Fixing a Clogged Bathtub Drain without Calling a Plumber

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Handy techniques for removing hair and other gunk from your tub’s stopper and drainpipe

Co-authored by Kadi Dulude and Christopher M. Osborne, PhD

Last Updated: April 19, 2024 Fact Checked

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It’s really frustrating when your tub takes 20 minutes to drain after a bath, or when water creeps up over your ankles during a shower. But you probably don’t need to call a plumber to fix the problem. We’ve listed a bunch of great DIY options here—start with the first two items on the list (cleaning the strainer/stopper and drain mouth), then try the others until you find one that does the job. Now it’s time to bust that clog without busting your budget!

Things You Should Know

Remove the stopper and/or strainer and clean hair and gunk from it as well as the mouth of the drain. Always start with these steps.
Use a plunger on the drain if there’s standing water; otherwise, pour in a clog-buster like boiling water or vinegar and baking soda.
Manually remove deeper clogs by reaching a tool like a wire hanger or drain stick into the drain and pulling out the gunk.

1

Strainer/Stopper

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Take out the stopper and/or strainer and remove any gunk. Some tubs have separate stoppers and strainers, while others have combination stoppers and strainers—but they all end up full of tangled hair and other gunk! After removing the stopper/strainer, clean off this gunk with paper towels or an old toothbrush, maybe after a 10-15 minute soak in a mix of vinegar and baking soda. First, though, here’s a quick rundown of common strainer/stopper types:^{[1]
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- Lift-and-turn stoppers: Twist off the knob on top, unscrew the bolt underneath the knob, and lift out the stopper.
- Pop-up stoppers: With the stopper in the open (“popped-up”) position, unscrew the top cap, then loosen the screw underneath and pull out the assembly.
- O-ring stoppers: The specifics vary by brand type here, but generally you can just lift these straight out (possibly with the help of a suction cup).
- Faceplate lever stoppers: With the drain lever in the open position, unscrew the faceplate (where the tub overflow drain is, usually just below the tub faucet). Pull off the faceplate, then pull out the attached overflow assembly—typically 2 lengths of metal attached to a stopper.^{[2]
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2

Manual Removal

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Pull any visible hair clogs out of the top of the tub drain. Use your fingers (preferably with cleaning gloves on) or a paper towel to pinch and pull out the hair that’s gotten caught up on the X-shaped built-in strainer at the mouth of the drain. You can also use needle nose pliers to grasp more hard-to-reach hair clogs.^{[3]
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- If you don’t have standing water in the tub, put the stopper/strainer back in place and run the water to test the drain. If you’re really lucky, the clog will already be busted—which means you’re all finished!

3

Plunger

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Use a plunger if there’s standing water in the tub. Submerge the head (the rubber part) of the plunger fully in the water to get the best results—add a little more water to the tub if necessary. Then do the following:^{[4]
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- Put the head of the plunger over the drain so that the rubber lip is in contact with the tub surface all the way around. This creates the air seal you need to create suction and clear the clog.
- Once you have a good seal, forcefully pump the plunger stick up and down for 15-20 seconds. You may get splashed with some dirty water while plunging, so it pays to wear old clothes for this job!
- After 15-20 seconds, lift the plunger and see if the water drains out quickly. Repeat the process 1-2 more times if the drain is still clogged.

4

Boiling Water

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Break up gunked-up clogs with boiling water from a kettle. A tea kettle works best here because the spout allows you to pour the boiling water directly into the drain pipe. (If the tub has been reglazed or is made of fiberglass, there’s a chance boiling water could damage the finish.)^{[5]
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- Be careful to avoid splashing the hot water on yourself.
- Adding boiling water may instantly unclog the drain. Run the faucet to see if it is now draining normally.
- Repeat the process one or two more times as needed. However, don’t use boiling water repeatedly or too frequently—say, weekly—if you have PVC drain pipes, since it may loosen the adhesive. Try a manual removal method (like a drain stick) for frequent clogs in this case.

5

Baking Soda & Vinegar

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Use baking soda and vinegar with boiling water. Start by pouring boiling water from a tea kettle down the drain, then pour in about 1/4 c (55 g) of baking soda. Follow up with approximately 8 fl oz (240 ml) of white vinegar. Wait about 15-20 minutes, then pour another kettle of boiling water down the drain.^{[6]
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Kadi Dulude
House Cleaning Professional

Expert Interview. 22 September 2019.}
- If this method doesn’t work after 1-2 tries, move on to another option.
- Like a school science experiment, the mixture will foam up inside (and out of) the drain pipe—this reaction may be enough to break up clogs of gunk.
- Mixing baking soda and vinegar creates a fairly mild chemical reaction, so this method may not work for every clog. But it’s easy, cheap, and definitely worth a try!

