Have you ever experienced the frustration of standing in the shower and feeling the water rising dangerously close to your ankles? It’s not the water’s fault, but rather a clogged shower drain that’s to blame. If you’re tired of dealing with a clogged shower drain, there are a few things you can do to prevent it from happening. One of the best ways is to regularly clean your shower drain. Months of accumulated gunk and hair can cause the water to pool around your feet, on the verge of overflowing onto the bathroom floor. To avoid this, discover how to clean shower drain and make it a part of your regular cleaning routine.
Why So Clogged Up Anyway?
Before launching a drain-cleaning operation, it helps to know exactly what types of gunk we’re up against. Eye floaters in the shower drain? Not likely. Though a bunch of other icky stuff lurks right down there each time we lather up.
Hair Helsman
We shed around 50-100 hairs every single day. Now calculate how many showers you take per week and multiply that by the hairs you’re sending down the drain. It adds up fast! All those loose strands weave together to form dense nets, traps, and wily clogs. No wonder your drain seems more moody than your actual teenagers!
The hair gunk often combines forces with…
Soap Scum Sergeant
That bane of tile scrubbing races down our drains, too. The oils, fats, and minerals in soap, shampoo, and conditioner solidify into that flaky, gummy buildup we call soap scum. Each bit gloms onto loose hairs, products, dirt, and more that slip down the drain until kapow – clog city.
And let’s not forget about…
Skin Suit Syndicates
Our body’s largest organ is the skin, Molts and sheds (especially in dry winter). The dead skin cells, mixed with stray hairs and soap scum, turn into something of a concrete filler around drain covers.
Add on products like bath bombs, thick conditioners, and even occasional debris like loose hairs or oil from shaving. No wonder our drains sometimes seem to be protesting life choices!
Prevention: First Lines of Defense
An ounce of prevention equals less drain gunk down the line. Starting some simple habits now keeps things flowing freely for longer:
Drain Strain Game
Popping a mesh drain cover over top catches loose hairs before they get sucked too far down the drain. Just wipe hair and debris off the guard into the trash can when you hop out of the shower. Some covers suction right onto the existing drain. Or if you’re fancy, get a click-in strainer basket that pops in and out for cleaning.
All Tied Up
Rubber band trick: loop a hair tie around strands before washing. This contains long, loose hairs so they don’t detach mid-shampoo. Then remove the tie only once all clean hair is wrangled safely from the water stream. Partners can help each other with the banding too – fun!
Bottle Those Oils
Rather than letting thick hair masks, conditioners, or bath oils glug directly down the drain, apply them strategically. Work the products through your hair or skin first before stepping under the shower stream. Then rinse thoroughly, rather than globs of straight-up oil, to send the residue down.
Scrub-a-Dub
Using a squirt of bathroom cleaner spray on the shower walls and floor first can help break up oils and soap scum before they clog things up down below. Check bottle directions, though, as some cleaner chemicals can harm finishes if left to sit too long.
Monthly Maintenance
Add a monthly drain cleaning to your routine. Hair traps and mesh guards buy you more time between deeper cleanings, but still need eventual tough scrubbing to keep things clear. Mark your calendar, or even better – tell your smart speaker to remind you it’s drain cleaning day!
Operation: Drain Liberation
Even the best prevention can’t halt shower gunk forever, though. When backed-up water starts pooling around your feet or draining alarmingly slowly, take action! Arm yourself with a few basic tools and substances from under the sink or at the corner store:
Supplies Checklist:
- Rubber cleaning gloves
- Old toothbrush
- Tweezers or needle-nose pliers
- Baking soda and vinegar OR chemical drain cleaner
- Small wire drain snake (optional)
- Large bowl or bucket
- Towels (lots!)
- Trash bag
Then, let’s get this shower drain in working order!
Step 1: Pull Patrol
Before anything else – put those gloves on! Removing clumps of mystery goo by hand is …not advisable.
Grab your tweezers/needle nose pliers and gently pull out anything easily reachable in or around the drain. Dropping long hairs, globs of gunk, and such straight into the trash skip them, joining the clog further down below. Watch for detachable parts like removable drain covers to pull free, too.
Not feeling up for grabby plucking? At least pull stray hairs clinging to the drain edges and dispose of them properly before they cause trouble. Every bit cleared now lightens step two…
Step 2: Scrubber Ducky
Grab that old toothbrush and transform it into scrubber duck mode. This step works best right after actively using the shower while surfaces are still warm and damp. Scour all reachable drain parts and immediate pipe openings with the brush end.
Focus on loosening debris clinging to the metal crossbars, threaded drain cover, or pipe interiors depending on your drain style. Switch to using the toothbrush end point for pressed spots to really dig gunk free. Flick, sweep, prod and poke until removing every last bit within reach.
Step 3: Snake Charming
For this next bit, the drain itself gets, well, snaked! A small wire coil drain snake feeds down most household shower pipes, latching onto and pulling up clogs.
First test it in the sink drain to get the hang of gently easing it down and cranking back debris up the pipe walls. Always point coils downward to avoid scratching porcelain. In the shower apply the same slow, gentle pressure – forcing the snake could scratch pipes or break within clogs.
