How To Unclog Your Bathtub Drain The Easy Way

by Trevor Woods | Last Updated: February 15, 2020

Have you noticed your tub or shower not draining as it should? A little slow, backing up, or downright plugged? Fear not, the fix might be easier than you think! Unclogging your tub drain can be done simply in a few minutes.

The most common cause for slow-moving tub and shower drains is hair. The longer the hair the more problematic the drain blockage may be.

Save yourself the expense of calling a professional and tackle this repair yourself. With just a few basic hand tools you can have your drain flowing fast again!

What Tools Are Needed?

• Gloves (Nitrile, Latex, Rubber)
• Screwdriver – Flat Blade or Multi-bit
• Barbed drain cleaning tool

How To

Gather up your tools and let’s get started unclogging your tub drain!

1. Remove The Drain Stopper

Not all drains are made the same but the most common are threaded and will unscrew to provide access to the drain. For our example the handle for the drain stopper is removed by turning it counter-clockwise.

Once the knob is removed it will expose the fastener that holds the stopper in place. I like to use a flat blade screwdriver to complete unthreading the drain stopper, lefty-loosey.

2. Inspect For The Blockage

It’s time to take a peek at what you’re working with. Inspect the drain for the culprit of the reduced drain performance. A flashlight is handy to look farther into the drain if necessary.

3. Remove Any Obvious Obstruction

This is the easy part. Typically you’ll find a shampoo bottle label, a bandaid, or a stray piece of garbage. Reach in and yank that trash out!

4. Use A Drain Tool To Remove Hair

This is where you are going to get your hands dirty. Your probably looking at a glob of hair stuck in your drain. It sometimes looks like a well-conditioned gerbil.

Grab your barbed drain tool and firmly push the business end down into the drain. The hooks will pass through the hair and plumbing on the way down and as you pull back up, hook and catch the tangled follicles.

This is going to take a few attempts to retrieve all of the hair tangled down there. Not very difficult but for the squeamish, the smell might get you! Repeat this step until the barbs on the drain tool come back clean.

5. Inspect The Drain

Keep an eye on your progress. Once you start noticing less and less debris coming back on your drain tool chances are you are nearing the finish line. Try rinsing some of the crud away with a splash of water to get a better look. When everything looks all-clear, move onto the next step.

6. Clean Up And Test The Drain

Gather up all the hairy sludge you’ve yanked from the depths of your plumbing and slide it aside so it doesn’t go back down the drain by accident.

Bag The Blockage

Use a ziplock bag to put the tub clog in. This will ensure I don’t flush my hard work down the drain and prevent any obnoxious odors when you throw the blockage away.

Run a generous amount of water down the drain to ensure you have removed the entire blockage and everything is flowing normally. If you notice water backing up again, go back and redo Steps 2 through 5 again.

This may take a few attempts so don’t get frustrated. Your persistence will pay off!

Done!

Your tub is draining like new now! Put the drain stopper back together and bask in your plumbing prowess. Celebrate unclogging your bathtub knowing you saved yourself a bunch of money!

Prevention And Maintenance

A wise person once said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” And this rings true with clogged bathtubs. Simply adding a strainer to your tub or shower drain can save you a lot of time and disgusting labor. Stopping clogs also eliminates the possibility of the blockage creating bigger issues further down the drain line.

Here is one of our favorites to catch all the hair and gunk before it clogs your tub:

If All Else Fails

Sometimes, unclogging your bathtub with a clog removal tool just isn’t enough. If you are unable to clear the tub or shower drain by pulling out the blockage with a drain snake you can use chemical drain openers. Drain chemicals have their place but we typically recommend them as a last resort.

You do not want to add chemicals to your drains and then use tools or a drain auger to clear a drain. You will end up splashing this plumbing chemical concoction all over the place and yourself.

Some of these liquid drain openers can be quite caustic and are not fun if you get it on your skin or eyes, so safety first!

Protect Yourself

Use gloves and safety glasses when going this route and using drain chemicals. Wear clothes that you don’t mind if they get accidentally damaged. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and always flush your drains thoroughly with water after each use.

One jug of this stuff could save you from calling a plumber:

Conclusion

There is nothing quite like a nice warm shower or relaxing soak in your tub. However, like all plumbing in your home, the potential for clogs and blockages may ruin your bathroom routine.

Knowing how to unclog your bathtub drain will save you money and keep your plumbing flowing. But, if you decide to call a professional to help you will be more knowledgable about what the repair entails and better at choosing the right plumber for the job.

Don’t be intimidated by this DIY plumbing remedy. You’ll be back to splashing with your rubber ducky sooner than you think!

Happy Plumbing!

Trevor Woods is the founder of Plumb University® and he started in the plumbing and construction industry in 1997. Since then, his mission is to make plumbing repair and maintenance easy for everyone. And each year, he continues to help more people with their plumbing installation, care, and troubleshooting.