Tips for Keeping Your Shower Drain Clear
Nobody likes a clogged shower drain. The only thing worse is having to remove a clog the size of a small poodle — that tangled mess of hair, soap, shampoo, cleansers, and heaven only knows what else — that’s accumulated over the course of months or years. Your best bet is preventing clogs in the first place. For everything else, there’s Ace Plumbing.
Buy a Drain Screen
Your shower may have lost its drain screen somewhere over the years, or you may find that the screen that’s there currently lets a bit too much debris pass through. In either case, buy a mesh drain screen. These aren’t always easy to clean, but they’re cheap enough that they can be thrown away once they’ve accumulated enough gunk.
Watch What Goes Down the Drain
Your drains are surprisingly resilient, but there are some things that should never be poured down the drain. We’ve seen homeowners pour all kinds of things down their bathroom drains that had no business being there. Dirty mop water, dishwater, grease — if you wouldn’t flush it or send it down the kitchen drain, it doesn’t belong in the tub either!
Keep a Clean Tub
“Chase” each shower with hot water, and pour baking soda down the drain (with plenty of hot water, of course) on a regular basis. Baking soda is a fantastic cleaner, and will help maintain clear drains.
DIY Drain Cleaner
Many commercial drain cleaning remedies can cause more problems than they solve. That’s especially true if you’re inexperienced, or if you’re a bit clumsy. Drain snakes can cause serious damage to your plumbing, and many types of drain cleaning chemicals are caustic and dangerous.
There are two steps you can take to clear your drains. The first is to use a plunger — the flat type, not the flanged — making sure it’s not the same one you use on your toilet. That will loosen most clogs, and the suction it creates will draw many clogs to a point where they can be safely extracted.
Other clogs are caused by a buildup of soap, shampoo, and natural skin oils. For those, pour about three quarters of a cup of baking soda down the drain, followed by half a cup of vinegar. Cap the drain with the drain plug or a rag, since the mixture will bubble up (if you have pets or toddlers, keep them out of your bathroom at this time). Allow the mixture to sit for 20 to 30 minutes, then pour a pot of boiling water down the drain carefully. Follow with cold water.
Know When It’s Time to Call the Experts
Maybe you’ve done all of the above. It’s entirely possible to be diligent about cleaning your shower and keeping your drain unobstructed and still encounter problems. If that happens, call Ace Plumbing for expert drain cleaning. We’re experts in remediating clogs, and we can also address other issues with your plumbing if it turns out your drains aren’t the source of your issue. Call us at (916) 455-4548 today!