How to Unclog a Bathtub Drain (Complete Guide)

The hassle of taking a bath or shower when your bathtub is clogged is frustrating. It’s possible that your problem won’t require a plumber’s assistance. Your bathtub can be unclogged using products from your home or the store using several tricks you can use.

How to Unclog a Bathtub Drain?

1. Making Boiling Water from Baking Soda

• Strainers and stoppers should be cleaned. In or over the drain, the strainer or stopper may have accumulated hair and soap residue. Turn and lift the strainer stopper to remove any accumulated gunk or hair. Remove any screws holding in the strainer stopper.
•  A tea kettle should be filled with boiling water. There is no exact measurement for how much water to use in a kettle, so fill it up to the top. Make sure the water reaches a boil before using. In the absence of a tea kettle, you can boil water in a large pot.
• Boil the water and drain it directly. Temporarily unclogging the drain may be achieved by doing this. It is imperative not to splash the hot water on yourself since it could burn you. If the bathtub drains normally now, turn it on again.
• 1 cup of white vinegar and 14 cups of baking soda should be poured down the drain. Using baking soda and vinegar can remove excessive gunk from drains if hot water cannot unclog them
• The process should take 15-20 minutes. Spend 15-20 minutes letting the vinegar and baking soda sit. Keep track of your time by using a timer.
• Make the kettle hotter by boiling more water. Bring water to a boil in the kettle once more.
• Directly flush the drain with hot water. When water is combined with baking soda and vinegar, the drain will become unclogged. Attempt another method if this method doesn’t unclog your drain. Test this method in the bathtub, and if it doesn’t work, try another method. Generally, baking soda and vinegar work for small clogs and do not require any chemicals, but it may not work for large clogs. 

2. Use of a toilet plunger when you don’t know what to do

• Scrub the strainer and stopper to get rid of any gunk. The strainer can be removed by using the appropriate screwdriver. Lifting and twisting the stopper will remove it. The strainer and stopper can be cleaned by scrubbing them.
• It is recommended to fill the bathtub with several inches of water. Water is the source of the suction generated by a plunger, so ensure the tub is submerged enough to submerge the plunger.
• Plunge the drain to clear any obstructions. Make sure you plunge the plunger over the drain quickly, otherwise you may get splashed.[6] Don’t pull the plunger too hard or you will get splashed. Flushing the drain usually results in a rush of dirty water and gunk.

• • • You should check for gunk and dirt in the water coming out of the drain after you’ve plunged it ten times.
    • Adding more force may be needed if nothing drains.
    • Continue plunging if the water does not drain after you remove the plunger.
    • If the drain is clear of obstructions, a different method may be necessary.

3. The Use of Drain Claws

• The strainer must be taken out. Most strainers are located over or in the drain to catch hair and soap. Some strainers require screws to be removed, however, even if they can be removed manually. With the proper screwdriver, remove the screws.

 

• • • The screwdriver should be matched to the screw head if you do not know what type to use.
    • Screwdriver heads should fit easily into screws based on their size and shape.
    • The strainer screws will need to be loosened. During the unclogging process, secure the screws in a safe place.

• It is necessary to take out the stopper. Drains sometimes use tub stoppers instead of strainers. It is easier to remove them because the screws holding them down are absent. To remove the stopper, simply twist and lift
• You should clean the stopper and strainer to get rid of excessive gunk. Depending on how long the strainer or stopper has been in use, it is likely to have built up a lot of gunk over time. It may be necessary to scrub the strainer and stopper if they are dirty. Remove any soap scum or hair.
• It is imperative to insert drain sticks into drains. Upon reaching the bottom of the drain, push the drain stick through the drain trap. It is possible to bend the stick because of its flexibility.
• In order to remove the drain stick, you need to pull it out. Hair will be gathered and pulled out by the claw’s tiny hooks. It is possible to repurpose the drain stick after it has been cleaned of gunk. Hair and soap often accumulate within a few months, making a drain stick a useful accessory.
• Testing the bathtub will help you unclog it. Now you should be able to flush the water down the drain. You can try another method if this one did not work.
• In the same way you removed the cover or stopper, replace it. The strainer or stopper can now be replaced if the drain claw worked. Stoppers can be placed back in the drain without having to screw the strainer onto the top.  

4. Drain cleaners that use chemicals

• Visit your local store to purchase a chemical drain cleaner. The use of chemical drain cleaners will unclog most drain clogs when they are properly used. They use substances such as potassium hydroxide or sulfuric acid to unclog drains. Your local hardware or discount department store should stock a variety of drain cleaners.

1. 1. • You can tell what type of pipe the cleaner is suitable for by reading the instructions on the back.
      • If you have a bathtub, you should buy a product designed specifically for it.
      • A store employee can help you find the cleaners or decide which one to buy if you have questions.

• On the back of the cleaner, there is an instruction sheet. Each drain cleaner’s instructions will differ slightly, as they are the manufacturer’s. There are some experiments that require special goggles, a certain amount of liquid, and other precautions. To use the chemical drain cleaner safely, it is imperative to read the instructions on the back.
• Make sure the bathtub is free of standing water. The water remaining in your bathtub may need to be removed with a large bucket or cup.
• The cleaner should be poured into the bathtub drain in the correct amount. A clogged drain requires half of a Drano bottle (32 ounces) to be run down it. However, Crystal Lye Drain Opener requires only one tablespoon of solution. While opening the bottle and pouring the chemicals into the drain, take care not to splash the chemicals.

• • • Spills should be cleaned up as soon as possible.
    • Wear gloves when handling chemicals.

• We will follow up with the results. Let the chemicals sit in the drain for 15-30 minutes, as recommended by many cleaners. Keeping track of time is easier if you set a timer.
• Cold water should be flushed down the drain. If you wait 15-30 minutes, you should see the drain working. You should see the water flowing down the drain as soon as you turn on the cold water faucet in the bathtub.
• Get a professional plumber to clear your drain if you haven’t already done so. If the first chemical cleaner has not cleared the bathtub drain, do not try another chemical cleaner. Mixing chemicals can be dangerous. A plumber should be contacted at this point.

5. Stoppers and strainers need to be cleaned

• The strainer needs to be removed. Slow drainage is often caused by gunk buildup on strainers and stoppers. Make sure you use the right screwdriver for removing any screws around the strainer. You should then store the screws safely while the strainer is being cleaned. There are no screws holding the stoppers down, so you can simply twist and lift them out.

 

• • • Bathtub drains usually have a strainer or a stopper.
    • A badly clogged drain may not be able to be unclogged with this method because it works best for small clogs.

• The strainer and stopper should be cleaned of excessive gunk. It is likely that the strainer or stopper has become clogged with gunk. It may be necessary to scrub the strainer and stopper in order to remove any hair or soap scum.
• In the same way you removed the cover or stopper, replace it. Unlike drain stoppers, strainers need to be reattached to drain tops, while stoppers can be placed back in drains without reattaching them.
• Try it out and see if it works. Ensure that the drain is functioning properly by turning on the bathtub. A different method will need to be tried if this does not work.