I’m Konstantin Lozovyi, Owner and Master Plumber (License #MP210432) at K L Contractor Plumbing Inc. in Marietta, GA. Clogged drains are the most common call our team gets from homeowners across Metro Atlanta. This guide covers safe, effective methods to unclog shower drains, bathtub drains, and floor drains, plus when to call a professional.
We have separate guides for specific fixtures: kitchen sinks with a garbage disposal, kitchen sink clog causes, bathroom sinks that fill up with water, and bathroom sinks backing up into the bathtub. This article covers everything else.
Why Drains Clog (And Why It Gets Worse Over Time)
Contents
- 1 Why Drains Clog (And Why It Gets Worse Over Time)
- 2 Tools You Need Before You Start
- 3 How to Unclog a Shower Drain
- 4 How to Unclog a Bathtub Drain
- 5 Bathroom Sink Drains
- 6 How to Unclog a Floor Drain
- 7 The Baking Soda and Vinegar Method
- 8 Why We Don’t Recommend Chemical Drain Cleaners
- 9 When to Call a Plumber
- 10 Frequently Asked Questions
Every drain carries water, soap, body oils, and debris through pipes. Over time, that material sticks to pipe walls and builds up. A slow drain today can become a full blockage within weeks. Here are the most common culprits:
- Hair. The number one cause in showers and bathtubs. Hair tangles around the crossbar and traps soap residue.
- Soap scum. Bar soap leaves a sticky film inside pipes that combines with hair to create dense plugs.
- Mineral buildup. Hard water deposits calcium and magnesium inside pipes. Many homes in Cobb County and Metro Atlanta deal with moderate hard water, and we see the mineral scaling it causes weekly.
- Grease and oil. Body oils, lotions, and shaving cream coat drain walls and combine with toothpaste to form stubborn clogs.
- Tree roots. For main sewer lines, roots seek out moisture and infiltrate pipe joints. We address these through our sewer line repair service.
Clogs are progressive. The sooner you address a slow drain, the easier the fix.
Tools You Need Before You Start
Gather these items before you begin.
- Cup plunger. The standard flat-bottomed plunger. Works well on flat drain surfaces like showers and sinks.
- Flange plunger. Has an extended rubber flap that fits into bathtub drain openings. More effective for curved drains.
- Drain snake (hand auger). A flexible metal cable, 15 to 25 feet long, with a corkscrew tip. You feed it into the pipe and rotate to break through or grab the clog. Available at hardware stores for $20 to $40.
- Baking soda and white vinegar. A safe, non-toxic option for light buildup (detailed below).
- Rubber gloves. Protect your hands from drain debris.
- Bucket and old towels. Catching water prevents a mess, especially during P-trap removal.
- Flashlight. Helps you see into the drain opening.
- Needle-nose pliers or a drain removal tool. Useful for pulling out hair clumps and removing drain covers.
A note on chemical drain cleaners: We do not recommend them. We explain why in a dedicated section below.
How to Unclog a Shower Drain
Shower drains clog primarily from hair and soap scum. In my 20+ years as a Master Plumber, I’ve pulled hair clogs out of shower drains that were over a foot long.
Step 1: Remove the Drain Cover
Most shower drain covers snap off, unscrew with a center screw, or twist counterclockwise to release. Set the cover aside.
Step 2: Pull Out Visible Debris
Shine your flashlight into the drain. You will likely see hair wrapped around the crossbar or sitting just below the surface. Use needle-nose pliers or a bent wire hanger to pull it out. Toss it in the trash, not the toilet.
Step 3: Plunge the Drain
If the drain is still slow, use a cup plunger. Add enough water to cover the rubber cup, press firmly over the drain, and pump 15 to 20 times with strong strokes. Run water to test.
Step 4: Snake the Drain
If plunging fails, feed a drain snake into the opening. Push the cable forward while rotating clockwise. When you feel resistance, continue rotating to break through or hook the blockage. Pull the snake out slowly and run hot water for two minutes to flush debris.
How to Unclog a Bathtub Drain
Bathtub drains work differently than showers because of the overflow plate and stopper mechanism. Many homeowners do not realize the overflow is part of the drain system. If you do not account for it, plunging a bathtub will be ineffective.
Step 1: Remove the Stopper
Bathtub stoppers vary by type. A push-pull stopper lifts straight up. A lift-and-turn stopper unscrews counterclockwise. A trip-lever stopper connects to a linkage behind the overflow plate. For trip-lever types, unscrew the overflow plate and pull the entire assembly out.
Step 2: Clean the Stopper and Linkage
Hair and soap scum collect on the stopper and linkage rod. Clean all of it off. This alone fixes many slow bathtub drains.
Step 3: The Overflow Plate Plunging Trick
Seal the overflow opening by stuffing a wet rag tightly into the hole. This forces plunging pressure down to the clog. Plunge the main drain with a flange plunger, 15 to 20 strong pumps.
Step 4: Snake Through the Overflow
If plunging fails, remove the overflow plate and feed your drain snake through the overflow opening. The overflow pipe connects directly to the drain pipe below, giving you a straighter path to the clog. Rotate and push until you clear the blockage, then flush with hot water.
Bathroom Sink Drains
Bathroom sinks clog from hair, soap, toothpaste, and whisker trimmings. The pop-up stopper is usually where buildup starts. We cover bathroom sink drain problems in detail in two dedicated guides:
- Bathroom Sink Filling Up With Water: How to Fix It covers step-by-step unclogging for standard bathroom sink clogs.
- Sink Backing Up Into Bathtub: Causes and Fixes covers the shared drain line issue where water from one fixture backs up into another.
