What to Do When Your Shower Drains Slowly

You finish your shower and stand in water that reaches your ankles before it drains. It drains eventually — it is just slow. You have tried pouring hot water down. You have tried the drain cleaner. It helps for a week, then it is back.

Here is what is happening and how to clear it properly.

The cause

Slow shower drains are caused by hair and soap residue, almost without exception. They accumulate in the drain trap just below the shower floor — the curved section of pipe that retains a small amount of water to block sewer gases. Over time, enough debris builds up to significantly restrict flow.

Chemical drain cleaners dissolve some of this but often leave the bulk of the blockage intact. They are also corrosive to pipes over repeated use.

What you need

  • Plastic drain snake or hair removal tool (€3–5 at any hardware store or online)
  • Pair of rubber gloves
  • Paper towels or old cloth

The fix

  1. Remove the drain cover. Most shower drain covers unscrew with a flat screwdriver, or can be pulled up by hand once a screw is removed. Some clip in place and simply lift out.
  2. Insert the drain snake as far as it will go — usually 15 to 30 cm before it meets resistance.
  3. Rotate the snake and pull slowly. The barbs catch the hair and debris. Pull it all the way out over a paper towel.
  4. Repeat two or three times until nothing more comes out.
  5. Pour a kettle of hot (not boiling) water down the drain to flush any remaining soap residue.
  6. Replace the drain cover. Run the shower briefly to test drainage.

If the snake does not reach the blockage

In some shower installations, access to the trap requires removing the shower tray or accessing a panel. If the drain snake goes in fully and meets no resistance, but drainage is still slow, the blockage may be further down in the pipe. In that case, a drain rod or professional drain jetting is appropriate.

But in most cases — the vast majority — the blockage is right there, within reach of the snake. Ten minutes. Nothing to buy if you already have the snake from a previous drain repair.

This is one of eight common repairs in She Fixed It, documented with photos and step-by-step instructions.