Have you ever peeked into your floor drain, only to see a black gelatinous substance? This isn’t an everyday occurrence, but it’s not out of the ordinary either. In fact, there are quite a few things that can contribute to this material accumulating in your drain strainer. We’ll go over what it actually is and how you can get rid of it—without having to call in the plumber!
Hair
The hair that accumulates in your floor drain is the largest contributor to the creepy black stuff. The floor drain sits in a stainless steel floor well core, which collects hair and debris. The drain then flows through a hole at the bottom of the well to enter a golvvask. This process is what creates that dark, gooey substance we call creepy black stuff.
Toothpaste
golvavloppssil in stainless steel can get very gross. Floor sinks are also at risk of a buildup of the black gooey stuff. This is because they are close to the floor, so hair, soap scum and shaving cream residue can fall into them easily. The black gunk (also known as creepy black stuff or gunk) is made up of mostly decomposing hair and skin cells, toothpaste grit and other substances that might fall onto the floor near your sink or drain.
Shaving Cream
It is a good idea to use warm water and dish soap to clean the floor drain and floor well core. This will help remove any dirt or grime that could be sticking to the metal.
If you don’t have a squeegee, it is still possible to clear away the soap scum without one. Fill up a bucket with water and dish soap, then pour it over the sides of the shower door into the tub below. The suds should work their way down into the floor drain, clearing out any hair or other debris that might be stuck there.
If you notice black gunk coming from your floor drain after you’ve done this cleaning process, then you may need to call in an expert plumber.
Skin Cells
You know that black, gooey stuff that seems to just ooze out of your drain every time you clean it? It turns out, that black gooey stuff is made up of a combination of things, mostly decomposing hair, soap scum, toothpaste grit, shaving cream residue and skin cells. Gross! But don’t worry–there are a few ways to keep this from happening. For one thing, use a floor well core or floor sink with a grate instead of the open hole type you might see in some kitchens. The grate will help keep hair and other debris from getting in the drain.
Body Oils (yes, those too)
It can be a little alarming to see the dark, goopy substance in your floor drain. Don’t worry though, it is not as gross as it looks. This creepy black stuff is mostly made up of hair and skin cells that have been washed down the sink and collected in your drain. The other substances include soap scum, toothpaste grit, shaving cream residue, etc.
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