There’s nothing worse than your shower turning into a bath. You notice the water isn’t draining in your shower anymore. Shower drains get clogged in a skinny minute. Whether it’s soap scum, hair, or dirt, shower drains get blocked all the time. In today’s post, we’re going to teach you how to unclog a shower drain and prevent it from happening again.
How To Unclog A Shower Drain The Easy Way
Plunger
A plunger is the first and best way to unclog any drain usually. To unclog a shower drain, you want to grab a drain plunger, not a toilet plunger. A toilet plunger has an extended flange, but a sink plunger is a cup shape.
First, run the water for a few seconds to make the water back up on top of the clog. Once the water builds up, shut it off. Plunge the drain up and down vigorously for at least thirty seconds. If that doesn’t work, you may want to try out the following method.
Boiling Water
Unfortunately, plunging alone didn’t work. Next, you need to boil some water and pour it down the drain. Boil about 1 gallon of water and flush the drain out with it. If you pour boiling water down your shower drain regularly, you will cut down on clogs. Boiling water may deal with more minor clogs of soap scum and dirt, but if it’s mixed with long hair, you need something more substantial.
Baking Soda & Vinegar
When we say something stronger, we don’t mean something like Draino. You need to avoid drain cleaning products and chemicals at all costs. Not only can these chemicals burn you and cause serious injuries, but the chemical reaction that takes place damages internal plumbing.
A mixture of one cup of baking soda and one cup of vinegar is an excellent substitute for harsh chemicals. The reaction between the baking soda and vinegar dissolves hair completely. It may take some time for the mixture to clear the clog, but patience is key here.
A Plumber’s Snake
When all else fails, you need to use a snake. The plumber’s snake is an invaluable tool when nothing else works. Snakes don’t use any chemicals, don’t cause damage, and they’re easy to use. To use a snake on a shower drain, you may need to remove the drain cover to slide the snake’s head down the drain. All you need to do is insert the snake into the drain, push it in and out, and turn the handle as you do so. You will feel a clog when you hit it with the snake. Once you feel a clog, turn the handle to try and move past it, and then, pull it back out.
Still Can’t Get That Pesky Clog?
So, you’ve tried everything. Sometimes, shower drain clogs are an indication of something bigger. You may have a sewer line clog. At Drain Express, we are plumbing and drain cleaning experts. We have innovative drain cleaning technology, like hydro jetting.
Give us a call to see how we can help you today!