How to unclog a drain without chemicals
A slow shower drain is almost always hair. Unscrew or pry up the drain cover, pull out what you can with gloves, then feed a cheap plastic drain snake down, twist and pull. If it is still slow, plunge with the overflow plate covered. Skip the chemical cleaners, and never mix two drain products.
Your shower is draining slower every day and you are standing in water.
Why it matters: Most clogs are hair or grease, and a plunger or a plastic drain snake clears them.
Steps
- Put on gloves and remove the drain cover with a screwdriver or by lifting it out.
- Pull out any hair and gunk you can see and bag it; do not push it deeper.
- Feed a plastic barbed drain snake down, twist it, and pull it back slowly.
- Repeat until it comes back clean, then run hot tap water for a minute.
- If it is still slow, cover the overflow plate with a wet cloth, add a little water, and plunge firmly ten times.
- Fit a hair catcher over the drain to stop it happening again.
- For a kitchen sink, scrape grease into the trash in future rather than rinsing it down.
Stop and call a professional if
- several drains back up at once, or water comes up in the tub when you flush the toilet: that points to the main line, so call the landlord or a plumber
- you already used a chemical cleaner and the drain is still full: tell the plumber what you used
Common mistakes
- Pouring chemical drain cleaner and then plunging, which can splash caustic water.
- Mixing two drain products, which can release dangerous gas.
- Using a straightened wire hanger that scratches the pipe or pushes the clog deeper.
Teach this to someone
A one page sheet for showing a friend, a teenager or a parent: what to say, what to show, and one question to check it landed.
Teach: How to unclog a drain without chemicals
What to say
A slow shower drain is almost always hair. Unscrew or pry up the drain cover, pull out what you can with gloves, then feed a cheap plastic drain snake down, twist and pull. If it is still slow, plunge with the overflow plate covered. Skip the chemical cleaners, and never mix two drain products.
What to show
- Put on gloves and remove the drain cover with a screwdriver or by lifting it out.
- Pull out any hair and gunk you can see and bag it; do not push it deeper.
- Feed a plastic barbed drain snake down, twist it, and pull it back slowly.
- Repeat until it comes back clean, then run hot tap water for a minute.
- If it is still slow, cover the overflow plate with a wet cloth, add a little water, and plunge firmly ten times.
- Fit a hair catcher over the drain to stop it happening again.
- For a kitchen sink, scrape grease into the trash in future rather than rinsing it down.
Where it stops
Stop and call a professional if several drains back up at once, or water comes up in the tub when you flush the toilet: that points to the main line, so call the landlord or a plumber.
Check question
What usually slows a shower drain?
Answer: Hair. Hair collects just under the cover and catches soap.
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Related skills
Sources
This skill is general practice and draws on no single published source.
Written in our own words from the sources above. It is general information, not advice for your situation; where a professional, your doctor or your lease says something different, follow them.
Last reviewed . First published .