Ahoy Bathshop321 fans! Welcome to the first lot of tips from the Bathshop321 Handyman. We’ll start the series with one of the most common problems that occurs in modern bathrooms; the blocked drain. Standing or slow draining water left by a blocked drain can easily cause slippery surfaces and a build-up of scum, so removing this in areas such as the bath and shower enclosure is extra important.

Ahoy Bathshop321 fans! Welcome to the first lot of tips from the Bathshop321 Handyman. We’ll start the series with one of the most common problems that occurs in modern bathrooms; the blocked drain. Standing or slow draining water left by a blocked drain can easily cause slippery surfaces and a build-up of scum, so removing this in areas such as the bath and shower enclosure is extra important.

Many people will jump to extreme measures to unblock a drain in their bathroom, but try these cheap and easy methods before taking apart your plumbing!

Soda Power

All you need for this method is caustic soda (you can pick this up for about £2.00 at any supermarket) and a kettle full of boiling water. Drain you bath and sink completely remove any metal covers that may be attached; tip around a cup full of the soda down the plug and make sure it all goes down (pushing any excess down that may have missed).

Then, simply wash the soda down with boiling water from the kettle; you will hear bubbling and likely quite a lot of rumbling through the plumbing, but it is this fizzing and bubbling motion which will loosen and break down the build-up of gunk. Repeat this method in the sink too for good measure.

Hair Clogging

As obvious as it is to say, the shower and bath is the only place we really wash our hair. Whether it’s an intense scrubbing before a night on the town or a long conditioning with a relaxing night it, loose hair will be carried down the drain with waste water. The hair then becomes caught around the area below the drain stopper, starting a snow ball effect in which other loose hair will become tangled add to the problem.

You may ask yourself “why can’t I just use regular drain un-blocker liquid?” Well, the problem with hair clogging is that although it does greatly reduce the flow of water drainage, the water will eventually pass through, meaning the liquid won’t be around long enough to dissolve or loosen the hair.

With a ‘snake like’ hair removal device, you can remove the mass of tangled hair from the drain without having to remove, replace or fiddle with any of the plumbing. Simply put the hair snagging pad end of the device down the drain, pass it down until you feel contact and twist, then pull the device back out and see just how much it picks up in one go.

This can unblock a sink in seconds; you’ll be sure to see the difference once you see how quickly the water passes after using it!

These handy tips are quick and cost effective ways to unblock the drains in your bathtub, shower enclosure and sink; be sure to check back next time with the Bathshop321 handyman for more bathroom maintenance tips!