How to Clean a Shower Drain and Keep Water Moving

If your shower is draining slowly, it smells a little sour, or it leaves you standing in a puddle, your shower drain probably needs a little bit of attention. But the good news is most shower drain clogs specifically happen right near the top, so you can usually fix them without having to take apart your plumbing or call a plumber.

You want to clean your shower drain and keep the water moving because it’s one of those bathroom cleaning tasks that can make your whole shower feel cleaner, fresher, easier to maintain, and you’re not standing in a puddle of water, which is nice.

A dirty shower drain is more than just annoying. Your hair, soap scum, skin oils, and mineral buildup collect under the grate, and it creates this slow drainage. Also, it makes everything smell super bad, and even mildew problems happen over time. If you stay on top of it, you can help prevent bigger plumbing issues and keep your bathroom cleaning routine a lot easier.

Gather Your Materials

Before you start, here are the materials that you need:

• Rubber gloves
• Paper towels
• A flashlight
• A small bucket
• A zip bag for the debris
• A flat screwdriver or a coin to remove the drain cover
• A bent wire hook or a basic hair snake
• Dish soap, an old toothbrush, and hot water (just not the toothbrush you use normally)

Step 1: Remove the Drain Cover

First, you want to remove the drain cover and take off the grate or the stopper. Make sure you do it carefully so you’re not actually scratching the finish.

If there are screws, that’s where you can use a screwdriver. Put them in a small container after you remove them so they don’t get lost. If your shower has a stopper, you want to remove it slowly and take a quick photo if you might forget how to reassemble it. Just make sure you take a quick photo.

Step 2: Pull Out the Hair and Buildup

Now, you want to pull out the hair and the buildup. Use a flashlight to look inside the drain and pull out any visible hair or sludge with your hook or your drain tool.

You want to go slowly and pull straight up. You’ll probably get a mix of hair, soap scum, and grime. Wipe the edge of the drain, too, because that ring a lot of times traps a lot of the buildup that keeps catching more hair.

Step 3: Soak and Scrub the Parts

Next, soak the drain cover, the stopper, and any removable parts in warm soapy water for about 10 minutes. Then, you want to scrub them with the old toothbrush to remove grime, especially underneath where dark residue tends to collect. Rinse and dry everything before you put it back.

Step 4: Flush the Drain

Then you want to flush the drain. Pour hot water, again, not boiling water, just hot water mixed with a little dish soap down the drain. This helps to loosen the greasy residue and the soap buildup.

If there’s still some odor or slimy film, add a little bit of baking soda followed by vinegar. Let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes, and then rinse again with hot water. Again, not boiling water.

If the water is still moving slowly, here’s where we need the plunger. Use the plunger over the drain opening with a little water in the shower base. Just a few short pumps can help move a clog that’s sitting just past the trap.

Prevention Tips for an Easy Routine

To keep your shower drain clean as far as prevention goes, use a hair catcher and empty it after every shower. Then once a week, you want to wipe the drain area and run some hot water for a minute. Small habits like this can make a huge difference in bathroom maintenance and overall home cleaning.

A clean shower drain helps your whole bathroom stay fresher, smell better, and drain the way it should. You don’t want to be standing in puddles of water and have everything smell bad, that’s no bueno.

If you want help keeping the rest of your bathroom and home in top shape, professional house cleaning services like the ones we offer at NW Maids can help.