Few things are as relaxing as standing beneath a piping hot shower, but finding yourself ankle-deep in gray water is guaranteed to ruin this experience. Fortunately, if you have a clogged or slow-moving shower drain, there may be an easy way to resolve it. There are also several solid strategies for keeping your shower drains in consistently excellent condition.
White Vinegar and Baking Soda
You may be able to break up stubborn accumulations of soap scum, body oils, and hair with equal parts white vinegar and baking soda. If you pour one cup of baking soda down a slow-moving shower drain and immediately chase it with one cup of white vinegar, you’ll get an instant foaming reaction that sloughs off grimy build-ups. However, this measure is most effective when used as part of homeowners’ ongoing drain maintenance plans rather than after shower drains are already clogged.
Prevent Shower Clogs With Regular Drain Cleaning
To keep shower clogs at bay, schedule a professional drain cleaning service at least once each year. Professional drain cleaning eliminates foul odors and stubborn build-ups at all household drains. To keep your overall plumbing maintenance easy, you can schedule this service at the same time as your annual whole-house plumbing inspection.
Clean Out Your Shower Drain Mesh or Drain Covers
If you currently have drain mesh or another drain cover installed, now may be the time to clean it. These covers keep hair and other relatively large-sized debris from entering plumbing systems. If they aren’t routinely emptied and rinsed, water will have a hard time passing through them.
Avoid Do-It-Yourself Mechanical Drain Cleaning
It’s best to leave aggressive drain cleaning measures to licensed plumbing companies. Attempting to snake or plunge your shower drain could cause functional or structural damage. Moreover, if your shower drain has an obstruction caused by a dropped toothbrush, razor, bottle cap, or other hard item, plunging or snaking may simply push the obstruction deeper.
Don’t Use Liquid Drain Cleaners
Liquid drain cleaners break down the soft, greasy accumulations that develop in shower drains. They work well on clogs caused by hair, body oils, and other organic materials. However, these solutions are powerful enough to eat through pipes and other plumbing features, especially when they aren’t successful at clearing clogs. More importantly, if they aren’t used correctly, many store-bought drain cleaning chemicals can cause serious skin, eye, and respiratory harm. If you can’t break up a drain blockage with white vinegar and baking soda, consider calling a plumber instead.
Get Everyone in the Home On Board
The best way to prevent problems with slow-moving shower and tub drains is by making a firm list of things that should never enter bathing areas. You should share this list with everyone in your household. You should also get everyone on board with using and periodically cleaning drain mesh or other drain covers.
With ongoing drain maintenance and the best preventative strategies, you can ensure that every shower in your home is an enjoyable one. To schedule professional drain cleaning services in Brighton, CO, contact Royal Services today!