The Mongoose In The Drain

I mentioned that I had to clear the bathtub drain last week. Symptom was SLOWWWW draining. I tried some drain cleaner to no avail so the only options were to call a plumber or attack the offending clog solo.

I chose solo as I can always call a plumber:)

Employing my usual handyman technique I "Googled" tub drains and found our style. Taking off the drain I reached down the drain and grabbed some obvious strands of hair which were hooked over the cross support in the drain. As I pulled a WHOLE clump ripped out. It was about 10 inches long and foul smelling.

Notice I said "ripped". That meant that there was more in there. I couldn't get a plier or even a screwdriver down there to hook the offending culprit so I retrieved the small snake from the garage. Proceeding to insert the end in the drain I twisted the snake a few times and started to pull.

I was met with great resistance. I pulled HARDER and made progress inch by inch. As the end of the snake started to come out of the drain I almost threw up. It was a matted mess of hair that was about 1/2 inch thick. I continued to pull and I saw a rubber band in the matted mess. It took some time but eventually the mass was out.

I thought about taking a picture AFTER it was in the trash and just couldn't bring myself to get it back out of the plastic shopping bag I had tied it in.

The whole thing was about 14 inches long, moldy, stinky, and putrid. It looked like a dead mongoose - albeit a small one.

I'm glad that I didn't call a plumber since I am cheap. But I am still fighting the images in my head of the fetid mass.

WH