At Streamline Plumbing & Underground Sewer Construction, our professional plumbers deal with one question the most. “How do I get rid of shower clogs?” ask our clients. We get asked this so often that we decided to put together this quick how-to list of shower drain-clearing procedures.

Step 1 – Determine the Type of Clog

The first step in clearing a shower drain clog is to determine what caused it in the first place. Shower drain obstructions come in many shapes, forms, and materials. Some of the most common causes of shower drain clogs include:

Hair
Soap scum and skin cells
Hard water deposits
Garbage or trash

Step 2 – If Hair is Your Problem, Then Use a Drain Snake Designed to Remove It

If you have discovered that hair is clogging your shower drain, head to your local hardware store and pick up a drain snake designed for human hair. They will usually be plastic with barbed hooks or a ribbed texture to help remove hair from your drain. To use them, insert the snake into the drain, twist it around a little, then remove it slowly. Then repeat this until you no longer pull hair back up when removing the snake.

Step 3 – Pour Boiling Water Down the Drain

After running the drain snake, boil a large pot of water and pour the boiling water into the drain. The heat from the water will help break up any blockages and clogs for easier removal.

Step 4 – Use a Plunger

Next, use a drain plunger (traditional cup plunger) to plunge the drain. A plunger will introduce negative pressure to help pull any clog out of the gutter. Plungers don’t work 100% of the time, but it’s always worth trying.

Step 5 – Baking Soda and Vinegar

Make this homemade drain-cleaning solution if the plunger doesn’t get the rest of your clog removed. First, pour some dry baking soda down the drain, followed by a liberal amount of vinegar. This mixture will create a safe drain cleaning solution to help break apart clogs and obstructions.

Please note that while baking soda and vinegar are safe to put down the drain, you should avoid using over-the-counter drain cleaning chemicals. Chemical drain cleaners always cause more harm than good.

Step 6 – Boiling Water, Again

After completing steps 1 through 5, boil another pot of water and send it down the drain. This final run of boiling water should help remove any remaining residue from the clog, as well as help sanitize your drain.

If All Else Fails, Contact the Streamline Plumbing!

If these tips fail to help you clear your clog, then chances are you have a real issue on your hands. Thankfully, you always have Streamline Plumbing’s team of drain-cleaning professionals ready to help you! Here at Streamline Plumbing & Underground Sewer Construction, we guarantee that our drain cleaners will have no trouble cleaning out even the nastiest shower clogs for you!

We offer trenchless sewer services in the following locations:

Looking for help in Colorado? Check out our friends over at Smith Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical at one of their locations below: