Cobra Products 400 Zip-It Drain Cleaning Tool
by Cobra Products
|
List Price: Our Price: $2.09 You Save: $1.30 (38%) Availability: Usually ships in 2-3 business days Buy Used: from $1.99 (click here) Category: Tools See more product details |
|---|
Tools and Hardware Reviews of Cobra Products 400 Zip-It Drain Cleaning Tool
Customer Review: Fantastic item & it's made in the USA!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I purchased the money saving twelve pack and intend on giving a few to family members that live in an older home.
The Zip-It is simple to use & fixed our very slow, bathroom sink drain. We plunged the sink about once a month. Previously, we tried a chemical drain cleaner; it took a long time to get the drain clear so we decided to plunge instead...that is, until I read an article about Zip-It. Figuring it might be the answer to our problem, I bought the 12 pack.
First, you're instructed to use eye protection. Inserting the Zip-It into the bathroom drain was a little difficult because the drain is divided into 4 small sections. I resisted the urge to grab it closer to the drain and give it a push. You don't want to touch the working portion because of the sharp points that pull out the gunk. I eventually got it all the way down the drain, but couldn't twist it like one poster suggested. I moved it around the drain a bit, then slowly pulled it out. I got a massive amount of gunk which was mostly hair. Then I used it in the tub drain and got a glob of hair out of it, too. I was on a roll and used it in the kitchen sink..got nothing there. By the way, have a plastic bag or newspapers, even old magazines or catalogs handy. This thing will be messy when you take it out of the drain. The Zip-It is disposable, you're instructed to throw it away after one use.
Zip-It is made in the USA...and that makes it even better!!
Customer Review: Did the trick on my slow bathroom sink
Summary: 5 Stars
The sink in our master bathroom is odd because it does not contain any venting at the top. Unfortunately, the assembly of the drain does not allow the stopper to be pulled out without taking apart the sink, which means any clogs on the stopper create a verrrrryyyyyy slooooowwwwwwwww draaaaaiiiinnnnnn. I tried plunging the drain, using small metal utensils, and lots of hot water to get the clog cleared. No luck.
Enter the Zip It. This long flexible plastic drain snake with many barbed hooks snakes down the drain, breaking up clogs, pushing some particles down the drain while bringing up others. I ran the Zip It down each of the sides of the stopper and came up with soap, hair, grease, and other stinky disgustingness.
Then I tested the sink by filling it up and testing drain speed. By my estimate my slow drain increased to five times its speed before the Zip It.
The Zip It says to throw it away, but it wound up little worse for wear in my usage, meaning you could probably get multiple usage out of it.
Note, because of the flexible barbs, make sure that you check to make sure there is clearance for the barbs before snaking it down a drain. I tried it in my shower drain and it zipped right down, but got caught on the way up in the little drain holes, requiring much patience and a bit of strength to work it free.
Highly recommended for minor clogs.
Customer Review: Wonderful, cheap little device
Summary: 5 Stars
Our shower was filling up with water rather quickly so I knew I had a clog. Honestly, I had some doubts about this device. I didn't know if it would be long enough to get to wherever the clog was, I didn't know if it'd be easy to work into the drain, etc.
Well all those doubts were unfounded, this little device easily reached the clog and pulled out gobs of unspeakable filth. It was still not a fun job to do; don't get me wrong. However, it was at least a cheap one.
It took just one to three pulls of this device to get most all the globs of disgusting mess out of the drain. I used it a few more times and got a bit more junk but nothing that would clog anything.
Only downsides I can think of is because of the sharp points. These make it a little dangerous to work into the drain if you are not careful. I recommend holding it with gloves or a washcloth to insulate your hands from these sharp edges. It was a little hard to work down the initial bend in our drain but not overly so. Once I got a good angle figured out it was relatively easy. The sharp points also make them tough to clean. I wanted to hold onto it for future use but running paper down it to get the stuck on filth off results in the paper tearing and getting stuck on the points. So it takes a little time but I eventually got it clean.
I'm happy with this purchase and will undoubtedly use it in the future!
Customer Review: Three Step Method I Used
Summary: 5 Stars
The Zip-it is an effective low-tech tool for spiking drains. Preparatory Items: latex gloves, a plastic store bag, plenty of throw-away rags.
1. First do your sink-drains and then your tub-drains. This is because the tub-drains break at a 90 degree angle after a few inches and that will bend your Zip-it. So do your long stand-up drains first to get optimal use from the tool while it is straight.
2. I did my drains DRY at first to get the clumps out SOLID at the beginning. I used an inch-worming-back-and-forth insertion until the handle was reached. Then a flossing-type rip out while slowly examining/cleaning the Zip-it teeth and clumps. Each quadrant of the 4-holed drain was DRY-RIPPED in this manner.
3. Then I turned on the hot water directly over the drain and repeated the flossing rather vigorously, observing that point at which the drain is very clean and your returns on effort are nil.
4. (Optional) Perhaps it would be a nice touch to finish off the job clearing the drain with some ordinary draino.
Epilogue: I threw away the used Zip-it after cleaning 2 bathrooms. It was warped but still had plenty of good spikes left. I wouldn't be surprised if on some of the more troublesome drains some of the teeth were chipped off, though I think it would take some real abuse to break the entire tool off in a drain.
Customer Review: All I have to say is WOW!!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
WOW!!! This super low priced drain cleaning tool works incredibly well!!! My bathtub had been going down slower and slower. Plus, the drain was not holding the water in the tub completely. I started thinking that maybe there was hair blocking it, so it couldn't seal completely when closed.
I've had my Zip-It for quite a while and hadn't used it. I thought this was the perfect opportunity to try it out, since it had been over a year since my bathtub drain had been cleaned out. Normally, gross, gobby, dirty hair from a drain would make me gag (this is why it has been so long since it has been done -- had someone else do it for me last time). I unscrewed the drain cover, pushed the Zip-It down the drain as far as it would go, pulled it back up, and Voila!, there was a huge amount of gross hair hanging from it. I was so amazed and pleased that I didn't even get grossed out. I tried it down the drain a couple more times, but I guess it had gotten everything the first time, because no more came up. I did try it on my bathroom sink, and only got a couple little pieces of slime, no hair.
I love this simple, cheap, easy-to-use tool and now plan to clean my bathtub drain more than once a year! I have already told friends and family about it. It's great.