GerardHaving trouble with any of the following?
- Water pooling around your feet further than it should halfway through a shower?
- A slow-draining shower that takes too long to empty?
- A shower drain that gurgles or smells?
Then you probably have a blocked shower drain. Loads of blocked shower drains are caused by hair caught in the grate or trap. You can actually clear most blocks at home in 15 to 30 minutes with a few basic tools and a bit of determination.
Blockages are rising in Western Australia. The Water Corporation cleared 1,329 preventable wastewater blockages in 2023, up from 918 just two years earlier, and spends more than $1 million a year unclogging its sewer network.
Quick answer: to fix a blocked shower drain, remove the grate, pull out any hair you can reach, then use a plastic hair removal tool or drain snake to clear the trap. Plunge the drain with a cup plunger, then flush with hot tap water (not boiling). If the shower still drains slowly, or other drains in the house are gurgling too, the blockage is further down the pipe and needs a licensed plumber.
This guide covers why a shower drain blocks, how to tell a slow drain from a complete blockage, a step-by-step method for clearing a blocked shower drain, what to do about a smelly shower drain that isn’t blocked, and when to call a plumber.
5 Reasons for a blocked shower drain
The five most common causes of a blocked shower drain are hair, soap scum, sand, small objects, and problems further down the drainpipe. Hair actually causes more blocked shower drains than all other causes combined.
- Hair: Hair wraps around the grate and the trap, then catches everything else that goes down after it. Long hair and pet hair from washing the dog are the worst offenders.
- Soap scum and product build-up: Bar soap, conditioner, body scrubs and oils mix with hair to form a sticky grey sludge. It coats the inside of the pipe and slowly narrows it until water can barely get through, causing the pooling.
- Beach sand: A very Perth problem for beach lovers. Sand rinsed off after a day at Cottesloe or Rockingham can be heavy, so it settles in the trap instead of washing through. A few showers after a beach day can fill a trap more than you’d think.
- Small objects: Razor covers, hair ties, kids’ toys and the odd earring. Once something lodges in the trap, hair builds up around it fast, and sticky grey sludge follows soon after.
- Problems further down the line: Most Perth homes are built on a concrete slab, so the shower waste runs under the slab and often joins the same line as the basin, floor waste and toilet. Tree roots, a cracked or sunken pipe, or a blocked sewer line can all show up first as a slow-draining shower.
Struggling with a slow-draining shower or completely blocked shower drain?
A slow-draining shower can mean a small blockage near the drain that you can clear yourself.
A completely blocked shower drain that leaves a pool of water usually means the blockage is deeper in the pipe.
Check out the table below to work out what you’re dealing with before you start.
| What you notice | Most likely cause | Where the blockage is | Can you fix it yourself? |
| Shower drains slowly but does empty | Hair and soap scum | Grate or trap | Usually yes |
| Shower drain completely blocked, water won’t move | Dense hair clog or a lodged object | Trap or just past it | Often, try the steps below first |
| Shower plus basin, floor waste or toilet slow or gurgling | Blockage in the shared line, tree roots or a damaged pipe | Under the slab or in the sewer line | No, call a plumber |
| Shower drains fine but smells | Dried-out trap, slime build-up or a failed seal | Trap or waste seal | Dry trap and slime yes, seal no |
If more than one drain is affected, stop here. Plunging the shower won’t fix a shared-line blockage and can push dirty water up through another fixture.
What do I need to unblock a shower drain?
To unblock a shower drain, you’ll need gloves, a screwdriver, a torch, a cup plunger, a hair-removal tool or drain snake, and bicarb soda and white vinegar.
Hopefully you have most of this at home already, and anything you don’t should be a few dollars at Bunnings or your local.
Your checklist:
- Rubber gloves: not super necessary, but if you have a pair laying around it’s worth it.
- Flat screwdriver: To lift or unscrew the grate, if your grate is not loose.
- Torch: To see what’s sitting inside the drain, you can use your phone torch if it’s strong enough.
- Cup plunger: A flat-bottomed sink plunger seals much better on a shower floor than a toilet plunger.
- Hair removal tool or drain snake: A barbed plastic strip costs a few dollars and handles most hair clogs – definitely worth trying.
- Bicarb soda and white vinegar: For loosening any soap scum once the clog is out.
