Remember that hot water is your friend when dealing with bathroom drain cleaning. I always run a lot of hot water after cleaning drains. It flushes the loose debris out and melts the soap scum that catches hair. With shower drains I will usually get a 5 gallon bucket full of hot water from the nearby tub and dump it directly into the drain, with the strainer removed. When you do this, raise the bucket as high as you can and aim for the center of the drain. This is great for flushing out excess debris. (Remember this trick for floor drains.)
Cleaning the bathroom sink drain
- You always try your plunger first. Remember to plug the overflow at the top of the sink.
- If this doesn’t work, the next step is to remove the trap and disassemble the pop up assembly and remove any hair and debris. Use the following illustration as a guide. An easy way to remove debris is to remove the p-trap and pop up assembly pivot rod, roll toilet paper into a cylindrical wad and shove it through the tailpiece with a long screwdriver. Then put it all back together.
- If these tricks don’t work, call your plumbers at Advocate Master Plumbing. We’ll take care of it for you.
Cleaning the bathtub drain
Another bathroom drain cleaning tip regards the bathtub. A bathtub drain clog is a homeowner plumbing repair that’s pretty routine. Let’s explore it.
The first step to cleaning a tub drain is removing the hair in the drain. A pair of needle nose pliers should do the trick here. Your drain may look a little different. The next step is to plunge the drain. Doing this is similar to your sink. Notice in the illustration that a damp cloth is being used to plug the overflow.
Shower Drain Clogs
A shower drain clog is usually much easier. They are almost always a hair clog. To remove the hair clog I recommend using a large pair of needle nose pliers and a lot of elbow grease. Chemicals can damage the drain pipes. A mechanical drain cleaning is always best. If there’s an odor issue after a little bleach water will go a long way.
A Safe Drain Cleaning Product
Acids are never a good idea to put down clogged drains. They damage drain pipes. They also edge the drain finishes. But there is a very good alternative. It’s all natural. It’s good for the environment. And it’s safe. It’s called BioClean. BioClean is an enzyme treatment. That means it’s bacteria. Bacteria will naturally digest and dissolve all biological drain clogs. It stays dormant until you put it in water. That means it has a long shelf life. The liquid enzymes don’t. Because it’s natural and gentle it doesn’t work quickly. It’s more of a maintenance product to be used after your drain has been unclogged.
Call Your Local Lees Summit Plumbers
I hope this has been helpful. I always try to educate my plumbing customers. And as homeowners I believe it’s invaluable to them. If you find that it’s too much work for you or you just don’t wanna do it, call us. At Advocate Master Plumbing you’ll always get a Master Plumber on the phone and in your home.
