DIY PLUMBING...WITH KNITTING NEEDLES

So...it's a weekday night...the shower drain's clogged...the boyfriend is away...there are no "real" plumbing tools in sight....and, well, lets face it -- a girl's got to shave her legs. What to do? Get out the size 11 knitting needles of course!

I like unclogging drains. And as a girl that's always had long hair, I have plenty of experience with getting creative about unclogging shower and bathtub drains. Why go through all the trouble of getting out the appropriate plumbing tools when you can unclog a drain with a few readily available household items?

Items Required:
1. Rainbow Vacuum Cleaner: Sure, these vacuums are pricey, but they're the best around. They're like miniature shop vacs. And the best part here is that they can be used to vacuum liquids. Oh....they also come with tons of attachments. (If you don't have a Rainbow Vacuum, you could also use a small shop vac...or another vacuum that can suck up water).
2. Towel
3. Flashlight: To get a good glimpse of what you're pulling out of the drain.
4. Size 11 metal knitting needles

Instructions:
1. Place long wand extension of vacuum in shower drain.
2. Wrap towel around the extension at the drain opening to help in creating additional suction.
3. Turn on vacuum and witness the awesome power of the Rainbow Vacuum.
4. Repeat until "clog" emerges at bottom of drain. You may have to add additional water to drain to aid in moving the clog along.
5. Once clog is in sight, hold flashlight in mouth (because you will be needing both hands....unless extremely skilled in the art of holding two knitting needles in one hand).
6. Use non-pointy end of needles to grab onto clog and slowly pull out of drain.

NOTE: This procedure probably only works with shower drains. Bathtub drains are a little bit different. The problem with our shower drain is that it dropped about a foot before it bent at a right angle. So, even though I was able to use the Rainbow to pull the clog into view, I had to use something long to stick down into the drain. My long metal knitting needles were perfect!

Um, there is a picture of the clog. It's massive. The most impressive clog I have ever seen. However, it is a tad bit unsightly and, well, lets face it, some things are just better left unseen.