Crank carefully, feeling for the give of loose debris and catching it within the snake twists. Once it stops descending but doesn’t catch gunk? Time to switch tactics.
Step 4: Drain Bombs Away!
No snake success means it’s time for the chemical blitz: baking soda and vinegar or store-bought drain cleaner bombs. These react and expand to dissolve solid masses and push through water to clear pipes. They really earn their name when it comes to annihilating all sorts of gunk!
Whip Up Your Own
For simple homemade drain cleaner, dump about 1⁄2 cup baking soda down the drain first. Let it settle a few minutes to permeate before pouring in about 1 cup heated white vinegar. The mix activates, bubbling away at clogs and washing debris further down the pipes. Cover the drain for 5-10 minutes letting the reaction work before running the hot water. Flush a full kettle of water down last to clear any remaining fizzing cleanser.
Or Stock Up
No brewing motivation? Pre-made drain cleaner jugs or dissolvable pods work too. Follow individual product directions, usually entailing: remove drain cover, pour/drop cleaner in, wait, then flush with hot water for best results. Seriously potent cleaners often utilize sulfuric acid or sodium hydroxide. So go pre-made for the hardcore clogs if you don’t mind the intense (yet effective) chemicals.
Repeat or Call In The Pros
Try two rounds of bombs before moving forward. If water flows faster but not completely clear? It’s progress! Give it another round or two to finish breaking through years of accumulated gunk. Still no dice? Time to call in a true drain specialist.
Step 5: Flush It Out
The final flush finishes the cleaning job. After using snakes, scrub brushes, or drain bombs thoroughly rinse with hot, hot water. Send multiple kettle’s worth roaring down the pipes if needed to wash away every last bit of loosened gunk and cleaning chemicals lingering down below.
Aim your detachable showerhead directly down the drain for a full force flush too. Then replace any drain guards or covers last. Test with normal showers over the next few days and repeat cleaning steps if any remnants slow that water right back down again.
Bonus: Prevent Clogs In Your Sink Too
That kitchen sink battles oily buildups and food debris just like shower drains contend with hair and soap scum. Follow these same drain cleaning steps to keep water flowing freely from the faucets too.
The smaller scale actually makes sink cleaning easier. Slice a lemon and grind away pulp lodged within the sink strainer running hot water simultaneously down the drain. Or pour 1⁄2 cup salt mixed with 1⁄2 cup baking soda and a splash of vinegar instead – a mini volcanic fizzy reaction attacking sink gunk!
Key Takeaways: Get On Top Of Gunk
Unclogging a slow drain seems intimidating…until you DIY that first hair rat’s nest pull! Preventing clogs takes just a few habit tweaks too. Keep these key points in mind:
- Know thy enemy! Hair, soap scum, oils, and shed skin cells naturally cause clogs over time
- Install drainguards to catch loose hairs and debris before they wash too far down
- Monthly maintenance cleanings keep drains clearer longer
- Use a snake, then baking soda + vinegar or chemical cleaners to break up deep clogs
- Always finish by flushing with very hot water to wash debris free
Then finally get back to actually enjoying your shower instead of questioning dubious blobs circling the drain!
FAQs
What type of vinegar works best?
Good old regular white vinegar (acetic acid) interacts best with baking soda for cleaning reactions. Apple cider vinegar works too. Distilled white vinegar provides the most intense acidity though really any vinegar presence helps activate bubble-blasting breakdown of gunk.
How long should I let drain cleaner sit before flushing with water?
Reaction times varies by cleanser brand and clog severity, but most recommend letting drain cleaner soak 15-30 minutes. This gives the chemicals time to penetrate, dissolve, and push through the blockage without getting prematurely diluted by rinsing water.
Can I reuse my plastic drain snake?
It’s best to dedicate drain snakes to their destined bathroom rather than sharing between sinks or tubs. Even thorough cleaning can’t prevent transfer of hair and microscopic debris back into freshly cleared pipes. Consider it the drain snake’s final resting place with its mortal enemy!
Is it okay to use a metal drain snake in my porcelain tub?
Definitely proceed gently and carefully with metal snakes, but used properly they won’t harm smooth finishes. Always point the end straight down to avoid scraping sides as you feed through clogs. If concerned though, try a plastic snake version first instead.
Why is my shower clogging faster lately?
If your drains slowed from yearly to monthly (or faster) cleanings, take note of any habits or products changing. Started using thicker conditioner? Addition of roommates meaning exponentially more hair? Installed a water softener resulting in extra soap scum? Track down the source before just blaming your poor defenseless drains!
The Final Drip
And with that, you’ve unclogged your very last shower drain! Well, at least for 6 more months or so before routine cleaning rolls around again… By now, you have got how to clean shower drain down to a science!
But rather than approaching it with annoyance when that familiar pool forms around your feet, take comfort in your established anti-gunk expertise. You own this! Just follow these steps, and soon enough, hot water will once more swirl freely down that open drain. Fast, simple, and way more satisfying than blindly jabbing at globs with your big toe, unclogging your bathtub drain becomes a breeze with these effective techniques.
Grab your rubber gloves, tune into some pumping music, and breeze through the slicing, bubbling, and flushing until you achieve drain-cleaning glory!
