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How to : Fixing a Clogged Bathtub Drain without Calling a Plumber

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Things You Should Know

  • Remove the stopper and/or strainer and clean hair and gunk from it as well as the mouth of the drain. Always start with these steps.
  • Use a plunger on the drain if there’s standing water; otherwise, pour in a clog-buster like boiling water or vinegar and baking soda.
  • Manually remove deeper clogs by reaching a tool like a wire hanger or drain stick into the drain and pulling out the gunk.
1

Strainer/Stopper

  1. Image titled Unclog a Bathtub Drain Step 2


    Take out the stopper and/or strainer and remove any gunk. Some tubs have separate stoppers and strainers, while others have combination stoppers and strainers—but they all end up full of tangled hair and other gunk! After removing the stopper/strainer, clean off this gunk with paper towels or an old toothbrush, maybe after a 10-15 minute soak in a mix of vinegar and baking soda. First, though, here’s a quick rundown of common strainer/stopper types:[1]

2

Manual Removal

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    Pull any visible hair clogs out of the top of the tub drain. Use your fingers (preferably with cleaning gloves on) or a paper towel to pinch and pull out the hair that’s gotten caught up on the X-shaped built-in strainer at the mouth of the drain. You can also use needle nose pliers to grasp more hard-to-reach hair clogs.[3]
3

Plunger

  1. Image titled Unclog a Bathtub Drain Step 24

    Use a plunger if there’s standing water in the tub. Submerge the head (the rubber part) of the plunger fully in the water to get the best results—add a little more water to the tub if necessary. Then do the following:[4]

4

Boiling Water

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    Break up gunked-up clogs with boiling water from a kettle. A tea kettle works best here because the spout allows you to pour the boiling water directly into the drain pipe. (If the tub has been reglazed or is made of fiberglass, there’s a chance boiling water could damage the finish.)[5]
5

Baking Soda & Vinegar

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    Use baking soda and vinegar with boiling water. Start by pouring boiling water from a tea kettle down the drain, then pour in about 1/4 c (55 g) of baking soda. Follow up with approximately 8  fl oz (240 ml) of white vinegar. Wait about 15-20 minutes, then pour another kettle of boiling water down the drain.[6]

6

Bleach

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    Try bleach ONLY if you haven’t used vinegar or chemicals. Bleach is inexpensive, readily available, and can dissolve some drain clogs. However, it can cause potentially dangerous fumes if combined with vinegar or other chemicals (like commercial drain cleaners). If you’ve only used mechanical clog-busters (plunger, drain stick, etc.) and/or boiling water, it’s okay to try bleach; otherwise, skip this option.[7]
7

Coat Hanger

  1. Image titled Unclog a Bathtub Drain Step 7

    This classic drain clog-grabber might do the job in a pinch. There are better alternatives—keep reading to find them!—but a hanger may work if you don’t have a drain stick, drain claw, or drain auger. Bend the triangular part of the hanger flat so the hanger looks like a candy cane, then bend the hook so it’s small enough to fit into your drain. Push the hanger as far as you can into the drain, then pull it back out—hopefully with the gunk causing the clog hooked at the end.[8]

8

Drain Stick

  1. Image titled Unclog a Bathtub Drain Step 8

    Reach the stick into the drain to yank out deeper clogs. Drain sticks look like plastic zip ties, but with “teeth” along the sides to grab onto hair and other gunk. Push the flexible stick as far into the drain as you can, then pull it back out (hopefully with the clog tangled up in it). Run some water to see if the clog is cleared.[9]
9

Drain Claw

  1. Image titled Unclog a Bathtub Drain Step 9

    This works like a drain stick, but really “grabs” the clog. As the name “drain claw” indicates, this long, flexible metal tool has 3 or 4 little claws at one end. Feed the claw end as far down into the drain as you can, then squeeze the plunger at the other end—this causes the claws to clamp together. Keep squeezing the plunger as you pull the tool (and the snatched clog) out of the drain.[10]

10

Drain Auger

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    This spinning tool reaches even further down into the drain. Try a drain auger (also called a drain snake) if options like a drain stick can’t reach down far enough to snag the clog. Feed the flexible metal wire down into the drain, then rotate the handle on the drum (by hand if it’s a manual model, or with a power drill or other mechanical means) to spin the wire in the pipe and grab the clog. Retract the wire to pull out the clog.[11]
11

Drain Cleaning Products

  1. Image titled Unclog a Bathtub Drain Step 11

    Use commercial drain cleaners sparingly, if at all. Commercial drain cleaners (like Drano and Liquid Plumr) break up clogs with strong chemicals such as potassium hydroxide and sulfuric acid. When properly used, they will clear most drain clogs. However, they can also damage your pipes, and they present a significant safety hazard if used improperly. If you choose to use a chemical drain cleaner, keep the following tips in mind:[12]

12

Pro Help

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    Contact a plumber if the drain still hasn’t been cleared. If you’ve tried all the methods listed above without success, pat yourself on the back—then give the pros a call! Plumbers have the drain-busting tools, techniques, and experience that DIYers simply can’t match.[13]

Video

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Read Video Transcript



Tips

  • Consider replacing your current tub strainer with one designed to catch hair before it ends up down the drain, such as the Tub Shroom.[14]
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