701-3548757
In fact, I do use it to clean long hair out. Pretty effective.
The works wonders!
Cobra Products 00412BL Zip-It Drain Cleaning Tool https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BO9204/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_UezTBbMG1R1Z2
I have had that problem, and I used a cheap drain snake, wiggling back and forth putting it in, and wiggling back and forth getting it out. It takes some finesse, but it was easier than taking out the drain plug. This Though they are usually only $2-3 at Menard's by the registers.
Yes, I totally agree, get a "zip it" drain cleaner tool! Something like this [https://www.amazon.com/Cobra-Products-00412BL-Drain-Cleaning/dp/B000BO9204] can be purchased at just about any home improvement type store.
It works so well and is so easy to use that when they first came out the plumbing company I worked for went out and purchased them for all of the plumbers to use as part of their kits.
Can't recommend it enough! (I also have one for my bathroom sink, seriously they are amazing, and like you; no one else around here was taking care of it. /hugs)
Your lease should tell if you are responsible for maintenance fees or not. Generally, a landlord is responsible for maintaining habitability of the premises. Its reasonable to charge a tenant for damages that are intentional or negligent, as the tenant also has a duty to maintain the property - sanitation, etc. Here is some general info on landlord tenant duty in Fl.
Caulk is a minor issue. It always gets moldy and discolored and cracks. This is probably the landlord's issue to replace the cracked caulk, especially if it wasn't done before move in. As to the discoloration, you can clean it. One way is to soak cotton balls in bleach and stick them to the bad areas for like an hour, which will take care of the mold/discoloration problem. Also, going forward, caulk is like $3 and its super easy to re-apply, rather than having to wait on your landlord. Learn to do things yourselves ladies, it will save you so much money and headache. The internet is an amazing resource.
Drain is a normal issue that happens especially if there are long haired people in the house. As to this being the tenant's fault, it probably is. You didn't keep the drain clear, as you're supposed to keep the plumbing in good condition. If a tree root grew into the lines, then that's landlord. You not collecting your hair and causing a clog, that's on you. You could have expected this to happen and put a drain catcher on it. Try a device like the zip it to unclog the drain. Shove it in, it catches hair, pull out. Kind of gross, but cheap and easy. And just as a FYI going forward on plumbing - do not flush your tampons. If and when it clogs your toilet, you'll get another charge. Wrap it in toilet paper and put it in the trash.
You're probably out of luck on the ice machine. Your lease doesn't mention it, and it does not go to habitability of the unit. You can survive without an ice maker. If you really want it fixed, check youtube for some DIY tips. Might be as simple as checking the connections.
When you get upset about these problems, remember there are people who live in apartments with nails sticking out of the floor, doors that don't lock, and broken windows. Your problems are non-issues that do not go to the habitability of the place. You can live there just fine without an ice maker, or with discolored caulk.
Feel free to talk to your landlord to get this waived. However, if they don't budge, expect it to be taken out of your deposit when you move. At that point, your option is to accept the charge or fight it in court. For $90, I'd say just suck it up.
I remember that stuff, had sorta a dome cap that had a lip so when you put it against your drain it sealed it and it shot whatever down the tubes...
It is pretty easy to unclog a drain, most stores have a 'zip stick' thing for like a buck that you poke down the drain and when you pull it out it is covered with hairs and soapy gunk. Because what usually clogs a drain is grease/hair/soap so most liquid plummer things are like Grease relief+Nair+ hot water.
I don't know about you but plumbing, electrical work and car repairs are actually entirely DIY'able. The problems you will run into where this becomes a gray area have to do with money. (Drilling into concrete to fix broken pipes is super expensive)
You can google the fix to your plumbing, electrical and car problems most of the time...
Am I the only person that even tries?
Not to mention your comparison kind of sucks, but I'm playing into it just for fun.
EDIT: I guess the reason I am willing to even respond to this is that Electricity, Running (Hot) Water, and Transportation are the three things on top of my list labelled "Reminders of why you need Society at all." So these are areas where I do my best to learn and develop a sort of self-reliance. I'm not even joking, you literally picked the top 3 items on my list of things to understand thoroughly. I have a wealth of educational material on electricity alone.
EDIT2:
Plumbing
Electricity
Transportation
What's even worse when you live with someone with long hair is when the dreaded "Why the fuck is the shower draining so slowly?" moment turns into the "Fuuuuuck! We have to clean the drain out!" experience.
My advice? Get a filter mask like this because the stench is like nothing I've ever encountered except for cleaning out grease traps at fast-food places; disposable nitrile gloves are also a very good idea
Next, you'll need a pair of long needle-nosed pliers. These will be used for Stage I: Grabbing the easy stuff. The easy stuff is hair that has managed to drape itself over the bottom of the drain; the part that looks like an "X." Lower the pliers down, with the needles slightly apart and grab some hair, and then pull up slowly*. The purpose for this is to maximize the amount of hair that you pull up each time. have a waste can lined with a bag to deposit the hair in.
Continue until you can no longer fish out any hair this way.
Stage II: Exorcising What Lurks Beneath.**
Stage II Tools:
Take the drain-cleaning tool out of it's packaging, stickit down the drain until you meet resistance, push it in a little further, then twist it around a few times.
[evil chuckle] Now comes the fun part. slowly pull the cleaning tool out of the drain and have someone standing by with the pliers in case the hair tries to make a getaway. What usually comes out the first time will look like a very skinny drowned rat. It will also smell like a skinny drowned rat. Repeat until no appreciable amounts of hair come out of the drain. Then you can move onto...
Stage III: We have to nuke it from orbit; it's the only way to be sure.
Stage III tools:
Follow the directions on the container to the letter! The chemicals inside will dissolve most organic matter very quickly.
Hopefully after this, your drain will run like a raging rapid.
The absolute last drain cleaning tool you will ever need - only 5 bucks at any hardware store and nigh-unlimited reuses.
http://www.amazon.com/Cobra-Products-400-Drain-Cleaning/dp/B000BO9204
Or a coathanger with a narrow hook bent into the end of it. GO FISHIN!
Magic Jewelry Retriever It's $5 and has gotten my jewelry on the FIRST try.
Get a zip it thingy. You can get em for like 3 bucks at walmart. It's a long plastic thingy with these hook like things on it. Push it down the drain and pull it back up and it pulls all that nasty smelling long hair and anything attached to it back up.
http://www.amazon.com/Cobra-Products-00412BL-Zip-It-Cleaning/dp/B000BO9204 <--- something like that.
It's this guy:
http://www.amazon.com/Cobra-Products-00412BL-Zip-It-Cleaning/dp/B000BO9204
Has no one ever heard of these things???
http://www.amazon.com/Cobra-Products-00412BL-Zip-It-Cleaning/dp/B000BO9204
Drain snakes really don't have to be expensive. I bought this one from my local walmart for $12 and you'd have to be pants-on-head retarded to not be able to figure out how to use it. I have to use it about twice a year, but it's a life saver for me because I have long hair which loves to accumulate in the shower drain. The only downside is having to clean the disgusting hair clog from it, but I consider that a minor inconvenience.
I've considered using a product called Zip-It which would work just as well on a hair clog, but is meant to be disposable. If you can't be bothered with cleaning a drain snake, and don't need to unclog your drain often, at $5 per, it could be worth the added convenience.