What causes clogged shower drains?
Shower drains and bathtub drains can become clogged easily because of all the hair and soap that travels down them.
Every time you take a shower particles from the soap can stick to the insides of the drain and build up over time. From there, the gunk catches anything else that goes down the drain including hair.
If you notice that the water isn’t draining as fast as it used to in your shower, have a look in the drain. Most drains will have a sort of X or + looking metal piece. You’ll likely see a build-up of hair over this. We know it’s gross and slimy but if you want you can reach down and pull out as much of it as you can.
You can also use a pair of tweezers so you don’t have to touch it. Usually, this will help a lot, so long as you get as much as you can see.
If this doesn’t do it, consider hiring professional drain cleaners like John The Plumber, and we’ll be happy to solve all your drain problems!
How can I unclog a drain?
If you’ve taken out as much hair and grime as you can and the water still isn’t going down the shower drain then the problem may be deeper then you can see. This is when you can try a few other methods to see if you can solve the issue yourself.
Boiling Water for Clogged Showers
This is probably the most common solution. You’ll just need a small pot of boiling water and a small amount of salt and you might just break up that thick clog deep in the drain in no time.
Baking Soda and Vinegar for Clogged Showers
This one can be both fun and beneficial for your shower drain. Add some baking soda to the drain, start with about 1/4 cup. Then add some vinegar a small amount at a time until you hear and see it start foaming. Watch the fun and wait for it to stop, then pour a bit of boiling water down the drain. This should help clearing that stubborn drain clog.
A Plunger to unclog a shower
You may think that a plunger is just for your toilet, but it can be used for other drains in your house as well. Just be a bit more gentle with it. Place it over the drain and utilize it’s suction to dislodge the clog. This is really handy if you still have water in the bathtub. This way you can tell if it’s working right away when the water starts to drain.
My Shower is Still Clogged!!
At this point, you may be looking at a much larger issue in your clogged shower drain. If you’ve tried the methods above and they have failed, you might need to call and schedule a drain cleaning service with one of our clogged drain experts. They will be happy to help you with your clogged drain issues.
How to prevent shower blockages?
Blocked drains in your bathtub drain can often be avoided.
We recommend using a shower strainer. A shower strainer will catch a lot of hair before it enters the drain, which will prevent one of the main ingredients of a shower blockage!
Additionally, we recommend using the Baking Soda and Vinegar drain cleaning method mentioned above.
Simply pour about half a cup of baking soda into your shower drain followed by half a cup of white vinegar. Let it fizzle for about fifteen minutes, then flush it down with hot water!
Repeat this every month, and you’ll likely reduce the need for drain cleaning services in your home!