Easy to install, clean, and maintain. Catches nearly all hair while allowing water to flow freely. Amazon Affiliate Product Link: geni.us/C1Bi0UB
Tubshroom + Universal Stopper Combo Kit: geni.us/kABbu7l [Amazon Affiliate Product Link]
A couple of years ago I reviewed the original Tubshroom bathtub drain strainer, and at the time I was quite pleased with its performance because it caught all the hair going down the drain, preventing it from clogging up, and was fairly easy to clean. However, there were a few caveats to my praise, firstly, if your drain was a little too big, it would fall in and sit flush, preventing proper operation, as it turns out, the silicone material is actually somewhat porous allowing it to develop mold stains over time. As you can see here, after about a couple years of constant use, there are these unsightly black mold stains that developed pretty much all over, and these can’t be removed even with scrubbing and bleaching.
Thankfully Tubshroom listened to the feedback from their customers and launched a new stainless steel version of the Tubshroom that addresses, surprisingly, all of these issues. Inside the package you’ll find the updated drain strainer which now features a curved top design with three posts, or feet, around the top portion which is about 2.5” in diameter. At the bottom is a removable black silicone gasket strainer with holes larger enough to let water through but catch and collect any hair that goes into the drain. What’s more, the Ultra edition comes with three additional various-sized adapter gaskets so whether your tub drain is small, medium, or large, you should be able to find a size that fits as it accommodates drain diameters from 1.25 up to 1.75” inside and the gaskets are really easy to replace.
While this silicone part still might pick up black stains from mold and mildew, I guess you’d never really know since you wouldn’t be able to see it. But if you do want to replace it every so often to avoid the ick factor, these adapters can be purchased separately. With the Ultra edition, there’s no chance of the device falling into your drain and plugging it up, since the three feet lift and keep the curved top above the drain so that water, hair, and whatever else can flow into the catch basket below. When choosing the adapter size, make sure that it fits snugly but comfortably inside the drain pipe. You don’t want it to be very loose, or for the gasket to get curled up inside the pipe.
Just like the original version, when installed properly, the Tubshroom Ultra allows the water to flow freely down the drain without causing the water to backup or accumulate in the tub. Even if we wash a whole lot of hair down the drain, water continues to flow without getting clogged. When it’s time to clean it out, you’ll find that the debris comes off pretty easily and can be discarded in the trash. In the 6-months we've been using it, it's stopped a ton of hair from going down the pipes, and since we’ve been using it, we haven’t had one instance of clogging that required us to fish or snake the pipes to clear it.
Amazon Affiliate Product Link: geni.us/C1Bi0UB