When you're taking a shower, it is not pleasant to have water pooling in your tub around your ankles. This means that your shower drain is either blocked or is forming a blockage. Clogged shower drains can be caused by hair or soap scum, and sometimes both. Here are the steps you should take when struggling with this issue.
Step 1: Clear any drain covers or hair catchers.
If your shower drain has a hair catcher or basket of any sort, that hair catcher may be full of hair, which will slow the flow of water into the drain. Check the hair catcher, and empty it. Then, run your shower water to see if this fixed the issue.
Step 2: Plunge the drain.
If clearing the hair catcher does not fix the problem, then you can try plunging the drain. Plungers are not just for toilets. The best type of plunger for this job is the type that has an end that looks like a plain bowl. Position the plunger with this bowl centered over the shower drain. Make sure there are at least a few inches of water in the tub for best results. Try to plunge straight up and down. After a few pumps, lift the plunger and see if your water goes down. If it does not, plunge again.
Step 3: Pour vinegar and baking soda down there.
It's not a good idea to put a drain cleaner down a shower drain. If the drain cleaner does not work, it will sit in the drain for too long and may corrode the pipes. You can, however, attempt to clear the clog with baking soda and vinegar. Put about a cup of each down the drain, and watch the ingredients foam up. After about an hour, rinse the drain with hot water. See if the water flows down freely.
Step 4: Call a plumber.
If the steps above don't get your shower drain flowing, it's time to call a plumber. They will often use a tool called a hydrojet to clear the drain. This machine sends a blast of water into the drain, which will break up hair, soap scum, and other common clogging materials.
Most clogged shower drains can be solved with either a plunger or some baking soda and vinegar. But if these ideas do not work, a professional plumber can get the drain working again with a drain cleaning consultation. You don't have to keep showering with water around your ankles.