6

Bleach

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Try bleach ONLY if you haven’t used vinegar or chemicals. Bleach is inexpensive, readily available, and can dissolve some drain clogs. However, it can cause potentially dangerous fumes if combined with vinegar or other chemicals (like commercial drain cleaners). If you’ve only used mechanical clog-busters (plunger, drain stick, etc.) and/or boiling water, it’s okay to try bleach; otherwise, skip this option.^{[7]
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- If you do choose to use bleach, simply pour about 8 fl oz (240 ml) straight into the drain, wait 15 minutes, then flush the drain with hot (or boiling) water.
- Don’t use vinegar or a drain cleaner after using bleach, either.

7

Coat Hanger

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There are better alternatives—keep reading to find them!—but a hanger may work if you don’t have a drain stick, drain claw, or drain auger. Bend the triangular part of the hanger flat so the hanger looks like a candy cane, then bend the hook so it’s small enough to fit into your drain. Push the hanger as far as you can into the drain, then pull it back out—hopefully with the gunk causing the clog hooked at the end.^{[8]
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8

Drain Stick

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Reach the stick into the drain to yank out deeper clogs. Drain sticks look like plastic zip ties, but with “teeth” along the sides to grab onto hair and other gunk. Push the flexible stick as far into the drain as you can, then pull it back out (hopefully with the clog tangled up in it). Run some water to see if the clog is cleared.^{[9]
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- The teeth on the stick should grab onto the tangled hair and allow you to pull the entire clog out.
- Clean the gunk off of the drain stick to use it again in the future, or just toss it—they’re not very expensive!

9

Drain Claw

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As the name “drain claw” indicates, this long, flexible metal tool has 3 or 4 little claws at one end. Feed the claw end as far down into the drain as you can, then squeeze the plunger at the other end—this causes the claws to clamp together. Keep squeezing the plunger as you pull the tool (and the snatched clog) out of the drain.^{[10]
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10

Drain Auger

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Try a drain auger (also called a drain snake) if options like a drain stick can’t reach down far enough to snag the clog. Feed the flexible metal wire down into the drain, then rotate the handle on the drum (by hand if it’s a manual model, or with a power drill or other mechanical means) to spin the wire in the pipe and grab the clog. Retract the wire to pull out the clog.^{[11]
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11

Drain Cleaning Products

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Use commercial drain cleaners sparingly, if at all. Commercial drain cleaners (like Drano and Liquid Plumr) break up clogs with strong chemicals such as potassium hydroxide and sulfuric acid. When properly used, they will clear most drain clogs. However, they can also damage your pipes, and they present a significant safety hazard if used improperly. If you choose to use a chemical drain cleaner, keep the following tips in mind:^{[12]
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- Buy a product specifically intended for bathtubs. Not all drain cleaners are intended for use in tubs.
- Read and follow all product instructions exactly.
- Wear cleaning gloves and eye protection at all times.
- If there is any standing water in the tub, remove all of it (with buckets, cups, towels, etc.) before using the drain cleaner.
- Let the product work for the recommended time (usually 15-30 minutes), then flush the drain with cold water.
- NEVER mix drain cleaner products in the same drain, or use drain cleaner before or after using bleach.

12

Pro Help

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Contact a plumber if the drain still hasn’t been cleared. If you’ve tried all the methods listed above without success, pat yourself on the back—then give the pros a call! Plumbers have the drain-busting tools, techniques, and experience that DIYers simply can’t match.^{[13]
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- It’ll probably cost you around $100-$250 USD to have a plumber do a straightforward drain unclogging job, but those amounts can increase quickly if the job ends up being more complex.

Expert Q&A

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What if I don't have a drain claw to pull hair out?

Kadi Dulude
House Cleaning Professional
Kadi Dulude is a House Cleaning Professional and the Owner of Wizard of Homes, a New York City-based cleaning company. Kadi has over 10 years of experience and manages a team of over 90 registered cleaning professionals. Her cleaning advice has been featured in Architectural Digest and New York Magazine.

Kadi Dulude

House Cleaning Professional

Expert Answer

Get a metal clothes hanger and unravel it. Stick the hook end down into the drain and move it around or twist it to grab any hair. Then, pull that up and remove the hair by hand.

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Question

What will dissolve hair in a drain?

Kadi Dulude
House Cleaning Professional
Kadi Dulude is a House Cleaning Professional and the Owner of Wizard of Homes, a New York City-based cleaning company. Kadi has over 10 years of experience and manages a team of over 90 registered cleaning professionals. Her cleaning advice has been featured in Architectural Digest and New York Magazine.

Kadi Dulude

House Cleaning Professional

Expert Answer

If you can't get the hair out, pour baking soda and vinegar down the drain. Let it fizz up and sit for 20 minutes and then pour hot water down the drain. That will typically do the trick and clear out any blockages.

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What will clog tough bathtub drains?

Mark Spelman
Construction Professional
Mark Spelman is a General Contractor based in Austin, Texas. With over 30 years of construction experience, Mark specializes in constructing interiors, project management, and project estimation. He has been a construction professional since 1987.

Mark Spelman

Construction Professional

Expert Answer

It is usually a buildup of hair and soap.

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Consider replacing your current tub strainer with one designed to catch hair before it ends up down the drain, such as the Tub Shroom.^{[14]
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