Last year, 325,000 Canadians raised $15.5 Million for Movember, an annual initiative where men grow moustaches and collect donations to raise awareness of and support men’s health issues. While this may be a great cause, it does come with an unfortunate side effect: hundreds of thousands of messy or clogged bathroom sinks across the country from all of the moustache trimmings. Although we all want to be supportive during this important month, patience can wear thin when small hair clippings start to cover nearly every surface in your bathroom.
As someone with a year-round beard, I know all too well the mess that facial hair maintenance inevitably results in. It can seem like no matter how much you prep and clean up afterwards, there are always stray clippings that end up in the most random places. Not to worry, though — keeping a tidy moustache and bathroom are both easy to manage. Here’s how to maintain a clean bathroom while growing your Movember moustache.
Prepping
Clear your counter
Start things off by removing all soap dispensers, toothbrushes, moisturizers and anything else that is near the sink on your counter. Hair will fly behind whatever items are on your counter, and by removing them you’ll be able to locate stray hairs and prevent unwelcome surprises later on.
Dry your sink and counter
Hair will stick to any damp surfaces, making it that much harder to get rid of later on. Use an absorbent towel to wipe off your sink and counter, and wait 5-10 minutes to allow for enough time to dry.
Plug your drain
As you trim, hair will fall into your sink and down your drain. Remember to plug your drain to prevent hair from falling in and clogging things up.
Trimming
Use a vacuum beard trimmer
Stray hairs are inevitable, but you can seriously reduce the amount by using a beard trimmer with a built-in vacuum. Just remember to dispose of trimmings into your garbage and resist the temptation to dump them into your sink.
Consider a beard bib
If you don’t mind looking a little silly (or like a beard pro, depending on how you look at it), a beard bib is the most effective way to clean up by preventing hair from falling into your sink in the first place.
Cleaning Up
DO NOT wash hairs down the drain
The hairs may be small, but when washed down the drain they will quickly gather together and create an annoying clog. If you take away one thing from this post, make it this: never wash your hair clippings down the drain!
Use a dust buster
If you followed the first few steps and have thoroughly dried your sink, a dustbuster should be able to easily pick up most of the hairs.
Wipe surfaces with a slightly damp paper towel
Any remaining hair should be easily wipeable with a wet paper towel. Try to just use a little bit of water so the paper towel easily retains its shape — if it’s too wet, it’ll drip and and send your hairs down the drain.
Have a clog? Try baking soda and vinegar
Despite your best efforts, if you managed to create a bit of a clog then just use some baking soda and vinegar to get your drain back to normal. Pour about a half cup of baking soda and one cup of vinegar and let it sit for 15 minutes. Then, pour a kettle of boiling water directly down the drain and your clog should be all cleared up.
By following these tips, you’ll be able to keep focused on the important causes you’re supporting this Movember and not on the messiness in your bathroom. Be sure to keep us in the loop with your Movember ‘stache (and your bathroom’s cleanliness) on Instagram or Facebook!
