There’s no end to the mundane, unpleasant experiences we all have to deal with at some point. Going to the dentist. Taking your driving test. Finishing a shower and realizing you’re standing in half a foot of dirty, soapy standing water. Some of these mundane, unpleasant experiences are unavoidable, but some of them are not! If you had to deal with dirty, soapy standing water in your shower recently, it’s probably because your drain is clogged.
Clogged drains are definitely a mundane, unpleasant experience–and a particularly annoying one. Over time, clogged drains can lead to mold development and flooding, burst, or leaking pipes. Not to mention gross standing water. Luckily, clogged drains are also one of those mundane, unpleasant experiences that you can avoid! All you have to do is unclog your drain as soon as it clogs. Here are four different ways to do that:
Pour boiling water down the drain.
Heat a pot of water on the stove. Make sure it’s one that is easy for you to handle while full of water. Since you’ll be transporting it from the stove to the bathroom with boiling water in it, you want to play it safe. Pour the water down the drain, slowly. Use a funnel so that the hot water doesn’t harm anything else in the tub.
Wait fifteen minutes and attempt to run water from the tap. If the clog is made up of a grease or soap build-up, the heat should melt it away. If this method doesn’t work, however, move on to the next option.
Use a plunger.
The next thing you should do if hot water doesn’t work is attempt to dislodge the clog with a plunger. For shower drain clogs, you’re going to want to use a classic cup plunger. Add enough water to the tub or shower to submerge the end of the plunger’s cup. This will help with suction.
Press the plunger’s cup down to get a seal and begin to plunge vigorously. Plunging creates suction inside the drain that helps dislodge stubborn clogs. Unfortunately, it won’t work on all clogs. If the clog is very deep or entrenched, don’t be surprised if plunging doesn’t work. Consider plunging a good first step, but not the last resort. After plunging, run the tap to see if standing water builds up. If it still does, move on to the next method.
Try an at-home drain cleaner.
We never recommend the use of chemical drain cleaners. They always do more damage to pipes and hardware than they’re worth. You can try a safe at-home mixture to clear a drain clog, however. You just have to follow the right steps:
First, pour a cup of baking soda into your drain. Wait a few minutes and then pour a cup of vinegar down. Give the two time to mix – an hour or two is preferable. Follow this up with more boiling water to clear any remaining material. The two combine to create a fizzing reaction that can clear clogs. Well… sometimes.
Call the professionals.
If you’ve tried everything listed here and are still having trouble, it’s time to call the pros. Some clogs are too severe for DIY methods – and that’s alright! Professional drain cleaning services can make all the difference.
Depending on your needs, there are options to clear any clog. Most high-quality plumbing companies will offer options like hydro-jetting and camera inspections. These will help you not just remove an existing clog, but diagnose what caused it. That way you can prevent them from happening again.
If you’re in need of professional drain cleaning for your clogged shower drain, give us a call. The team at Mike Diamond has the expertise and experience to clear your drain quickly and efficiently.