- Old towel or bucket: For any standing water and the mess you pull out
How to clear a blocked drain in your shower in 7 steps
Clearing a blocked shower drain at home can take around 15 to 30 minutes. Work through these steps below in order before you call a plumber.
1. Take the grate off
Most shower grates lift straight out, twist off, or are held in by one or two small screws. If you have a tiled grate or a long strip drain, slide a flat screwdriver under one end and gently lift it up.
2. Pull out the hair you can see
Pop your gloves on (or don’t, if you’re feeling brave) and pull out any hair and gunk sitting just under the grate. Shine your torch down the drain to see if you can reach anything else.
3. Use a hair removal tool
Grab the barbed plastic strip and snake it down the drain as far as you can go. Then give it a twist so the barbs can grab the hair and pull it out slowly.
Keep going until it comes out clean. This is the easiest way to unblock a shower drain without chemicals, and it’s often all you need for a hair clog.
4. Give it a plunge
Pour some water around the rubber cup of your plunger. Then press the plunger firmly over the drain until it seals, then give it 15 to 20 pumps.
If there’s another floor drain in the bathroom, cover it with a wet cloth first so the pressure pushes into the blockage instead of escaping out the other drain.
5. Try a drain snake
If the blockage is deeper, push the drain snake down the drain until you feel it stop. Turn the handle to hook onto the clog, then slowly pull it back out. Take it easy here, as forcing it can scratch or crack older pipes.
6. Flush with bicarb soda, vinegar and hot water
Pour half a cup of bicarb soda down the drain, followed by a cup of white vinegar. Cover the drain, leave it for 15 to 30 minutes, then rinse with hot tap water. This won’t clear a solid blockage on its own, but it’s great for breaking down the leftover soap scum.
7. Test it
Run the shower for two minutes. If the water drains quickly, clean the grate and pop it back on. If it’s still slow, the blockage is probably too far down for household tools, and it’s time to call a plumber.
What should I not do when troubleshooting a blocked shower drain?
Common mistakes we see when fixing a blocked shower drain include pouring boiling water down the drain, overusing chemical drain cleaners and mixing cleaning products, especially when other drains are also blocked.
Don’t pour boiling water down the drain
Many Perth homes have PVC pipes. Regularly pouring boiling water down the drain can soften PVC joints and loosen seals over time, causing more issues. Hot tap water works just as well and won’t damage pipes.
Go easy on chemical drain cleaners
Harsh cleaners can damage pipes and burn skin if they splash back. If they don’t clear the blockage, you’re left with a shower full of chemicals. Always test a little cleaner first before pouring heaps down the drain.
Never mix cleaning products
Mixing a chemical drain cleaner with vinegar or another cleaner can cause a reaction and release toxic fumes. Stick to one product at a time and flush well in between. Always read instructions and caution labels on cleaners.
Don’t keep plunging if other drains are gurgling
This one should be easy to remember because it rhymes. Gurgling is a sign the blockage is in the shared line, and plunging can push dirty water up through the floor waste or basin.
Smelly shower drain but not blocked?
A smelly shower drain that is not blocked is usually caused by a dried-out trap, slime build-up in the grate and trap, a failed seal around the waste, or a venting problem.
The trap has dried out
Every shower has a small water seal in the trap that stops sewer gas coming back up. In a spare bathroom that rarely gets used, especially through a hot Perth summer, that water evaporates, and the smell comes straight through. Run the shower for a minute every week or two to refill the seal and reduce the smell.
Slime build-up in the grate and trap
Hair and soap feed bacteria that form a slimy coating with a strong smell. Try cleaning the grate and trap, then flushing with bicarb and vinegar.
A failed seal around the waste
If the seal where the waste meets the shower floor has cracked or was poorly fitted, gas and water can escape around the pipe.
You might also notice damp grout or a musty smell outside the shower. This needs a plumber, and sometimes leak detection to find where the water is going.
When to call a plumber for a blocked shower drain
Call a plumber for a blocked shower drain when DIY methods haven’t worked, more than one drain is affected, or you can smell sewage. Specifically, it’s time to call when:
- The shower is still slow or blocked after you’ve cleared the grate and trap and tried a snake.
- More than one drain is slow, gurgling or backing up.
- The blockage keeps coming back every few weeks.
