A clogged shower drain is a common household nuisance that is fortunately usually easy to fix. The primary culprits are hair and soap scum, which tend to stick together in your shower drain. Clogged drains can lead to a number of problems, such as standing water, bad odors, bacterial buildup in your shower, water damage to your bathroom fixtures, and even pipe damage if the clog is bad enough.
Preventing A Clogged Shower Drain
It isn’t always hard to clear a clogged shower drain, but it’s still best to try to prevent clogs in your shower drain. Clogged drains can be annoying to deal with; the pipes can be challenging to access, and deep clogs are often tricky to get. Here are some easy ways to prevent having a clogged drain in the first place.
- Use a tub strainer or drain screen.
- Brush your hair before you get in the shower.
- Wipe the shower free of loose hairs when you’re done.
- Pour boiling water in your pipes once a week to dislodge soap scum and debris.
- Use baking soda and vinegar to flush your drain about once a month.
- Don’t pour dirty mop water or other wastewater into the shower drain.
How To Fix A Clogged Shower Drain
If you do have a clog, don’t panic. You may be able to dislodge it on your own. Try these methods in order, as they go from simplest to more difficult.
Use Boiling Water
Let the shower drain completely. Then, slowly pour a good amount of boiling water down your shower drain. You don’t have to remove your drain cover for this, and you shouldn’t use this method if you have PVC pipes, which can be damaged by extremely hot water.
Clean The Drain Cover
Remove your drain cover and clean it of any hair, soap scum, and debris that has built up on it. A hair clog may sit at the top of the drain, where you can remove it with your fingers. If it’s too far down to reach, use a hair clog removal tool or a straightened wire coat hanger and fish out the debris.
Baking Soda and Vinegar
Mix a solution of ⅓ cup of vinegar and ⅓ cup of baking soda. Once your shower has drained completely, pour this into the drain and let it sit for twenty minutes to an hour. The fizzing, bubbling action may dislodge any clogs it runs into.
Plunger
To use a plunger, remove the drain cover and put the rubber cup of the plunger over the drain. Then add water by running the shower or pouring it into a recessed drain to cover the plunger cup. Move the plunger handle up and down rapidly to move the clog.
Auger/Plumbing Snake
Remove the drain cover and insert an auger (also called a plumbing snake) into the drain, rotating as you push forward. Continue until you’ve hit something, then secure the auger and retract it– and the clog.
My Shower Is Still Clogged
If you’ve tried everything and your shower is still clogged, you likely need professional help. If that’s the case, you need the friendly pros at Intown Plumbing! Give us a call at 469-207-1400 or email us at info@intownplumbingtx.com for all of your plumbing needs.
