Cleaning Drains: Unclog Sinks & Showers

How to Get Your Shower and Sink Flowing Again

Properly working drains are an essential feature of every bathroom. Whether you’re rushing to get ready in the morning or winding down to relax at night, a clogged drain is always frustrating. A drain that isn’t clogged but gives off an unpleasant smell can also negatively affect your time in the bathroom. Fortunately, basic household solutions can usually help, avoiding the need for chemical drain cleaners. Find out which methods work best as well as how to prevent clogged drains and unpleasant odors in the article below.

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Common Causes of Clogs and Odors

There are essentially three main culprits behind clogs and unpleasant drain odors:

Water falls onto Duravit Tempano shower tray

Hair and dead skin cells

When showering, washing your hands, and during your skincare and facial routines, hair and dead skin cells will naturally shed. These can build up over time and result in a clogged shower drain or clogged sink.

Duravit Karree soap dispenser wallmounted

Soap, shampoo, etc.

Residue from soap, shampoo, or creams can also build up over time, interfering with proper water flow and causing unpleasant odors over time.

Dry P-trap

The water barrier that normally prevents odors can dry out if drains aren’t used frequently enough. Unpleasant odors from the sewage system can more easily make their way up the pipes as a result.

Effective Household Solutions

There are several effective household solutions you can use to clean the drain in your sink or shower. Along with being easy to use and environmentally friendly, they’re also effective for every kind of drain:

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Rinse with hot water

Clean the drain with vinegar and baking soda

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Washing soda and citric acid

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Cola

Tips for Manual Cleaning

Sometimes simply pouring a cleaning solution down the drain isn’t enough. In such cases, you can usually clean drains using manual methods. The following options are available:

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Drain snake

Plunger

You can also use a plunger or large suction cup to clean the drains in the sink and shower. Position it over the drain and then add water until the rubber part of the plunger is fully submerged. Next, use up-and-down pumping motions to create alternating pressure and suction within the pipe. This should clear any blockages in the drain. Any bigger pieces of debris that are washed up can be removed by hand. If the water still isn’t draining freely, repeat the process.

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Cleaning Drains