How to Clean a Bath Tub Drain

A clogged bathroom drain can turn into a major headache if not taken care of quickly. Not only does a clog cause tub water to drain slowly, given time, it could cause the bathtub to flood. There are several methods that can be employed when trying to clean your bathtub drain, with many eco-friendly alternatives that often yield positive results. When in doubt, use these methods before trying harsh chemicals.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Baking soda
• Vinegar
• Bucket
• Water
• Petroleum jelly
• Plunger
• Drain snake
• Drain cleaner
• Gloves

1. Remove all standing water from tub. In a bucket, create a solution of baking soda, vinegar and water. Use a gallon of water, 1 cup of vinegar and a 1/2 cup of baking soda. Pour mixture down drain and close. Allow mixture to sit in drain for at least a half an hour. Turn on hot water and run down drain. If drain remains backed up, use a plunger to try to break up the clog.

2. Place plunger over drain opening. Using a quick up and down movements, apply force to plunger several times in a row. Run hot water down drain again to see if clog has been removed. If drain is still clogged try using a drain snack to free mass.

3. Feed drain snake through drain opening until it does not move any further. Using handle on end snake that is not in the tub drain, rotate the tubing to try to break through the clog. Run hot water again to see if mass has been removed. If a drain snake doesn't work, consider using a strong chemical drain cleaner.

4. Put on gloves to work with drain cleaner. Remove all standing water from tub. Pour one tablespoon of drain cleaner into drain and one cup of cold water. Close drain and allow drain to sit for 15 minutes. Run cold water down drain to see if clog is free -- if the drain is still clogged, repeat process.

Tips & Warnings

• Apply petroluem jelly to rim of plunger to create an air tight seal. This will increase the suction power of the plunger. Place a strainer over drain opening to keep hair and other debris from building up inside.
• Be very careful with drain cleaner as it is highly toxic and can cause serious illness or death if ingested. If drain clean comes in contact with skin, stop what you are doing and rinse area thoroughly. Do not attempt to use drain cleaner more than twice, as it can corrode drain. If the drain is still clogged after second attempt, call a plumbing professional.