Have you got a slow drain or standing water in your shower? Clogged shower drains are a nuisance to deal with.

However, you’d be surprised to know that most times, with a little DIY work, you can fix this problem by yourself! So, we have compiled a little guide with all the details you will need to clear your shower drain from all that messy hair and soap scum.

Let’s find out how!

How To Unblock Shower Drain — 6 Fail-Proof Ways

Clogged Shower Drain Hair Soap

1. Hot Water

Hot water can be effective in unblocking your clogged drain. It may not rectify the situation completely, but it can give you a temporary fix to your problem. Usually, a build-up of soap or soap scum can cause a blockage in your shower drain. Pouring boiling water down the drain can help loosen the soap and other matters up.

This loosened soap can then be washed away with regular water. All you have to do is boil some water, wait a few minutes for the water to cool down, and pour it down your shower drain.

Be sure to let the water cool for a few moments. Pouring boiling water down your drain can cause your pipes to warp.

2. Plunger

The most popular way to unclog a shower drain is to use a plunger. You may have done this yourself quite some times. This can be helpful if the blockage is near the plug hole of your blocked shower drain. The plunger can help draw out whatever soap scum or gunk is stuck on your drain and causing a serious blockage.

If you are facing issues with the plunger’s suction, apply some Vaseline or petroleum jelly around the plunger, and you’re good to go.

Orange Plunger Fix Blocked Drain

3. Baking Soda And Vinegar

White vinegar can be a saviour when it comes to different cleaning needs. This natural alternative can also help significantly with your clogged drain. Here’s what you need to do:

Take a cup full of baking soda and pour it gently down your drain.
Give the baking soda a few minutes to absorb.
Once the baking soda is absorbed, pour down a cup of white vinegar.
Once you notice the formation of bubbles, put your plug in the hole and leave it for an hour or two.
After an hour, pour some hot (not boiling) water down the drain.
The baking soda and vinegar solution will form a reaction that will break apart any hair, soap or other gunk in your drain.

Finally, the hot water will flush away the remains and leave your drain clean and fresh. If doing this once does not fully clear up the clogged shower drain, don’t worry. Repeat the process, and it can give you a clearer drain.

4. Manual Clearing

Removing Debris Blocked Shower Drain

If you’ve done all these steps and nothing seems to work for you, maybe you need to put in some manual labour. Here’s how you do that:

Use a flathead screwdriver to remove the screws from your plug-hole drain cover.
Once the screws are out, take the drain cover off.
Use a flashlight to look down your drain.
If you see the blockage, use your hands or other tools to remove it, but remember to wear gloves.
If the blockage is further than your hand can reach, you can use a hook, a long rod, or a wire coat hanger to scrape it off or pull it.
Another tool you can use is a plumber’s snake (drain snake) - push it in your drain till you’ve reached the clog, turn the handle and pull the gunk out.

5. Drain Unblocking Chemicals

You can try this last resort — chemical drain unblockers if nothing else works. These commercial drain cleaners are available at any hardware store or local supermarket. Once you get the solution, follow the directions on the bottle. Remember to flush the shower drain with hot water, and you’ll notice that the blockage in your clogged shower drains will disappear in no time.

However, these solutions have harsh chemicals, and their frequent use can cause your shower drains and water pipes to corrode. So limit their usage to only when absolutely necessary.

6. Professional Help

If you’ve tried all these methods and nothing seems to work, it might be wise to call a professional plumber. For instance, if your house is an older property, the pipes may need an upgrade instead of a cleaning session.

How To Prevent Build-Up

Once you’ve cleaned your blocked shower drains, it is important to maintain the drain to avoid this in the future. To do so, you must frequently clean your drain and perform descaling treatments. We suggest you wear rubber gloves when drain cleaning.

The recommended amount of descaling must be done at least once every month. This will prevent build-ups and blockages and keep your shower drains healthy and happy. While doing these descaling treatments, you must also religiously follow the cleaning routines mentioned above. With proper maintenance, you will not need to unclog your shower drain now and then.

Shower Drain Blockage: Solved

A blocked drain or shower blockages are a common plumbing issue among homeowners. In most cases, these solutions should fix shower drain clogs. From soap scum to hair clogs, many things can prevent adequate water flow in your drain.

And if you cannot solve the issue with these steps, calling a professional will be a good step.

That’s when Precision Electrical & Plumbing enters the scene. Our experts offer reliable and affordable plumbing services throughout Melbourne. Call us today if you are looking for experts to unclog a shower drain!

We hope this article helped you solve your shower drain issues. Now you can have a nice peaceful shower without worrying about the blockages. See you next time with another helpful guide!