Clean Shower Drain

How to Clean Shower Drain! 8 Essential Steps Explained

It is not difficult to clean the shower drain as it normally looks. There are simple steps and tips which can be used to get rid of this situation. Let’s read…

The first time you notice the shower drain problem is when you find a lake or pond of water around you while having a shower. The reason is that the water is not draining as it should. It is not something you just forget and do nothing. The problem gets worse with the passage of time, once it gets started. It is easier to tackle and resolve the issue if you take the actions soon.

There are methods available to get rid of this irritating situation. However, it is important to know a little bit about the reasons for this to happen. After knowing the reasons, it becomes easier to prevent this to happen in the future.

Why Shower Drain Clogs?

There are many items and substances that contribute to this problem. These are discussed briefly as follows:

  • Hair

This is one of the most frequent reasons for shower drain blockage. It becomes very difficult to remove the hair as they get wrapped around the sticky substances, grease and drain parts. This happens more in the homes where members with long hair live because it is very rare that the short hair would harm the drain system.

Clean Shower Drain Hair

  • Soap

The soaps have fats and grease traditionally. The soap fats and water minerals combine and cause a hard residue. This causes the fittings and pipes to clog.

  • Dirt

We wash the shower heads or tubs without worrying that the dirt is also going in the drain. So, this is another reason that makes your drains to get blocked.

Clean Shower Drain Dirt

  • Minerals

The insoluble masses caused by the water minerals often block your drains.

How to Clean Shower Drain?

It is not difficult to clean the shower drain as it normally looks. There are simple steps and tips which can be used to get rid of this situation. These methods, tips, and steps are discussed one by one as follows:

Pour boiling water

Sometimes, soaps or grease is causing the blockage. Boiling water is the best solution from the grease related problem. Pouring the boiling water down the drain method will clear the drain. However, this process may only work along with the other method if the blockage is too much.

Water Purification

Use of a plunger

A plunger is an essential tool every household should have. Just follow this process to clean your shower drain with a plunger.

o   Add petroleum jelly to the suction pad’s edge.

o   Add water so that the end of the plunger is dipped into the water.

o   Now, plunge dynamically with force.

Using vinegar and baking soda

Vinegar and baking soda can help you to do any kind of cleaning jobs. You can clean your shower drain with it as well.

o   This is a natural alternative to chemicals. Pour some baking soda down the drain.

o   Wait for a few minutes and pour the equal amount of vinegar as baking soda.

o   Wait for a few hours and allow the hair clog to get dissolved.

o   In the end, pour the boiling water and clean the drain.

Pull out the clog mechanically by hand

o   Remove the drain cover.

o   Wear rubber gloves.

o   Locate the clog by looking inside the drain. You can also use a flashlight if needed.

o   Pull out the clog if it is within your reach.

o   If your hands are not reaching to that point, use the next method.

Use a piece of wire or hook

This is one of the most successful as well as the oldest methods. If the hands are not reaching the blockage, use a piece of wire to pull out the clog.

Use a toilet jack

o   This is also called plumber’s snake. Reach the clog by pushing down the snake.

o   Turn the handle and bring it up.

o   Verify the removal of clog by pouring water in the drain.

Careful use of chemicals

o   This method needs to be used after carefully reading the instructions written on the packaging.

o   Wear the safety gears i.e. goggles and gloves.

o   Don’t mix the chemicals; just pour them down the drain.

Call a professional plumber

If you are not easy to use any of the above-mentioned methods or no method works for you, just call a plumber. This is the last option to clean your shower drain.

Final Words

It is our need to take shower on daily basis or even twice a day. It really does affect life if any problem in the shower drain is experienced. So, it is advised to use any of the above-mentioned methods to get rid of this problem.

Assess the situation and use the method that looks to be working well for you. After cleaning the shower drain, try to prevent or at least reduce the chances of the same problem to happen again.

Leave a Reply