plunging a clogged tub

How To: Take Back Your Tub

unclogging your tub with a plunger

With the amount of use that our showers get at home, it’s only normal that you’re going to be faced with the occasional backup caused from hair, soap, and buildup. It can be a hassle to unclog your drain, but we’ll clean show you how.

Most people’s first response is to pour a chemical cleaner down the drain, but this typically is a temporary solution that can potentially be dangerous, as well as damaging to your home’s plumbing over time. This is why we like to keep it old school with a surefire way to clear out that gunk, unclog your drain and get back to business. Enter, the ever-reliable: plunger. Here’s how to get it done:

STEP 1: REMOVE TRIP LEVER + DRAIN COVER PLATE

Simply use a screwdriver to undo the overflow plate from the wall of the tub, as well as the drain cover from the floor of the tub. Once the screws are removed from the trip lever, pull up on it and the entire mechanism will come out. Clean off any hair or debris that might be attached to either, then set aside.

Removing the trip lever and drain cover plate

STEP 2: BLOCK THE TRIP LEVER HOLE

Thoroughly wet a rag or washcloth and use it to block the hole where the trip lever was. This is done because plungers work on suction power, and the overflow drain doesn’t close, for obvious reasons, so it acts as an air vent that kills the suction. 

blocking the trip lever hole with a rag

STEP 3: FILL YOUR TUB, AND PLUNGE YOUR DRAIN

You’ll want to fill your tub with at least 1 – 2 inches of warm/hot water, as this temperate range works best to help dissolve soap in clogs. Place the plunger over the drain so the entire lip of the cup seals against the tub surface. Use quick, forceful strokes (at least 5-6 times), while maintaining the cup seal. On the last stroke, pull the cup all the way up off the drain and watch your worries wash away. 

filling and plunging your tub
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