- You can smell sewage, not just a musty drain smell.
- Water is coming up through a floor waste or overflowing an outdoor gully.
- You’ve already tried a chemical cleaner, and the drain is still full of water.
If any of these sound familiar, our blocked drain plumbers in Perth can find the cause with a CCTV drain camera and clear it the same day, with no callout fee and a fixed price before we start.
How to stop a shower drain from blocking again
The best way to keep a shower drain from blocking again is to fit a hair catcher and clean the grate monthly. A few other small habits help keep it clear for good. As Water Corporation‘s Rino Trolio puts it, blockages are “entirely preventable.”
- Fit a hair catcher: A cheap mesh or silicone catcher stops most hair before it reaches the trap. Empty it every few showers.
- Rinse sand off outside: After the beach, hose off feet, kids and gear outside before anyone hits the shower.
- Clean the grate monthly: Lift the grate, clear any hair and flush with hot tap water. Five minutes a month saves a callout.
- Brush pets first: If you wash the dog in the shower, brush out loose fur outside beforehand.
- Run unused showers: Keep traps in spare bathrooms topped up so they don’t dry out and start to smell.
Frequently asked questions
What to do when your shower drain is blocked?
When you notice your shower drain is blocked, do the quick checks first. Turn the water off and lift the grate; if you see any hair, clear it out. Many shower clogs are caused by hair in the grate or trap.
If the water still won’t drain, or other drains in the house are also slow, call a plumber.
How do I unclog a blocked shower drain without harsh chemicals?
To unclog a shower drain without chemicals, remove the grate, pull out visible hair, then use a barbed plastic hair-removal tool or drain snake to grab anything deeper. Follow up with a cup plunger, then finish with bicarb soda, white vinegar, and hot tap water.
Why is my shower draining slow but not completely blocked?
When a shower drain drains slowly but still empties, it usually has a partial blockage of hair or soap scum, for example, in the grate or trap. Water can still get past, but not quickly. Clearing the trap usually fixes it. If the shower starts draining slowly again within a few weeks, build-up may be further down the pipe, and you may need a plumber.
Can I use a toilet plunger on a blocked shower drain?
You can use a toilet plunger on a blocked shower drain, but a flat-bottomed cup plunger works much better. Toilet plungers have a flange designed for a toilet bowl, so they struggle to seal on a flat shower floor. Whichever plunger you use, make sure there’s enough water to cover the cup.
Does bicarb soda and vinegar unblock a shower drain?
Bicarb soda and vinegar help break down soap scum and smells in a shower drain, but they won’t clear a solid hair clog on their own. Use them after you’ve physically removed the hair, as a finishing clean rather than the main fix.
Why does my shower drain smell if it isn’t blocked?
A shower drain that smells but isn’t blocked usually has a dried-out trap, especially in a shower that doesn’t get used much. Without water in the trap, sewer gas comes straight up. Run the shower for a minute to refill it. If the smell sticks around, the cause may be slime build-up, a failed seal or a venting problem.
Who can clear a blocked drain in Perth?
A licensed plumber with drain clearing equipment can clear a blocked drain in Perth. GXR Plumbing & Gas is a family-run Perth plumbing business that clears blocked shower, sink, toilet and outdoor drains across Perth using CCTV cameras, electric eels and jetting. We offer same-day service, no callout fee and upfront pricing.
Is a blocked shower drain an emergency?
A blocked shower drain is usually not an emergency, but it can become one. If dirty water backs up into the shower, floor waste, or other fixtures, or you smell sewage, treat it as urgent. A blocked sewer line can overflow inside your home, so get an emergency plumber out as soon as possible. Blocked pipes and toilets are the most common home emergency in RACV’s callout data, making up 18% of all emergency callouts.
Get your shower draining properly again
A hair removal tool and a bit of elbow grease will sort most blocked shower drains. But if your shower is still slow, the blockage keeps coming back, or more than one drain is playing up, the problem is deeper than DIY can reach.
GXR Plumbing & Gas has been clearing blocked drains across Perth for over 20 years. Our blocked drain plumbers use CCTV drain cameras, electric drain machines and high-pressure jetting to find the cause and clear it properly the first time. With over 20 years of experience, no callout fee and upfront pricing, get in touch with the GXR team today.
