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How to unclog a shower drain

Standing water while you shower is almost always hair and soap scum at the strainer or just below it. A plastic hair snake clears most of these in a few minutes.

Safety Don’t mix chemical drain cleaners with vinegar or bleach. Work barefoot carefully — soapy tub floors are slippery. Gloves help with the gross part.

Clear hair at the drain

  1. Remove the cover Unscrew the drain grate or pry up the snap-in cover with a flat screwdriver. Keep the screws somewhere dry.
  2. Pull visible hair Gloves on. Pull out the hair mat you can reach. Shine a phone light down — you’ll often see more just below the opening.
  3. Use a plastic hair snake Feed the strip into the drain, twisting as you go. When it snags, twist and pull slowly. Repeat until you’re not bringing up clumps. These little snakes are made for shower hair.
  4. Hot water flush Run the shower hot for a minute. Water should spiral down cleanly. Reinstall the cover.
Tip A silicone drain hair catcher (sits over the drain) stops most clogs before they start. Clean it every few showers.

If it drains slowly after that

  1. Baking soda + vinegar ½ cup baking soda, then ½ cup white vinegar. Let it foam 15 minutes (cover the drain if you can), then flush with hot water. Helps soap scum; won’t replace snaking out hair.
  2. Enzyme gel overnight After the drain is mostly open, an enzyme cleaner left overnight can eat leftover organic film. Follow the bottle.
  3. Plunge as a backup Cover the overflow (if your tub has one) with a wet rag. Add enough water to cover a cup plunger, then plunge the drain firmly. This helps if the clog is a bit deeper.
When to stop DIY If multiple drains in the house are slow at once, or water comes up in the tub when you flush the toilet, that’s a main-line issue — call a plumber.