How to Unclog Shower Drain | Easy Ways [2022]

Last Updated on 2 years by

If you see a lot of water on the floor after you take a shower, or your bathtub takes a long time to empty, it may be because there is something wrong with the drain.

Why Clogs Happen in the First Place

Blocked drains are bad. If you have a blocked toilet or kitchen drain, it could be because of a large object in the drain. But if your shower is clogged, it might just be because of hair and other things that accumulate over time.

What to Do if You Suspect a Clogged Shower Drain

1. There are many reasons why your toilet might not work. The most common is an obstruction (clumps of hair). If nothing is visible on the outside, look underneath the cover and in the drain. You might see something blocking it. Remove anything you see that can be blocking it.
2. Finally, double-check that your drain is open. Is there enough space between the drain stopper and the pipe for water to flow? This varies depending on the sort of drain and stopper you have: Some drains come with a stop that you can remove and lift out entirely. A bathtub showers drain is opened and shut by a valve beneath the faucet. Check whether your drain has any stopping mechanism and that the stopper isn’t unintentionally obstructing it.

If you have removed things blocking the drain and it is open, but water is not going down the drain, then there is a clog.

5 Ways to Unclog Your Shower Drain

Try these methods to remove or dissolve the clog.

1. Remove the clog by hand: Sometimes, a clog is visible near the surface. If this happens, put on your rubber gloves. Then try to remove the clog. You can use a small plastic hook that is only for this purpose! Please don’t use a wire coat hanger because it can damage your drain.
2. How to Unclog Shower Drain With Snake:  A drain snake is a tool you can get at the store. It is a strong wire that you use to break up clogs in your drain. You can also use it on your toilet if there is a clog there! Make sure to clean it after using it so that more drains don’t get clogged again.
3. Use a Pot of Boiling Water:  If you can’t use the drain snake because something is blocking it, pour boiling water down the drain. Do that two or three times, and then try to use the snake again.
4. Use a Natural Drain Cleaner: (how to unclog shower drain without Drano): Drano drain cleaners are ineffective in most cases, and they’re packed with hazardous chemicals. Natural homemade cleansers can help you get rid of just as many blockages as chemical ones. Put 1 cup of vinegar and 1 cup of baking soda. Pour boiling water down the drain first. Let it sit for 15 minutes. Then rinse with more boiling water.

4 Tips for Preventing Clogs

1. Use a drain cover. When the drains get clogged, it is because of hair. You can buy a rubber or plastic drain cover that will catch hair and make the drainage better.
2. Skip the body scrubs. Body oils can make your skin feel good, but most of it goes down the drain as you rinse off. This becomes a problem at night because pipes cool, and oily water can harden. So try not to use oils in the bath or shower, or save them for after a shower.
3. No excess waste. It can be tempting to shake out dirt or dust in your house. But when you do this, the small bits of dirt will come back and make clogs in the drain worse.
4. Good drain maintenance. Pour some vinegar or baking soda down the drain every few times you take a shower. Then pour hot water down it to clean it.

How to Clear a Shower Drain With Boiling Water

Sometimes you can make pipes without clogs. You can use boiling water to make the clog go away. Pour the water down the drain slowly, not all at once.

Don’t pour boiling water down PVC pipes. This can damage the pipe. If you have a clog, try this fix. Pour some water down the drain and then run some in the shower to see if it clears the clog.

Remove Hair or Debris:

If the drain doesn’t work, try getting out a soapy clump of tangled hair. It may be under the water. If you can’t reach the clog with your fingers, take off its cover. Then make a hook with a wire coat hanger to pull it out. If you need a light for this, use one too.

Pour another kettle full of boiling water down the drain, a bit at a time, once you’ve cleaned out as much trash as possible. If you have PVC pipes, do not use boiling water.

After removing the old drain cover, run water through the shower to see if the obstruction has been removed.

Shower Drain Clogged with Hair:

Combine 1 cup of vinegar (distilled white vinegar is ideal) and 1 cup of baking soda in a large bowl. Pour boiling water down the drain to loosen it; then follow with the baking soda-vinegar combination and wait 15 minutes. Rinse with additional boiling water.

How to Unclog a Shower Drain With Vinegar and Baking Soda

If boiling water and rinsing the hair don’t help, you may also need to learn how to unclog a shower drain. To prepare a DIY cleaning solution, combine 1/3 cup of baking soda with 1/3 cup of vinegar in a heat-resistant cup.

Take the time to run hot water down the drain afterward to help rinse out any debris or cleaning solution. Remove the drain cover, add the solution, and it will immediately fizz. Allow at least one hour for the vinegar and baking soda to work. To wash away the solution and any debris, run hot water down the drain after an hour has passed.

How to Unclog Shower Drain With Plunger: 

A plunger can also fix a clogged shower drain. Remove the cover of the drain and put the rubber cup of the plunger over it. Put some petroleum jelly on the edge of the cup to make it seal better. If the plunger is not working, then use water. Make sure that you put enough water in the shower to cover the lip of the cup. Then move the plunger handle up and down rapidly and quickly. If it does not work, run some more water to make sure that it is clear now.

How to Unclog Shower Drain Hair

A plunger can be used to take hair out of the drain. If you put petroleum jelly on it, it will work better. It would be best to use a plunger every day so hair won’t get stuck in the drain. But the best way to not have hair get stuck is to remove them when they are still wet after you shower or bathe.

How to Unclog a Shower Drain With a Chemical Drain Opener

You can use a chemical to unclog your shower drain. This is best if you wear gloves and eye protection. Follow the instructions on the label. If you don’t, you might inhale fumes. Make sure your house has good ventilation when you use chemical drain products, or they may damage your pipes.

Some people try to clean out their shower drain with bleach. But professionals do not recommend it. They say that bleach is good for cleaning but not for removing clogs in the shower drain. If you have a clogged shower and chemicals don’t work, call a plumber. Before they come, tell them what you’ve put down the drain to keep the environment safe.

Unclog a Shower Drain with a Coat Hanger

When the drain gets clogged, we need to clean it. The best way is to use a snake and get all of the gunk out. It’s easy and disgusting at the same time.

1. If you don’t have rubber gloves, use a screwdriver to unscrew or pry off the shower drain cover.
2. Remove the staple and then straighten out a wire hanger, keeping a tiny hook on end.
3. To remove the blockage, feed the wire down the drain to fish out any hair, built-up soap scum, or other debris causing the obstruction.
4. Pour boiling water down the drain and replace the drain cover after you’ve extracted everything you can.

How Do I Know if My Shower Drain Is Clogged?

If your shower drains slowly and water stays for a long time after turning off the faucet, this is usually a sign that something is blocking the drain. You may also have an odor coming from your shower, which can be caused by debris clogging up the inside of your pipes. Bathroom flooding or leaks can occur as standing water may seep through shower joints if a blockage in the drain is not fixed. Voids in the shower grout or caulking might also allow standing shower water to creep into the walls, causing significant damage.

What Causes Drain Blockages?

The build-up of soap scum, dirt, and hair are the most common causes of blockages in smaller showers. Long hair, in particular, is prone to clogging drains, and soapy water makes it worse by attracting hair to the drain walls more readily than it otherwise would. The buildup of debris over time obstructs the flow of water until a blockage occurs. If your shower drain frequently clogs despite numerous cleaning efforts, or if there are several blockages in your house, it’s an indication that your main sewage line is blocked.

How to Unclog Shower Drain Without Baking Soda?

For Shower and Toilet Drains – Dish Detergent

Pour in a cup of detergent and boil water. Use the plunger to push down so that it can get through the blockage. Put on rubber gloves and use your hands if you need to to help the clog move out of the way.

How Do You Unclog a Shower With Standing Water?

Put some baking soda in a cup. Then put a cup of vinegar on top of the baking soda. Wait a few minutes for the blockage to dissolve. Then use boiling water to rinse it out.

Is Standing Water in the Shower Drain Normal?

Yes, it is normal. It’s called a P-trap, and the water in there keeps sewer gasses out.

How Do You Unclog a Drain With Standing Water Naturally?

Mix 1/2 cup of baking soda and 1 cup of vinegar. Please put them in the clogged drain. Please wait 15 minutes and then flush with hot water to clear it up.

How to Unclog Shower Drain When Drano Doesn’t Work?

Before you try this, make sure all of the standing water is gone. Mix ½-1 cup of baking soda with 1 cup of vinegar and a little water. Pour a mixture down the drain that has water and baking soda. Let it sit for 30-60 minutes. Sometimes this can break up a clog that Drano cannot touch.

How to Unclog Shower Drain Without Vinegar?

Mix 1/2 cup table salt and 1/2 cup baking soda together. Pour the mixture down the drain. Let it sit for about 30 minutes (or overnight if it is clogged). Follow with boiling water.

How to Unclog Shower Drain at Home?

Pour boiling water down the drain to loosen it. Then pour in the mixture of vinegar and baking soda. Wait 15 minutes and then pour in more boiling water to rinse off baking soda and vinegar.

How to unclog a shower drain without tools?

Use a natural drain cleaner. Combine 1 cup vinegar (distilled white vinegar is best) and 1 cup baking soda in a bowl. Pour boiling water down the drain first, then add the baking soda-vinegar combination and let it sit for 15 minutes. Rinse with more boiling water if necessary.