Clean Your Drain

Soap scum, body soil, dirt, hair—it’s a wonder your tub ever drains at all! If your bathtub is backed up, here are a few tips for cleaning your drain. As with any clog, first try pouring boiling water down the drain. If that doesn’t work, the most likely culprit causing the clog is hair. So to remove the clog you will need to physically pull out the hair buildup.

Do-it-Yourself Project: What You'll Need to Clean Your Drain:

Tools

 

  • Waterproof gloves
  • Rag
  • Phillips and flathead screwdrivers
  • Needle-nosed pliers
  • Wire hanger
  • Plastic bag
  1. Put on waterproof gloves to protect your hands. Cover the drain with a rag to make sure nothing falls into it and put down a towel in the tub so you don’t scratch it with your tools.
  2. If your tub has a strainer, unscrew the strainer grate (if screws are present). If there are no screws, use needle-nose pliers to remove the entire strainer grate.
  3. With pliers, bend the tip of a wire hanger into the shape of a hook. Fish the hanger down the drain and pull up the wad of hair causing the clog. Discard the debris in a plastic bag. This will take a few tries. I’m warning you, what you pull out will look and smell like a slimy alien baby.
  4. Flush with hot water. If the water doesn’t flow freely, keep fishing until it does.
  5. Replace the strainer.