Clear that clog and get your shower back
You’re enjoying your shower, but you start noticing the water is pooling around your feet. A clogged shower drain can happen to anyone, especially if you or others in your household have long hair. Luckily, you can easily learn how to unclog a shower drain with standing water so you can get back to singing in the shower without a care in the world.
Standing water in your shower drain or bathtub might be a small annoyance at first, but if you don’t take care of it, the clog is likely to get worse. Eventually, your shower can stop draining completely. At that point, you won’t have a choice but to fix it.
Luckily, you don’t have to let the problem go that far. There are simple fixes you can try to clear a clogged drain.
There are many reasons why your shower might clog, but hair is the most common one. If you’re not using a hair trap or the one you’re using doesn’t fit perfectly over your drain, chances are you’ll be dealing with standing water sooner or later.
But it’s not just hair that can cause a clog. Your shower products could also be the culprit. The fat in soaps, coconut oil-based products, sugar scrubs, salt scrubs, and other ingredients in beauty products cause gunk to build up in your pipes over time. Worse yet, loose hair can get caught in the buildup to make the clog even bigger. Additionally, mineral buildup from hard water can cause clogs.
You may be wondering how often sewer lines should be cleaned. It should be every 18 to 22 months. If it’s been a long time since you’ve done maintenance or you don’t do regular upkeep, that could be a reason why your shower drain clogs.
Unclogging your shower drain will be affordable if you DIY the job. A plunger costs about $2 to $5, baking soda and vinegar cost around $4 to $8, and a drain snake costs about $4 to $15. If the problem persists and you need to hire a professional, drain cleaning costs $250 on average.
If you have a clogged shower drain and standing water on your hands, you first need to clean up the mess. Put some gloves on, and remove any debris that could be blocking your drain. Once you pull out soap scum and hair from your drain (yes, prepare for that no-so-pleasant sight), the shower might start draining.
If it doesn’t, the next step is to grab a bucket to scoop out the standing water. Once you clear your tub, remove the drain. You can do this by using a screwdriver to remove grates or a trip-lever stopper, pulling a push-pull stopper to remove it, or unscrewing toe-touch drain stoppers with your hands.
Finally, if you have an overflow drain in your tub, clean it with a rag. Usually, the overflow drain is inches below the rim of the tub.
There’s something unpleasant about showering in standing water, but luckily, there are some easy ways to clear a clog. Once you get rid of the clog, it’s worth your time to figure out what caused it to prevent it from happening again.
An important note before getting started: If you have already tried using a chemical solution to fix your clog, wait a day or two before using a plunger to avoid any potential chemical injuries. While it may seem like an easy fix, remember the pros and cons of liquid drain cleaners before using them.
If you have a tub, run the water until there’s enough to cover the bottom of the plunger. Also, put a wet towel in your overflow drain. These two things will help you create better suction for the plunger. If you have a shower with no tub, put petroleum jelly around the base of the plunger to create an airtight seal.
Place the plunger on the drain and start plunging, working for around three minutes to clear the clog. Once you're done, run the water for a minute or two to see if the drain clears. If the water backs up, repeat this step two to three more times.
Next, run the hot water for three minutes, and then follow up with cold water for two minutes. If the shower is still clogged, try plunging the drain for several more minutes. You may not be able to fix your clog with the plunger. In this case, try the other methods mentioned below or call a pro.
Rather than buying a chemical solution at the store, try fixing your shower clog with pantry staples: baking soda and vinegar. To get started, pour a 3/4 cup to 1 cup of baking soda down the drain. Use a popsicle stick to push all the baking soda down.
Next is the fun part. Slowly pour a 1/2 cup to 1 cup of vinegar down the drain. You’ll see and hear a fizzing sound. Cover the drain with a rag, and let it sit for 30 minutes to an hour. While you’re waiting, boil a 1/2 gallon of water (but don’t try this if you have PVC pipes because hot water can damage them). Once the waiting period is up, carefully take the boiling water to your shower and pour it down the drain.
