The last thing you need is for your shower to start to fill up with water while you’re trying to get clean. If you wanted a bath, you would’ve asked for one! So, it’s helpful to know that the best way to deal with shower drain clogs is to prevent them before they happen. And the good news is that our plumbers are here to show you practical ways to keep your drainage flowing smoothly without breaking your back or your budget.
Install a Hair Catcher That Actually Works
You’ve probably seen those flimsy plastic drain covers that slip around and let half the hair through anyway. A quality hair catcher sits firmly over your drain and catches everything before it goes down. Look for one with fine mesh or small holes that won’t let soap scum and hair clump together. The best part about a good catcher is you can see exactly what it’s stopping from going into your plumbing system. After each shower, just lift it out, dump the collected hair and debris into your wastebasket, and rinse it clean. Takes about ten seconds and saves you from dealing with nasty clogs later.
Flush Your Drain With Hot Water Weekly
Heat is your friend when it comes to breaking down soap buildup and small debris before they become major problems. Once a week, you can try to run the hottest water possible down your drain for about two minutes straight. This simple flush helps dissolve soap scum that’s starting to stick to your pipes and pushes any loose hair or waste through your drainage system before it has time to create blockages. Think of it as giving your pipes a weekly cleaning session that prevents bigger headaches down the road.
Keep Soap and Shampoo Bottles Off the Shower Floor
Those soap bottles sitting on your shower floor are creating more problems than you realize. Every time you knock them over or step around them, soap residue gets pushed toward your drain, where it mixes with hair and creates sticky clumps.
Install a corner shelf or hanging caddy to keep all your bottles up and away from the drainage area. This stops excess soap from constantly flowing toward your drain and reduces the amount of slippery buildup that traps other debris. Your shower stays cleaner and your drain stays clearer.
Use a Simple Baking Soda and Vinegar Treatment Monthly
You don’t need harsh chemicals to keep your drain running smoothly. Once a month, pour half a cup of baking soda down your drain, followed by half a cup of white vinegar. The mixture will fizz and bubble, breaking down soap scum and small debris naturally.
Let this natural cleaning mixture sit for about fifteen minutes, then flush it down with hot water. This process dissolves buildup without damaging your pipes like bleach or commercial drain cleaners can. It’s the same principle plumbers use, just gentler on your plumbing system and your wallet.
Clean Out Your Drain Monthly With Simple Tools
Sometimes, you need to physically remove what’s already building up in your drain. Use a flashlight to look down your drain and see what’s collecting there. A simple wire coat hanger straightened out with a small hook on the end works perfectly for pulling out hair clumps and debris.
You can also use needle-nose pliers to grab larger clumps of hair or debris you can see near the surface. Don’t use a plunger on your shower drain like you would in the kitchen or toilet, as the suction can actually push debris deeper into your drainage system, where it becomes harder to remove!
We’re Here When Prevention Isn’t Enough!
If you already have a clogged shower drain, Skagit Plumbing can help unclog it with our various sewer and drain services. We proudly provide drain repair work and can hydro jet out those contaminants from your sewer lines that may be causing clogs deep within your system. Give us a call when the problem goes deeper than what you can reach with a paper towel and some elbow grease!
