Under $25 scores: The hair catcher that saved my drains | CNN Underscored

I’ve dealt with clogged drains my entire life. Whether it was growing up with older sisters (and having long hair that comes off in the shower myself), not cleaning the sink well enough after shaving or letting food bits fall into the kitchen sink, it seems like every drain I come across is clogged.

After buying countless bottles of Drano, I felt stuck in the cycle of pouring harsh chemicals down a drain just to end up in the same, clogged spot two to three months later. So when I moved into a new apartment, I decided I’d had enough. I bought a TubShroom, a ShowerShroom and two Kitchen SinkShrooms to keep my drains flowing free. A handful of months later, I’m here to say I’ve never been happier with a home purchase.

I have three different kinds of “shrooms,” but they all work in the same way. Some sort of plug goes into the drain, which has a removable piece in the center that catches hair, food and any other unwanted bits that would otherwise go down your drain.

All three of the shrooms I got were incredibly easy to install, taking only minutes. I was worried that the shrooms might not fit since the apartment I moved into was built in the 1980s, but since they’re designed to fit nearly any drain I didn’t run into any compatibility issues.

Once you pop them in the drains, the shrooms can start working their magic. Whether it’s in the tub, shower or sink, these gadgets catch any and all hair or food that passes their way. I especially love the TubShroom and ShowerShroom, since their designs hide the hair they catch and keep it mostly out of sight. The SinkShroom has a more elevated design, so the trappings aren’t as hidden, but it still works great.

When one of the shrooms start to get full, they’re super easy to empty out and clean. The ShowerShroom and TubShroom’s removable centerpiece collects most of the unwanted bits, so you can easily lift that piece up, throw away the contents and replace it in mere seconds. The SinkShroom also has a removable center, but I find that most of the food gets trapped in the actual basket, not the center plug, so I just lift the whole thing out of the sink to clean it.

One piece of buying advice I would give is to go for the stainless steel version of the TubShroom over the original. They’re easier to clean and, despite the “Ultra” name, they’re actually $1 cheaper than the rubber shroom (the SinkShroom and ShowerShroom come standard with stainless steel).

I really think every household should have a TubShroom. They’re easy to install, do a great job at protecting your drains and since a TubShroom two-pack is the same price as a Drano two-pack, it’s a money-saving no-brainer. With prices hovering between $10 and $20, depending on the shroom, it’s not a big investment to try one out. Just be prepared, because after you do, you’ll want to have one for every single drain in your house.