Is your shower draining more slowly than usual or, worse, not draining at all? If so, you’ve probably got a clog in your shower drain. It happens to us all at some point. Hair, soap, and grime get sent down the drain where they fuse together into a nasty plug that prevents water from flowing like it should. Chemical drain cleaners are available, but what if you don’t want to handle them or put them down the drain? Here are a few other things to try when you need to unclog your shower drain.

How to Break Up a Clog in Your Shower

Tip #1:

Hot Water. Sometimes soap scum and oil congeal into a clog and remain that way unless the water is hot enough to return them to liquid form. Turn off your shower and put on a pot of water to boil. Once it’s boiling, carefully remove it from the heat and slowly pour it down your shower drain. Sometimes this is all you need to do to get rid of smaller clogs.

Tip #2:

Vinegar and Baking Soda. The most useful cleaning duo in the world has yet another use: unclogging drains! To use this method, remove the drain cap from your shower drain. Pour a good amount of baking soda down the drain, followed by an equal amount of vinegar. Cover the drain so that the bubbly reaction stays in the pipe. After several minutes, uncover the drain and pour hot water in. This technique resolves many clogs without using harsh chemicals.

Tip #3:

Toilet Plunger. If you’re unable to see the clog after you remove the drain cap, it’s probably just out of sight. You can bring it closer to the surface where you can grab onto it by using a toilet plunger. Just push down with the plunger to create a seal over the shower drain and go to work. It might take a few minutes, but you can move many clogs in this way if you plunge long enough.

Tip #4:

Snake. An inexpensive plumbing snake is a handy tool to keep around. Not only can it bust up clogs of toilet paper, it can also reach down and break up clogs in your shower drain. Just remove the drain cap and slide the snake into the drain until you meet resistance. Then turn it and move it back and forth to see if you can bring up any hair that’s causing the clog.

Tip #5:

Chemical Cleaners. If the clog is especially stubborn, it might be time to bring in the big guns. Just do your research to find out which chemicals these cleaners contain, and use safety measures when handling them. Run hot water through the drain when you’ve finished.

Tip #6:

Call a Professional. If a clog is bad enough to warrant strong chemical cleaners, you might be better off just calling a plumber. They can use hydro-jetting and other powerful tools to break up the clog.

Is It a Clog, or Something Else?

If your shower is draining slow or not draining, there could be problems beyond a simple clog. Check your other plumbing fixtures. Is your sink affected? Is your toilet also slow to drain? You could have problems with the pipes or venting. If the problem is limited to your shower, it’s more likely that a clog is causing the problems, especially if you smell bad odors from the shower drain but nowhere else.

1st Choice Inspection Services: Your Source for Plumbing Inspections in DFW

When your shower drain starts backing up and you need help, call 1st Choice! We inspect every system in your house, including your plumbing system. Our talented team will let you know what’s wrong, and then we’ll fix it quickly and completely. Call us today at our Haslet location. We service the entire Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex!