Whatever Happened To Drain Strain – Prevents Clogged Drains After Shark Tank Season 6?

In 2015, Naushad Ali brought the Drain Strain to "Shark Tank" Season 6 Episode 17. Ali came up with the idea for his product in 2012 when he had to hire a plumber to unclog his sink. After seeing the bill, Ali knew he could create a less expensive alternative that would prevent sinks from clogging in the first place. The Drain Strain is a universal sink stopper with a detachable basket to catch hair, jewelry, or anything else that happens to fall down your sink's drain. The basket can easily be removed from the stopper, emptied in the trash, and replaced. Ali hoped this would be a safer option than using chemicals to unclog drains and would look better than other hair-catching products.

Ali worked on the design for Drain Strain for years, and when he appeared on "Shark Tank," the product was still a prototype. Despite his lack of sales, Ali hoped the sharks would help him make Drain Strain a success.

The Drain Strain inventor, Naushad Ali, went into the tank seeking $110,000 for 15% equity in his company. Though the product was still in its prototype phase, a few of the sharks were interested. Kevin O'Leary, also known as Mr. Wonderful, points out that licensing Drain Strain to larger sink or shower companies would be more profitable and more successful than only focusing on retail sales. Ali believes he could have the products ready within 90 days, and explains that an investment from a shark would cover the initial costs to manufacture Drain Strains.

Though Barbara Corcoran, Lori Greiner, and Mark Cuban passed on Ali's invention, Kevin O'Leary and Robert Herjavec found the Drain Strain promising. O'Leary offered the company $110,000 in exchange for 20% of the company, as long as Ali agreed to licensing deals with a manufacturer. Herjavec said he'd give Drain Strain $110,000 for 10% equity, 5% less than Ali's initial offer, and the deal was done.

Though Naushad Ali had never sold one of his drain stoppers before going on "Shark Tank," the company started to see success several months after the episode aired. Though Drain Strain originally intended to have its drain stoppers ready by April of 2015, the products didn't ship to customers until November.

Even with this slow start, Ali's deal with Herjavec proved helpful and in an updated "Shark Tank" segment in 2017, Ali spoke about how far his company had come. "When I appeared on "Shark Tank," Drain Strain was just a prototype," Ali said (via YouTube). "We launched in retail just three months ago and we half a million dollars in sales." The founder also revealed that Drain Strain was being sold in 1,200 Home Depot locations, and Lowe's had placed a purchase order to get Drain Strain into 500 stores. Before starting his clog stopping company Ali was a real estate agent, and the economic crash of 2008 devastated his family. In the update, he explained how Drain Strain changed his life. "My family has endured a lot of emotional and financial challenges over the last several years. This [company] has allowed me to bounce back and make my dreams come true, and leave a legacy for my children."

Though Drain Strain was in its early stages when Naushad Ali went into the tank, it continues to be available to consumers today. The clog preventing drain stoppers can be found on Drain Strain's website and Amazon. The company now sells hair catchers and stoppers for bathtubs as well as sinks, but has rebranded their products to be called Drain Buddy. Drain Strain also sells replacement baskets for their stoppers.

According to the Drain Strain's website, the company has made deals to put its product in hotel chains, including La Quinta, Holiday Inn Express, and Hampton Inn. Drain Strain's website also claims its products are sold in Ace Hardware stores, but their drain stoppers do not appear on the retailer's websites as currently available. Also, the drain stoppers are no longer sold at Lowe's, according to their website. Though Drain Stain doesn't seem to be available for purchase online at Lowe's or Ace Hardware, it's possible the product could still be found in stores.

Naushad Ali continues to act as Drain Strain's Chief Executive Officer. Ali also lists himself as the Chief Disruptive Officer for Disrupt by Design, a company he founded in 2012. Disrupt by Design was created to launch innovative products that will change the market and while Drain Strain was its first, it's unclear if Disrupt by Design is still operating as there seems to be no website for the company.

Though Drain Strain doesn't post much on its original Facebook page, it seems that the company has created new social media accounts with the name Drain Buddy. The company's new Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok started posting in September, but have yet to receive much of a following. Though it's unclear what the future holds for Drain Strain, Ali's drain stoppers and hair catchers have been on the market for eight years.