Recurring Shower-Drain Clogs
Someone posted awhile ago about how to keep kitchen sinks from regularly clogging without Draino and other bad (ineffective and damaging) chemicals. I can’t seem to find the post, and anyhow, my problem is a recurring clogged shower drain. Though both people using the shower have very short hair, our drain seems to clog up…
Someone posted awhile ago about how to keep kitchen sinks from regularly clogging without Draino and other bad (ineffective and damaging) chemicals. I can’t seem to find the post, and anyhow, my problem is a recurring clogged shower drain. Though both people using the shower have very short hair, our drain seems to clog up about once a month– and yes, we use one of those little plastic drain covers to catch the hair etc. I have to unscrew the drain cover and pull out the corkscrew shaped thing (name?) and clean off the month’s worth of scum, gunk and hair (yes, very nasty). What else can i do to keep my drain clear and running smoothly without damaging the house’s plumbing? Boiling hot water once a week? are there other “natural ” solutions? (Baking soda??? Magic fairy drops??) Thanks in advance. And have a happy new year!!
Oh and you can scrub the shower with baking soda and vinegar as a natural cleanser too, which helps keep drains clear.
The natural drain-solution you’re thinking of is to pour baking soda first, then vinegar and let it sit overnight. Then pour boiling water down.
Take out the “corkscrew shaped thing” and replace it with 2 screens: 1 is a wire basket that fits inside the drain and the other is fine wire basket that fits inside the first one. This provides 2 layers of protection for trapping hair. Just make sure you clean it out after each shower. I have been doing this for years and it works wonders. Never had a drainage problem again.
I have a similar problem and it is probably caused by the same thing. I have discoved in most of my house as i renovate it that the plumbing was done by some fly-by-nite-handyman type contractor. The drains have no vents. If the drain for your shower/tub has no vent the water will run very slowly down the drain making it prone to clogs. Since only have this one bathroom at the moment I can’t rip out the walls and install the proper plumbing…yet. SO What I do is pour bleach into the drain and let it sit for 8 to 10 hours (sometimes longer). Doing this once a month keeps the drain from backing up too much. A properly vented drain would also solve your problem.
I have the same problem. The clogging problem is probably caused (as it is in mine) by not having the proper vent on the drain. After renovating parts of my house I have discovered very poor plumbing by previous fly-by-night renovators. If the drain does not have a vent the water will run very slow and thus causes periodic clogs. Since it is my only shower right now I am not about to rip out the walls and redo the plumbing in ths room…yet. SO what I do and I find works is pour some bleach into the drain and let it sit at least 8 to 10 hours (overnite is good).
Good luck.
My plumber recommended using Arm & Hammer “All Natural Super Washing Soda” for keeping the drains clear without resorting to chemicals like Drano. The simple instructions are on the very bottom of one of the side panels on the box. I use it about once a month and it works for me. You can find the product in most supermarkets in the laundry detergent section. It looks like the baking soda box except that the box is yellow instead of orange.