Mary I have used boiling hot water with a combination of baking soda and bleach UNTIL I found this fabulous and cheap tool at Home Depot. The zippered teeth literally will pull things out of your drain you didn't know where there! It's under $3 at Home Depot and it's the best thing to keep in the house for bath tub drains. I have included a pic of the actual product and also a pic of what I pulled out of my bath tub a couple months ago( you would think I would just buy a hair catching drain but I've always been a glutton for punishment 🤣) The product is called "Zip It". You can see in the second photo the teeth on it that once inserted in tub drain pull up bottle caps, misc items as well as large clumps of 🤢 dog and human hair. But it works. Good luck.
Also, old old pipes that aren't copper may have a very small dime-sized opening from buildup over the years. If you have copper pipes, you won't have this problem.
In our experience we have found quite often that the bathroom drains need to be fished out with a unbent hanger or dollar store barbed plastic tool if hair is the offending problem.
If that isnt the case the next area is under the sink plastic trap - we have unscrewed and forced flushed and brushed out the crud in a bucket- reconnected and the drain is patent and free running. So far we havent had to use our metal snake tool with this management.
Most bathtub drains can be removed by turning the stopper counter-clockwise -- or clockwise -- the opposite of how you close the drain. I use pliers for this. Once that is removed, get some needle-nose pliers and pull out the hair and gunk. After you've removed as much as you can, run hot water to clean out the rest. Re-attach the drain plug.
Before you call a plumber - try boiling hot water , followed by baking soda (a generous mount down the drain) and white vinegar 5% (at least a few cups) . It will bubble like a science experiment. Let sit 1/2 hour. Then follow up by boiling water again.
Oftentimes it's a simple hair blockage. You can try this tool to remove it, it's cheap and it's quick to use. Then you can remove the hair and pour vinegar and hot water down the drain to remove any gunk that was trapped. https://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-20-in-Hair-Snake-90830/324601746
Mary I have used boiling hot water with a combination of baking soda and bleach UNTIL I found this fabulous and cheap tool at Home Depot. The zippered teeth literally will pull things out of your drain you didn't know where there! It's under $3 at Home Depot and it's the best thing to keep in the house for bath tub drains. I have included a pic of the actual product and also a pic of what I pulled out of my bath tub a couple months ago( you would think I would just buy a hair catching drain but I've always been a glutton for punishment 🤣) The product is called "Zip It". You can see in the second photo the teeth on it that once inserted in tub drain pull up bottle caps, misc items as well as large clumps of 🤢 dog and human hair. But it works. Good luck.
Hi Mary, Here's a video that may help: https://www.google.com/search?q=How+to+unclog+bathtub+drain%3F&oq=How+to+unclog+bathtub+drain%3F&aqs=chrome..69i57&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#kpvalbx=1
Good luck!
You may need to call a plumber to rod it out. We have our own rods of various sizes depending on the job. You won't need a large one unless your
pipes have become plugged. If that's the case, You'll probably have to pay to have it done.
Also, old old pipes that aren't copper may have a very small dime-sized opening from buildup over the years. If you have copper pipes, you won't have this problem.
In our experience we have found quite often that the bathroom drains need to be fished out with a unbent hanger or dollar store barbed plastic tool if hair is the offending problem.
If that isnt the case the next area is under the sink plastic trap - we have unscrewed and forced flushed and brushed out the crud in a bucket- reconnected and the drain is patent and free running. So far we havent had to use our metal snake tool with this management.
Most bathtub drains can be removed by turning the stopper counter-clockwise -- or clockwise -- the opposite of how you close the drain. I use pliers for this. Once that is removed, get some needle-nose pliers and pull out the hair and gunk. After you've removed as much as you can, run hot water to clean out the rest. Re-attach the drain plug.
Before you call a plumber - try boiling hot water , followed by baking soda (a generous mount down the drain) and white vinegar 5% (at least a few cups) . It will bubble like a science experiment. Let sit 1/2 hour. Then follow up by boiling water again.
Oftentimes it's a simple hair blockage. You can try this tool to remove it, it's cheap and it's quick to use. Then you can remove the hair and pour vinegar and hot water down the drain to remove any gunk that was trapped. https://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-20-in-Hair-Snake-90830/324601746