Short answer
To clean a shower drain, take off the cover, pull out the hair and soap buildup with gloves or a hair tool, plunge with the overflow sealed if needed, then try a hand snake and run hot water. For a sink, clean the stopper and trap. Skip chemicals, never mix products, and stop if several drains are affected.
Slow bathroom drains are mostly hair and soap. This guide shows how to clean a shower drain, how to clean a sink drain and how to clean out a tub drain, with the order that avoids damage. It also covers the common stopper types in general terms, what not to do, how to keep a basin drain clean, and when to stop and call a plumber.
It is written for homeowners, mostly in the US, with a note for Canadian readers. For a general version covering kitchens and toilets too, read our clogged drain DIY or call a plumber guide.
Before you start
- Check how many fixtures are affected. One slow shower with everything else draining normally is a local clog. If two or more fixtures are slow, a toilet gurgles when you run a sink, or water appears in the lowest drain, skip this guide and read drain cleaning near me.
- Gather basics. Gloves, eye protection, a flashlight, a bucket, towels, a screwdriver, a cup plunger and a small hand drain snake or a plastic hair tool. This Old House advises gloves and eye protection and keeping the work area ventilated and dry.
- Start gently. This Old House notes that older plumbing is delicate and says not to come in "blasting water down the drain or ramming the clog." Begin with the simplest tool and work up.
How to clean a shower drain, step by step
- Remove the cover. This Old House says the cover may unscrew or simply lift off. If it is stuck, gently pry it with a flat-head screwdriver.
- Pull out what you can see. Hair and soap usually sit just below the opening. Remove it by hand with gloves, with tweezers or needle-nose pliers, or with a plastic hair tool, and put it in the trash, not down the toilet.
- Plunge if the water still stands. This Old House suggests putting a few inches of water in the tub so the plunger can seal, and sealing the overflow plate with a wet cloth. Plunge for about 30 seconds with steady strokes, check drainage and repeat.
- Use a hand snake if it is still slow. Feed it in while turning the handle, stop when you feel resistance, work it back and forth, and pull it out while still turning. Clean off what comes up. Our drain snake guide covers the tool in detail.
- Test. Run hot tap water to confirm the drain is clear.
Cleaning out a tub drain through the overflow
A tub drain is cleaned the same way, with one useful difference. This Old House says a snake fed through the overflow opening bypasses the trap and lets you reach clogs in the main drainpipe more directly.
- Unscrew the overflow plate near the top of the tub. Pull out the plate, linkage rods and stopper together, using pliers if needed.
- Feed the snake down the overflow opening, lock the cable with the thumbscrew and crank gently.
- Repeat two or three times, going a little deeper each time, then reassemble and run water. Check for leaks at the plate.
This Old House also notes that a stopper or trip lever that is out of adjustment can mimic a clog, so if the pipe looks clear, check the stopper before going further.
How to clean a sink drain or basin drain
For a bathroom sink, hair and soap tend to ball up around the base of the stopper, according to This Old House. That makes the stopper the first place to look.
- Clean the stopper and the drain opening. Many pop-up stoppers lift out or release from a pivot rod under the sink. Check how yours works before pulling. Brush off the slime and remove the clog by hand.
- Clean the trap. This Old House describes placing a bucket under the P-trap, loosening the slip nuts at both ends, removing the trap, cleaning out the debris, reassembling and running water to check for leaks.
- If it is still slow, inspect further down. If the pipe beyond the trap is the problem, a small hand snake may help. Otherwise call a plumber.
Stopper types in general terms
Bathrooms use a few common designs, and the right approach depends on which you have. Look before you pull or turn anything.
| Type | How it usually works | Cleaning tip |
|---|---|---|
| Strainer or grate cover | A flat cover held by a screw or a snap fit | Lift or unscrew, pull out the hair beneath |
| Pop-up sink stopper | Linked to a lift rod and pivot rod under the sink | Check how it attaches, then lift out and clean it |
| Lift-and-turn or push-pull stopper | Screws or lifts off the drain body | Check how it attaches before pulling |
| Trip lever tub stopper | A lever on the overflow plate moves a rod and plunger in the pipe | Remove the overflow plate and clean the linkage and stopper |
If a part will not move easily, stop and check the fixture's instructions or call a plumber. Forcing a part can crack plastic or strip a thread.
What not to do
- Do not mix cleaners. Never combine drain cleaners with each other or with bleach or ammonia. Ohio State University Extension warns that following a caustic drain cleaner with bleach can release chlorine gas.
- Be careful with chemical drain cleaners at all. This Old House warns that they can damage pipes, can injure the next person who works on the drain, and are harmful to many septic systems, and that they rarely clear a stoppage. If you use one, pick a product that matches the fixture, follow the label and use it alone.
- Protect yourself. Poison.org advises goggles and rubber gloves, pouring carefully and close to the drain to avoid splashing, and keeping the container closed and away from children. If someone swallows a drain cleaner or it contacts skin or eyes, call 1-800-222-1222 in the US.
- Do not rely on baking soda and vinegar for a real clog. Poison.org says the mixture is unlikely to melt tough clogs, and that the gas generally does not build enough pressure to clear one. It can help freshen a drain, nothing more.
- Do not use a standard drain snake in a toilet. This Old House warns it can scratch the porcelain. A closet auger is the toilet tool.
- Do not keep forcing it. If two or three tries do not work, the clog is probably deeper than you can reach.
Prevention: keep the drain clean
- Use a drain cover in the shower and tub, and empty it into the trash. This Old House recommends catching hair and cleaning the cover regularly to remove hair and soap scum.
- Brush hair into the trash before it reaches the sink.
- Clean the pop-up stopper regularly, before it clogs.
- Run hot tap water down each drain after cleaning, and use rarely used drains now and then. Wet film in an unused drain is where drain flies breed. See drain flies for the extension guidance.
If you have a septic tank, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln extension and EPA advise using a drain snake or boiling water on clogs instead of chemical drain openers, because chemicals can harm the organisms in the tank. See septic maintenance near me.
When to stop and call a plumber
This Old House lists these signs that it is time to call a professional:
- Several drains clog at once, or water backs up into another fixture.
- Persistent clogs that do not respond after a few tries.
- Foul odors or gurgling from drains.
- Visible damage to pipes or fixtures, or a stopper or overflow assembly you cannot get apart.
- Older plumbing you are not confident working on, or any step you are uncomfortable with.
If sewage comes up or a basement floor drain overflows, stop using water, keep children and pets away and call a licensed plumber. Tell the plumber what you tried, including any product by name. See drain cleaning cost for how quotes are built.
What to look up where you live
- State or provincial plumbing or contractor licensing board: to check a plumber's license.
- County health department: for sewage backups and septic systems.
- The product label: for the pipe materials and septic use a cleaner is rated for.
Rules differ by place. Check the current rules for your state or county. For Canadian readers: plumbing is regulated by each province, products carry local labels, and quotes are in Canadian dollars. For poison emergencies, contact your provincial poison centre.
For plumbing and drain company owners
How to clean a shower drain is the search your customers make before they decide whether to call you. If you want to be the company they ring when the plunger fails, read near me searches for plumbers and septic companies and plumber missed calls. You can also book a call with LiveLeadsLane. LiveLeadsLane is a marketing practice for contractors, not a directory, and it does not take jobs or refer homeowners.
