How to Avoid a Clogged Shower Drain
We’ve all been there: you’re in the shower shampooing away, and all of a sudden you realize that you’re standing in a small pool. Your drain is open, but the water keeps on slowly rising. While sometimes drain clogs happen for reasons beyond our control, oftentimes, they occur because we don’t take care of our shower drains properly. Read on to learn how you can prevent pesky shower drain clogs.
Use a Hair Catcher
Hair is one of the biggest culprits for shower drain clogs. Brushing your hair before you get into the shower to avoid in-shower hair loss is one helpful solution, but a hair trap is another solution if you still lose a lot of hair in the shower. A hair trap is a little cover you put over your drain that allows water to go through but catches hair, dirt, and any other debris that may otherwise fall through and cause a clog.
Don’t Use Oily Products
Oils are known to be big culprits for clogging drains. For that reason, if you use oily products such as coconut oil or other oil-based body and hair products, it’s best to wipe off as much as you can before showering. You may also opt for putting it on after your shower instead. If oil goes through the drain and into the pipes, they may harden, which will make it hard for water to flow through, hence increasing the odds of a clog.
Any sort of sugar or salt scrubs tend to also have oil in them, so check the ingredients before using them in the shower.
Flush Your Drains Periodically
Flushing your shower pipes by pouring boiling water down the drain can help break down any products that could be building up in them, therefore helping to prevent clogs. Instead of boiling water, you can also use baking soda or vinegar. Simply pour half a bottle of vinegar or dump some baking soda down the drain, let it sit for about 10 minutes, then clean it out with hot water.
Clean Any Visible Debris
There’s a good chance that after using your shower enough times, there will be debris around your drain including hair, globs of shampoo, soap scum, or shaving cream. You should clean the debris after every shower as it accumulates before it builds up too much and causes a clog.
Call a Plumber
If you find that your shower drain constantly becomes clogged, the team at Lancaster Plumbing, Heating, & Cooling can help you get to the bottom of it. Trying to unclog a shower drain by yourself can do more harm than good; when people try to unclog their drains by themselves, they often use harsh chemicals such as Drain-O, which can dissolve pipes and pose a health concern if it touches their skin or eyes.
