Turbo Snake™

Warning! The pictures below are very disgusting!

Cleaning my drains has never been a high priority for me, but from time to time it cannot be avoided. I have tried liquid drain cleaners with limited success which requires me to take the time to take apart the pipes that run under my sink. If you have done this yourself, you know that it is a messy job and it can be difficult for some (like me) to re-attach the pipes tightly enough to avoid future leakage.

The Turbo Snake™ from OnTel Products Corporation seeks to remedy this problem. I purchased this product at Target for 5.99 and it includes a sink snake, a shower and tub snake, and a storage hook. It is basically a thick, flexible wire with a heavy duty Velcro tip. The sink snake is small and rounded and the shower and tub snake is flat like a paddle. I really didn't think this would work but was worth a chance at under $6. Was I surprised!

It works by inserting the snake into the drain and moving it up and down and in circles to grab the clog and remove it. I first tried this on my tub drain, but it pulled up only a small amount of hair - this is probably due to the great job my drain screen is doing. Every morning I have a small bundle of hair that needs to be removed to keep the drain clean and I have only had one instance of a slow drain in the five years I have been using this bathtub. I wasn't able to use the flat-shaped shower and tub snake because of the small holes present in the tub's drain screen, but I was able to fit in the sink snake.

The sink snake however did a great job for its intended use. I was able to clean my sink drain in under five minutes and completely fixed my slow-drain problem. Because the Velcro tip is small, expect to use it more than once, and it will need to be cleaned with each try to expose the Velcro. Do note as well that this product will remove the hair from the drain, not the sludge. And of course, it won't fix problems beyond its reach of 27". Below are a couple of photos of the product in action.

I recommend this product for those that do not feel comfortable taking apart their own plumbing and have found liquid drain cleaners to fail in their job of removing hair clogs. The cost of the Turbo Snake™ at $5.99 compared to a bottle of liquid drain cleaner at $5-$10 ensures that this purchase is not a waste of money - as long as you are sure you have a hair clog and not a sludge or a general plumbing problem. Using the enclosed storage hook, you can keep this small product neatly tucked away under your sink for quick use as well - no waiting for someone else to clear the drain for you.

Tip: Search Amazon.com for great 2-for-1 deals on this product!