What Is a Drain Snake?
Quick answer
A flexible cable you feed down the drain to grab the clog your fingers can't reach.
A flexible cable or barbed strip fed down a drain to hook and pull out clogs beyond finger reach. For bathroom sinks, a $3–$5 plastic zip strip handles the hair mat at the stopper; a 25-foot hand-crank cable auger ($25–$40) reaches clogs deeper in the branch line before it's time to call a plumber.
Fixes that use this
Bathroom
Unclog a Slow Bathroom Sink in 15 Minutes, No Chemicals
A slow bathroom sink is almost always hair caught at the pop-up stopper. Pull it, clear it with a $4 zip tool, and clean the P-trap if needed.
Time15–30 min Cost$3–$5 easy
Bathroom
How to Unclog a Shower Drain Without Chemicals
A slow shower drain is usually hair under the cover or in the first bend. Pull the grate, use a zip tool, flush hot water, and know when to stop.
Time15–30 min Cost$3–$15 easy