Hopefully, your clog is gone at this point. Check if the water drains properly by running the shower for five minutes. If the water is still not draining properly, repeat the process.
A drain snake can be a little tricky, but it’s the best way to reach hard-to-reach spots in your pipes. It might take a couple of tries, but once you figure out how to snake a drain, your shower will be clog-free in no time. Look for 1/4-inch to 5/16-inch cables for shower drains that are 3 inches in diameter. The snake should be at least 15 to 25 feet long. Also, wear gloves while using the drain snake because you might have to deal with some icky stuff coming up to the surface.
Insert the snake slowly and carefully to avoid damaging your pipes. Once you get to a point where there's resistance, lock the snake in place and rotate the handle. As you rotate the handle, the clog should break up. Generally, clogs are in the drain trap, so only feed your snake a few feet into the drain.
Next, pull the snake out of the drain. Clean off any debris (you’ll be glad you have gloves on), and wipe down the snake with a rag to make sure it doesn’t rust. Try running the water for a minute to see if it’s draining better. If not, reinsert the snake in the drain and repeat until the clogs are all gone. After you’re done, run the water for five minutes to ensure the clog is gone.
If you don’t have a drain snake and don’t want to buy one, try using a metal coat hanger. Wear gloves to avoid injury, and straighten out the hanger with pliers while keeping the hook intact.
Slowly insert the hook end of the hanger into the drain as far as it’ll go. Once you hit the blockage, wiggle the hook until it catches onto whatever is clogging the drain. Pull the debris out slowly. Repeat these steps as necessary until you’ve cleared the clog.
Shower bombs can cause clogs due to common ingredients like oils, glitter, and cornstarch. Liquid bubble baths are also bad because the soap residue can cause clogs. Some body scrubs also have sugar, oatmeal, and other powders that don’t dissolve in water and increase your chance of clogs. If you use a lot of oily products, run hot water for two to three minutes after your shower to help flush your pipes.
In addition, avoid some products altogether in the shower. This includes toothpaste, which can harden along the pipes, and harsh cleaners like bleach. Be careful not to drop small objects down the drain. Common culprits are hairpins and razor blades. Also avoid pouring dirty mop buckets down the drain because that’s an easy way to get a bunch of debris stuck in your pipes.
If you don’t have a good hair catcher, install one as soon as you can to avoid bathroom clogs. If your drain is flat and flush with your shower floor, use a mesh hair trap. Lastly, conduct regular plumbing maintenance to avoid buildup and clogs altogether. Schedule plumbing maintenance once every year or two.
Clearing a clog in your shower can be a fairly easy DIY job if you have the time, but whether you’re a little squeamish or have tried all the methods above without success, hiring a pro might be the best solution.
If you’re having repeated drainage issues, especially in multiple areas of your home, it’s a good idea to call a professional drain cleaner near you to help you figure out what’s happening. A plumber will typically charge around $250 to fix a drain clog.
Yes, you can use hydrogen peroxide to unclog a drain. Instead of using a baking soda and vinegar solution, you can use baking soda with hydrogen peroxide. The process to unclog a drain is the same as with vinegar, but use 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide instead.
Bleach is generally not recommended for your shower drains. Although diluted bleach can technically help clean your drain, it will not unclog your pipes. In fact, bleach can harm your plumbing system because it’s so powerful. The bleach can change the color of your sink and even corrode metal pipes and fittings.
Often, people reach for bleach because it's already in their house. But it's worth getting a plunger or a drain snake for the job instead. It'll be a lot less money to buy a new plunger than to pay a plumber to repair or replace damaged pipes.
Yes, the acidic nature of baking soda and vinegar can potentially damage your pipes over time. While baking soda and vinegar can be a good fix for your clogged pipes, you shouldn’t get in the habit of using the mixture regularly. If you’re constantly having clogs, it’s best to call a plumber and find out if there’s something more serious going on with your plumbing.
