There’s a Plumber in You Somewhere

You already have the crack

WTF! Another shower turned into a bath. You’re so done kicking water in what should’ve been a nice refreshing shower.

Shower lovers hate standing water!

The Problem: Your amazing hair and the hair of others. Don’t forget the shampoo and conditioner. And that’s just the beginning.

Strand by strand down the water slide, your body, toward the drain. Sometimes down, but always toward.

I bet you love shaving in the shower. A classic act of grooming while steaming your pores.

Now, you have foam, plus shave scum, plus strands of hair, plus shampoo, plus conditioner, times 365…approximately.

No shame in having dirty buns if you’re shut in for the weekend.

After 15–30 days, standing water is all but eminent and it could take forever to drain.

What do you do now?

Wait! Put the phone down! Remember, you’re the plumber. No buts!

Let’s do this!

Once the water drains

For tubs: pull the stopper or the bath maker.

For showers: you may need a screwdriver to remove the grate or just pry it up gently and lift.

Brace yourself, it’s gonna be gross.

There will be hair, soap, and if you use your shower head as a bidet, some of that too. Gulp…

If you see the clump of yuck is in reach, great. Grab it (gloves as needed) and toss it in the trash.

Put the stopper or the grate back and you’re done!

If the clump is below the drain out of reach, you’re gonna need a helper. Nothing fancy. Just a wire coat hanger with a small hook on the end.

Lower the hook end down to the clump and twist a bit. Slowly pull up to get the clump out. It may take a few tries depending on the size.

There! Got yo’ ass! It took some work, but we don’t quit, do we?

Again, place the stopper or grate back in place. Done!

An ounce of prevention

Now, you can set calendar reminders to do this every month or use drain protection devices to catch the “stuff” on a per shower basis.

You have choices based on the type of drain installed in your home.

As you see here, a few options are available.

Don’t order ANYTHING until you grab a ruler or tape measure.

Measure the diameter of the drain area. This should include the recessed section of the tub beyond the metal drain. This is your maximum diameter for a flat or dome strainer.

Diameters vary depending on your shower or tub design.

Measure the inside diameter of the metal drain. This is the area of the drain where the water falls. This is the diameter for using a mushroom type or recessed dome drain protector.

And this is what happens when you order before measuring…

Choose carefully meaning measure twice and write it down for ordering later.

Caution: these devices can be very effective, but they will require regular cleaning, like after each shower.

Also, they are not vacuums. Some hair or clump material will get through over time so remember to lift the strainer and check the drain if you notice slow drainage.

That’s a great time to clean and prevent standing water.

Congratulations! You, plumber, you!

Job well done!

Items featured that I actually use:

OXO Good Grips Bathtub Drain Protector

Tubshroom Hair Catcher Drain Protector