Shower Drain Clogged With Standing Water? Do This First

Most standing water in a shower starts with hair and soap scum trapped just under the drain cover, not a problem deeper in the pipe. Lifting the cover off, whether it pries up or unscrews, often pulls the clump with it. Parker & Sons, a plumbing company, describes exactly this: lifting the cover brings up "a matted string of slimy hair" in a lot of cases.

If you can see the clog, pull it out by hand or with pliers before trying anything else. This step alone clears a surprising number of shower clogs.

When the clog sits further down than your fingers can reach, a straightened wire coat hanger with a small hook bent into the end works as a makeshift drain snake. Feed it past the drain cover opening and twist it to catch hold of hair before pulling it back out.

This usually takes more than one try. Repeat the hook-and-pull a few times rather than assuming one pass cleared it, since standing water often means more buildup than you can see from the surface.

If the cover and the hook don't bring the water down, a cup of baking soda followed by a cup of vinegar is a reasonable next step before any commercial cleaner. Parker & Sons recommends letting that sit for about 15 to 20 minutes, then flushing it through with boiling water.

It won't fix every clog. The company notes this combination works less well on clogs caused by grease and oil, which is more of a kitchen sink problem than a shower one, but it's worth trying first because it's cheap and doesn't involve harsh chemicals.

If none of that moves the water, a chemical drain cleaner labeled for showers is the next option, used strictly according to its label. Don't add a second product on top of it, and don't follow it with vinegar or any other acid. Clorox states plainly that bleach and ammonia should never be mixed, since combining them produces a toxic gas that can be fatal, and that bleach should not be mixed with other household cleaners containing acids.

That covers whatever is already sitting in the drain, not just what you pour in next. If you already tried the baking soda and vinegar step, rinse the drain well with plain water first.

If the shower is the only slow fixture in the house, one of the steps above usually gets it moving again. If other sinks or drains are acting up around the same time, the blockage is more likely sitting further down a shared line than right behind this one drain cover.

A shower that keeps filling back up after you've cleared the visible hair and tried the steps above is worth having looked at properly. Call to get connected with a local plumber who serves Eden Prairie if the standing water keeps coming back.