It’s never a pleasant thing to have a blocked drain in your bathtub or shower, particularly if you had intended to have a nice, peaceful soak. A buildup of oil and germs in the bottom of your bath or shower due to slow draining may also pose a serious slipping and hygiene concern for anybody using it.
Fortunately, utilising the following advice can make cleaning a clogged drain in your bath or shower more simpler than you may imagine.
What is required
You’ll need the following supplies on hand before beginning to unclog your bathtub or shower drain:
- (If feasible, elbow-length) rubber gloves
- protective eyewear
- Plunger (with rubber end in the form of a cup)
- Duct tape (or an outdated dishtowel)
- A drain snake (found at most DIY stores)
- A screwdriver with a flat head
- Soda bicarbonate, often known as baking soda
- Clear vinegar
- Bleach
1. Prepare yourself.
Put on the safety goggles and rubber gloves. This will keep your hands clean and stop any water or chemicals that may splash into your eyes accidently from being contaminated with microorganisms.
2. Find the obstruction
Remove the plughole first so you can examine the drain, then proceed. Typically, a buildup of hair, soap, and grime in the pipe is what causes delayed drainage or a complete blockage in your bath or shower. With any hope, you can use your fingers to remove this debris from the pipe and return your drain back to normal operation.
Recommendation: If you are having problems removing the obstruction with your fingers, try using pliers or an unwrapped coat hanger. Just be cautious not to scratch the surface of your shower/bath tray or your pipe.
3.Utilise a plunger
A plunger should always be used before turning to bleach or other chemicals. This is due to the fact that diving often causes water splashes, which may allow chemicals to get on your skin or clothes. To get the most use out of your plunger, soften the rubber by running the rubber end under a hot faucet for a few minutes. This will increase the rubber’s flexibility and ability to provide the necessary suction to clear the pipe.
To begin, set the plunger over the plughole and pour enough water into the shower or bathtub to completely submerge the plunger’s head. Additionally, use duct tape to seal up the bath’s overflow or a dishcloth to stop it.
Once you’re ready, quickly plunge up and down while maintaining a tight hold on the plunger handle. Inspect the drain after about 30 seconds of doing this. If the obstruction hasn’t been removed after the first effort, you should make numerous more attempts.
4.Use the drain snake
A snake drain, also known as a plumber’s snake, is a form of flexible auger used to unclog difficult-to-clear blocked drain obstructions that are resistant to clearing using a plunger. To prevent harming your pipe, use a drain snake with a 1/4 or 5/16-inch cable. If you are having problems with blocked drains in St ives please feel free to contact us!
You must feed the snake down the overflow pipe below the taps all the way to the blockage in order to take a bath. To prevent unscrewing the pipe, gently twist the drain snake anticlockwise into the obstruction before pulling it back up to the surface.
Use the same procedures as before to feed the drain snake into the shower’s drain. If the initial try is unsuccessful, try again multiple times until the obstruction is removed.
5. White vinegar and baking soda
When mixed with white vinegar to generate a fizzing reaction, baking soda is an excellent method to remove filth and oil from your drain. Baking soda has the extra benefit of being less harmful to the environment than other chemicals like bleach or acid.
To start, pour boiling water from a kettle down the drain to dislodge any grease that may be clogging the pipe. Now add two teaspoons of baking soda and let it sit on the obstruction for a while. Finally, add one cup of white vinegar and wait five minutes while the fizzing reaction does its thing.
After the allotted time has passed, you should run the taps to see whether the obstruction has been cleared before flushing the drain with another kettle’s worth of boiling water.
6.Use an organic drain cleaning
Enzyme-based natural drain cleaners are a great method to remove organic pollutants like oil and hair. They are available from most DIY shops, and as an extra benefit, they are environmentally friendly.
7. White vinegar with soda crystals
Baking powder doesn’t have to be used in place of soda crystals to unclog a bathtub or shower. To remove any obstructions, just follow the same directions as before while using soda crystals and white vinegar.
8. Biodegradable washing powder or detergent
You may effectively remove a buildup of oil and soap scum with one of these ordinary home items. Both products won’t be particularly helpful, nevertheless, against a hair buildup.
9. Using bleach to remove obstructions
Since bleach is such a strong chemical, it should only be used as a last option. Pour a tiny bit down the drain to start, and then let it five minutes to work on the obstruction. Try rinsing the bleach down with hot water from the faucets after that.
10. Steer clear of more potent compounds
It could be tempting to experiment with employing more potent chemicals, such caustic soda. Sulfuric acid is even advised in some web guidelines. Both chemicals should be avoided since they often create enough heat to damage your pipes and may produce hazardous smells.
The best course of action is prevention.
You should take precautions to lessen the possibility of future blockages by doing things like removing extra hair from the shower or bath after using it to wash. Think about including an extra drain cover to also collect smaller things.