The P-trap removal and drain snake techniques described in the shower and bathtub sections above also apply to bathroom sinks. The main difference is the pop-up stopper mechanism, which we walk through in the bathroom sink guide linked above.
How to Unclog a Floor Drain
Floor drains in basements, laundry rooms, and garages prevent flooding. When they clog, water has nowhere to go. We see this often during heavy rainstorms when homeowners discover their floor drain has been building up for months.
Step 1: Remove Standing Water
If water is pooled around the drain, scoop or mop it into a bucket first.
Step 2: Remove the Cover and Clean the Trap
Floor drains have a built-in trap that holds water to block sewer gases. Pry off the grate, reach in with gloved hands, and remove any debris. Sediment, laundry lint, and soap residue are common in laundry room drains.
Step 3: Snake the Drain
Feed your drain snake past the trap. Floor drain lines can run a long distance to the main sewer line, so you may need a longer snake (25 feet or more). Rotate and push until you break through the clog or feel the cable move freely.
Step 4: Consider a Backflow Preventer
If your floor drain backs up during heavy rain, sewer water may be pushing back through the municipal line. A backflow prevention valve stops this. Our team installs these as part of our drain cleaning service.
The Baking Soda and Vinegar Method
This method works well for light buildup and slow drains. It will not clear a solid blockage, a packed hair clog, or tree roots.
Step-by-Step:
- Remove any standing water from the sink, tub, or shower.
- Pour 1/2 cup of baking soda directly into the drain opening.
- Pour 1/2 cup of white vinegar into the drain. The mixture will fizz, helping dissolve organic buildup on pipe walls.
- Cover the drain with a wet cloth or stopper to keep the reaction inside the pipe.
- Wait 30 minutes. For stubborn slow drains, wait a full hour.
- Flush with a full kettle of boiling water (metal pipes) or very hot tap water (PVC pipes, since boiling water can soften PVC joints).
- Repeat once if the drain is still slow.
When It Works
Baking soda and vinegar dissolves light soap scum, grease film, and minor organic buildup. Use it monthly as a maintenance step.
When It Will Not Help
Solid clogs (packed hair, objects in the pipe, heavy mineral deposits) need mechanical removal with a snake or professional equipment. If the drain is completely stopped, go straight to plunging or snaking.
Why We Don’t Recommend Chemical Drain Cleaners
Every hardware store sells liquid drain cleaners. They seem fast and easy. But after 20+ years of repairing the damage they cause, we strongly advise against them.
Pipe damage. Chemical drain cleaners generate heat through a caustic reaction. In galvanized steel or cast iron pipes, this accelerates corrosion. In PVC pipes, the heat warps joints and creates leak points. Many older Marietta homes still have original cast iron drain lines, and chemical cleaners shorten their lifespan.
Safety hazards. These products contain sodium hydroxide or sulfuric acid. Splashback can burn skin and eyes. If the product fails, a plumber now has to work around a pipe full of caustic chemicals.
Temporary fix. Chemical cleaners may restore partial flow, but they rarely remove the full blockage. The clog returns within weeks, and repeated use compounds the pipe damage.
Environmental concerns. These chemicals eventually reach the water treatment system.
Use a plunger, a snake, or baking soda and vinegar instead. These approaches remove the clog without damaging your pipes.
When to Call a Plumber
Some drain problems require professional equipment. Call a licensed plumber if you experience any of the following:
- Multiple drains are slow or clogged at the same time. This signals a blockage in a main drain line or sewer lateral, not an individual fixture drain.
- Sewer smell coming from drains. Odor indicates a venting problem, dried-out trap, or a break in the sewer line. See our post on drain cleaning vs. sewer repair.
- Water backs up from one fixture when you use another. Flushing a toilet causes the shower to gurgle, or the washing machine floods the floor drain.
- You have tried plunging, snaking, and baking soda with no improvement. The clog may be deeper than your hand snake can reach, or it may involve a collapsed pipe section.
- Tree roots in the sewer line. Roots require a root-cutting auger or hydro jetter and often a camera inspection. Our team handles these through our sewer line repair service. If roots keep coming back, it may be time for a full sewer line replacement.
Our drain cleaning service in Marietta covers everything from a single slow shower drain to full main line blockages.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can boiling water unclog a drain?
Boiling water can flush light grease or soap buildup in metal pipes. Pour a full kettle slowly into the drain. Avoid boiling water in PVC pipes; very hot tap water is safer. Boiling water alone will not clear a hair clog or solid blockage.
How often should I clean my drains to prevent clogs?
Run the baking soda and vinegar method monthly on shower and bathtub drains. Install mesh drain covers to catch hair before it enters the pipe. These two habits prevent most household drain clogs.
Is it safe to use a drain snake on old pipes?
Yes, when used properly. A hand-crank drain snake is safe for all pipe types, including cast iron and galvanized lines. Apply steady, gentle pressure and let the cable do the work. Do not force it if it feels stuck, as that can indicate a pipe joint, bend, or collapse requiring professional assessment.
What causes a drain to smell bad even when it is not clogged?
The most common cause is a dry P-trap. Every drain has a curved trap that holds water to seal out sewer gases. If a drain goes unused for weeks, that water evaporates and sewer gas enters the home. Run water for 30 seconds to refill the trap. If the smell persists, you may have a venting issue or cracked drain line requiring professional diagnosis.
Need help with a stubborn clog? K L Contractor Plumbing Inc. provides same-day drain cleaning in Marietta and Metro Atlanta. Call us at (404) 637-2796 or request an appointment online. We will clear the blockage and make sure it does not come back.