Help - how to clean shower drains....

[shewolf]

without resorting to Drano. Our shower drain has overnight gotten blocked so I need an environmentally friendly way to clean it...

[Sugarmagnolia]

without resorting to Drano. Our shower drain has overnight gotten blocked so I need an environmentally friendly way to clean it...


boiling water or vinegar and baking soda. There is also this cool air canister/plunger thing that Home Depot sells that does wonders.

[shewolf]

boiling water or vinegar and baking soda. There is also this cool air canister/plunger thing that Home Depot sells that does wonders.

Brands are no good, as I'm in Australia, but I'll try the vinegar/baking soda thing... Thanks!

[Robert]

SheWolf... you can go to any home hardware store or plumbing store and buy what's called a "snake". Run it down the drain to unclog the blockage.

Or, run some boiling hot water down the drain and use a plunger to try and force the blockage through. Often times that's enough to loosen a blockage. Chances are, it's just a big ball of old hair.

[shewolf]

SheWolf... you can go to any home hardware store or plumbing store and buy what's called a "snake". Run it down the drain to unclog the blockage.

Or, run some boiling hot water down the drain and use a plunger to try and force the blockage through. Often times that's enough to loosen a blockage. Chances are, it's just a big ball of old hair.

My dad mentioned something he called an eel, sounds like this snake thingy. It most probably is hair, I have always shed copious amounts of it. LOL :sheep:

[Robert]

My dad mentioned something he called an eel, sounds like this snake thingy. It most probably is hair, I have always shed copious amounts of it. LOL :sheep:

Yeah, some folks refer to it as an eel (different countries, different names, same beast) :)

You know... if you turn on the shower water and it clogs up pretty quickly... this means that the clog is not that far down. You could probably break through it with a wire coat hanger.

[Coney]

There's a thread called Environmentally Kind/Miracle Cleaning Products that I started, but someone posted this on how to clear a drain w/o using Drano:

clogged drain?

Ideally, use washing soda on your drains once a week to keep them clear. Just pour 1/4 cup or so down the drain, and then flush with water. Washing soda is found in the laundry section of the supermarket. You can use baking soda instead by pouring 1 cup of baking soda down the drain, followed by three cups of boiling water. The boiling water will change the chemical composition of baking soda to become more alkaline like washing soda. If you already have a clog, try pouring 1 cup of washing soda (or baking soda) down the drain followed by three cups of boiling water. Repeat two or three times. If you still have a clog, try pouring down 1 cup of vinegar. Being an acid, the vinegar will neutralize the washing soda or baking soda and there will be some foaming and gurgling, but sometimes this agitation is all that is needed in the end to dislodge the grime.


I intend to use this remedy next time on our shower drain. It gets clogged pretty fast with soap scum and hair shavings. Gross.

[shewolf]

I tried the baking soda and vinegar thing, followed by some plunging, and YAY! All clear... thanks guys, I feel so much better I didn't go and get that Drano crud...

[Coney]

Good for you! :up: :cool:

[dawngirl]

To prevent future hair clogs buy a drain "strainer" they sell them at some grocery stores here and at most hardware stores. It helps collect the hair etc. before it ever gets down the drain. I am a major hair shedder too.