Why Your Shower Drain Smells and How to Clean It
Have you ever wondered why your shower drain smells and how to clean it? Before you call the plumber, follow these tips to clean a clogged, smelly shower drain.
Why Does Your Shower Drain Get Stinky?
There are several causes of shower drain smells—so first, you need to play detective to figure out what’s behind your shower drain odor.
Complete the Smell Test
Lean down and take a quick whiff. If the smell is musty, you may have mold growing underneath your drain cover. Feel the drain cover to see if it’s loose. If your drain cover isn’t perfectly sealed, that small wet space will be a breeding ground for mold.
Clean the Area Around Your Drain
Remove the cover and the area cleaned. Tilex Mold and Mildew Remover is an excellent product for this. Spray, leave on for a few minutes, and wipe it down.
If the situation is terrible, you may need to scrub the cover and tub with an old toothbrush (when you finish, remember to throw it out!). If these steps don’t work, it’s time to buy a new drain cover.
Clean your pipes
While you can buy chemical cleaning products, more likely than not, you have everything you need in your kitchen. So now it’s time to tackle your mold problem immediately.
Pour half a cup of bleach down the drain and let it sit for approximately one hour. Then boil four cups of water and pour half of it down the drain. If you have PVC (plastic) pipes, note the boiling water can cause significant damage, so make sure you check first. If this is the case, use hot water from your tap.
Then sprinkle a quarter-cup of baking soda down the drain. Follow that with a cup of white or cleaning vinegar. You may hear a fizzing sound from the baking soda and vinegar react. Wait a few minutes, then pour the rest of the boiling (or hot) water down the drain. Finish by running the hot water for a few minutes. This process should take care of both the odor and the source.
If the smell coming from the drain isn’t musty, the problem could be soap scum. An easy solution is to clean your drain with boiling water simply. If this issue reoccurs, treat it with boiling water weekly.
Check the P-trap
If you have a sulfur odor coming from your drain, you likely have a dry P-trap. A P-trap is a P-shaped pipe designed to prevent sewer gas from entering your home by trapping a little bit of water. To check, shine a flashlight down the drain. If you see water, your P-trap isn’t dry, and it may be a good idea to call a plumber.
If the P-trap is dry, pour two cups of water down the drain and wait an hour. Then check to see if the water is still there.
Cleaning Hair From the Shower Drain
Trapped hair is a significant cause of shower drain clogs and odors, but it is preventable. First, try brushing your hair out before washing it in the shower. This habit will remove any loose, tangled, or excess hair that would otherwise clog the drain.
Install a Hair Catcher
Assess your shower drain situation. If you have an open-drain hole without any cover (the kind you plug a stopper in), you may want to consider buying a shower drain hair catcher. Even if you don’t have an uncovered drain hole, you may want to replace your current drain cover. The drain hair catcher efficiently prevents hair clog problems in the long term.
Remove Hair from Your Shower Drain
Suppose hair clogs your shower drain. In this case, you can try using a product that will dissolve hair, soap scum, and other odor-causing debris, such as Green Gobbler Main Line Opener.
Cleaning the Shower Drain
Sometimes an obstruction, like hair, needs to be physically moved down the pipe to get it clean and get your drain flowing again.
Get Out the Toilet Plunger
Your first line of defense for a clogged shower drain is a toilet plunger. Fill the tub with enough water to make sure the rubber tip on the plunger is covered. Then plunge away. The water should go down. If it doesn’t, or if it drains slowly, try again.
Get Out the Drain Snake
To clear the most hardcore clogs, you may want to try using a drain snake, which is sometimes called a toilet auger. It’s easy to do: Remove the drain cover, push the snake in, and crank the handle. When you start to feel resistance, you’ve hit the cause of the clog. Don’t pull up the snake. Keep rotating. This process will break up whatever is clogging the drain. When you stop feeling resistance, then you can slowly pull the snake from the drain. Finally, run the water for a few minutes to make sure everything is clear.
Contact Crystal Cleaning
Need some help cleaning your shower? We know what it’s like to clean a shower that hasn’t been touched in some time! Give us a call today to get a cleaner, fisher bathroom at home or at the office! You no longer have to wonder why your shower drain smells and how to clean it!
