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'Did what Drano couldn't': This $12 tool is a must for clogged sinks and showers
Plumbers are expensive, but this drain snake isn't — and fans can't believe what it manages to pull from plugged-up pipes.
Is there anything worse than the feeling of water creeping slowly up your legs while you shower? Or that moment after you've spit out your toothpaste, only to find it floating in your sink? Both are a tell-tale sign that your drain might be clogged. You can either deal with the sloooooow draining until you can’t take it anymore (often when something breaks) or you can deal with it ASAP.
Unfortunately, calling a plumber to unclog a shower or sink drain can cost anywhere from $147 to $342 according to Angi. So instead of spending big — or playing the wait-and-ignore game — check out this $12 FlexiSnake Drain Millipede that thousands of Amazon users are raving about.
The FlexiSnake is made to work its way through every pipe, no matter how curved or narrow it is. "Did what Drano couldn't," said one impressed buyer.
With its 360-degree rotation, the FlexiSnake Drain Millipede is seriously flexible. It's 18 inches long, and there are over 4,000 micro-hooks attached to the tool, something reviewers say produces amazing results when it comes to grabbing hair and other nasties.
All you need to do is stick the FlexiSnake down the drain (no need to disassemble anything) and work your way around the pipe to find and grab the source of the clog. Once you've got it, pull it up and wash off the gunk. You can fold it to better store it in tight spaces, thanks to its flexible steel core.
More than 2,300 Amazon shoppers agree that it gets the job done well with one saying it even works better than liquid solutions.
"Even Liquid Plumber wasn't able to unclog my sloooow drain," shared one five-star Amazon shopper. "I put this down the drain ... and I cranked the little handle and pulled out a hair ball about 6 inches long. Then I was able to get the tool farther down into the pipe where it cleared out other glops of hair too. Now my drain is freely draining quickly like it should."
The same shopper also used it on their shower, but said to be wary of the bristles: "The little bristles are sharp so watch your fingers, and it's hard to clean. But for the price and result, we'll use it again!"
"The only drain snake I’ll ever buy," wrote another happy customer. "I have really long, very curly hair that clogs up a tub drain in a week or two. This got every strand out easily."
Still on the fence? This five-star reviewer has an (admittedly gross) testimonial: "I almost threw up when I saw all the hair and gunk this pulled out of my shower and sink. I told my boyfriend he has to do it in the future because I don’t think I can stomach it. I’m happy I don’t have to put chemicals down my drain anymore."
One shopper noted, though, that while it works well, it's a bit of a pain to fully clean. "[The] only downfall is it is impossible to clean after each use, so I wish that it came with a cleaning tool," the reviewer wrote. "I find it more of a single-use tool, but if you only need it once every couple of months, for the price, I think that's fine too!"
And, if you have super deep-rooted clogs, this tool may not be enough to get all of the gunk out. "Won't reach clogs that are further down the drain line unless you have the ability to take out the trap," one shopper noted.
If you love anything grossly satisfying (we're looking at you, pimple-popping fans) you'll love FlexiSnake.
The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.
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