The complete guide
How to Choose a Silicone Drain Plug and Hair Strainer That Actually Fits
The two small problems that turn into one big one
There are two complaints that come up in almost every bathroom. The first is a plug that no longer holds water, so the bath drains while you are still in it. The second is a drain that gurgles and empties slowly because hair has been collecting out of sight for months.
They look like separate problems. They are not. Both come down to what is happening right at the drain opening, and both are usually solved by the same small piece of kit.
A silicone drain plug with hair strainer sits in that opening and covers both jobs. Closed, it holds the water. Open, it catches hair before it travels down the pipe and starts weaving itself into a clog. You are not buying a plug and a separate hair trap and hoping they cooperate.
Why silicone instead of old-style rubber
Old rubber plugs fail in a predictable way. The rubber hardens, then shrinks slightly, and the edge that used to press tightly against the drain stops making full contact. You can usually tell by the feel. A tired plug is stiff and slightly glazed instead of soft and springy.
Silicone keeps its flexibility far longer. That matters for two reasons. It means the plug can squash a little as it goes into the opening, which is what creates the seal, and it means you can pull it out and press it back in week after week without the material splitting.
Flexibility is also what gives a universal bath plug its reach. A rigid plug fits one drain diameter and nothing else. A soft one has some tolerance either side.
Getting the size right
This is the part worth slowing down on, because it is where most returns come from.
This plug is 40mm wide and 40mm high. That is a very common drain size across basins, baths, and shower trays, but common is not the same as universal in your particular bathroom.
Take a tape measure or a ruler and measure straight across the drain opening at its widest point, from one inside edge to the other. Do not measure the decorative chrome ring that sits on top, because that is usually wider than the hole itself. If your number lands at or very near 40mm, you are in good shape.
If your drain measures noticeably larger, say 45mm or more, the plug will sit loose and water will creep past. If it measures a lot smaller, you will struggle to push it in and it may sit proud instead of seating properly. In either case, look for a different size rather than forcing this one.
Worth noting for kitchens. Kitchen sink drains are often larger than bathroom basin drains, so measure yours rather than assuming. If yours happens to be around 40mm, this doubles as a tidy kitchen stopper.
How it fits and how you use it
There is no installation in any real sense. You press the plug into the drain opening with your fingers and it stays. Nothing screws in, nothing is glued, and nothing about your plumbing changes.
To fill a bath or a sink, seat the plug so it sits flush and press gently around the edge. Give the drain rim a wipe first if it has soap film or grit on it, because a dirty rim is the number one reason a good plug leaks. Once the water is in, test it. If the level is dropping, lift the plug, wipe the rim and the plug, and reseat it.
To use it as a strainer, leave it in the open position so water runs through while hair stays on top. Over a week in a household with long hair, you will be surprised how much collects there. All of it would otherwise have gone into the pipe.
There is no chain mentioned in the product details, so this is a lift-with-fingers plug. That is fine for most people and actually an advantage in drains with no chain anchor.
Who gets the most out of it
Households with long hair get the clearest benefit, because they are the ones who end up calling a plumber for a shower clog. Catching hair at the surface is far easier than dealing with it once it has knotted around something further down.
Renters do well with it too. Nothing is permanent, nothing is drilled, and the plug comes with you when the lease ends.
Shared houses are another good match, since the plug needs no explanation. Anyone can see how it works without being told, which means it actually gets used.
And if you simply have an old plug that has stopped doing its job, this is a straightforward replacement that costs less than a call-out and takes about five seconds to fit.
Keeping it clean without making a project of it
The whole point of a hair strainer is that it collects things, so it will need rinsing. The good news is that it takes seconds.
Pull it out, tip the hair into the bin, and rinse under the tap. Once a week is a good rhythm in a busy bathroom. If drainage ever starts to feel sluggish, that is almost always the strainer asking to be emptied rather than a problem in the pipe.
Every so often, give it a proper wash with warm soapy water, then rinse and let it dry before refitting. Having two in the pack helps here, because one can dry while the other stays in use.
Skip the bleach, oven cleaner, and scouring pads. Harsh chemicals and abrasive pads can dull silicone and roughen the sealing edge, which is exactly the surface you need to stay smooth. Mild washing-up liquid handles soap scum and grease perfectly well.
One more thing. Never lever the plug out with a knife or screwdriver. A nick in the edge will leak forever after.
A few honest limits
It fits 40mm drains. That is the spec, and we would rather you measure than be disappointed.
the maker's details does not list a weight, packaging dimensions, or a warranty period, so we have left those blank rather than guessing. If you need a specific figure before ordering, ask and we will check what we can confirm.
And like any plug, it relies on a clean, undamaged drain rim to seal. If your drain opening is chipped, corroded, or badly scaled, no plug will hold water properly until that is dealt with.
The short version
If your plug leaks or your drain is slowing down, this handles both. The silicone body presses into a standard 40mm drain by hand, seals when you want to fill the bath or sink, and catches hair when you leave it open.
You get two in the pack, so one bathroom and one kitchen are covered, or you keep a spare for the shower tray. Cleaning means lifting it out and rinsing it, which takes a few seconds.
Measure your drain first. If you are near 40mm, this is a cheap fix for a problem that gets expensive if you ignore it.