How to Unclog Bathroom Floor Drain | 6 Easy Steps

After I bought my fully renovated, shiny house, I forgot to clean my bathroom floor drain for four months! When I finally did, it was already clogged.

Cleaning your shower floor drain once in every one or two months is a good guideline.

Especially, if anyone in your family with long hair has hair fall issues, do it once a month.

Most of the time, your shower floor drain is clogged with long hair.

How to Clear a Clogged Bathroom Floor Drain?

You can do it yourself.

It’s not super hard, but you may feel a little disgusted if it hasn’t been cleaned for months and is smelly and clogged with a lot of dirt.

I am a cleaning professional and do this almost every day.

From my experience, here is an easy step-by-step guide to clearing a clogged bathroom floor drain.

It is a natural and cheap method.

Tools Required to Clean a Bathroom Drain

To clean a floor drain, the following is needed:

• Washing-up liquid
• Sponge
• Screwdriver
• Protective gloves

Step 1: Removing Bathroom Floor Drain Cover

Use the screwdriver to open the floor drain strainer.

Do it gently to avoid damaging the floor drain cover.

Step 2: Lifting Shower Drain Water Trap

Gently lift out the water trap and disassemble it.

You might find it clogged if it hasn’t been cleaned in months!

Always wear gloves to avoid feeling super disgusted.

Place a plastic bag nearby to collect the dirt before you start cleaning the floor drain parts.

Step 3: Cleaning Shower Drain Trap

Add degreasing detergent to the sponge.

If you have a special detergent for degreasing the dirt from the shower drain trap, you can use that. But DO NOT overdose on the detergent.

Washing-up liquid is the cheapest option and you probably already have it.

Thoroughly clean all the parts.

Repeat the process if they are not clean yet.

Step 4: Cleaning Shower Drain Pipe

Clean the inside of the shower drain pipe.

DO NOT put a lot of pressure on it.

Just repeat the process several times if it’s hard to remove the dirt.

After cleaning inside, hold the showerhead close to it and run hot water for a few minutes.

This will help to reduce any bad smell coming from it.

Step 5: Putting Back the Water Trap

Reassemble the clean water trap securely. Put it back and check if it is fastened securely.

Run water through it for one minute to check if the water trap is set safely and your bathroom is not flooded.

Step 6: Rinsing Off the Cleaning Detergent

Put the floor drain strainer back and rinse off the cleaning detergent.

DO NOT rinse with water if you have placed some scented detergent in the water trap to get a fresh smell from it.

However, rinse off the detergent thoroughly before putting the floor drain strainer back, including the strainer itself.

Pro Tips

Throughout this process, use the showerhead to rinse water closely to the floor drain so dirty water does not splatter on your body.

After cleaning in these six steps, gently use a hook to pull it up if you still see any blockage inside the pipe with a torch.

Hopefully, you won’t need to do this if it’s cleaned once every one or two months.

In the end, keep some perfumed bathroom drain cleaner or detergent inside the water trap to get a fresh smell.

DO NOT rinse water afterward to retain the nice smell in your bathroom area for a reasonable time.

Use gloves, as you may encounter unpleasant things after opening the water trap

Safety Tips

DO NOT pour boiling water directly into the shower drain pipe to remove the clog or bad smell, as it may damage the drain pipes.

Check carefully if the water trap is set back correctly, as an incorrect installation could cause water to overflow into your bathroom.

How to Get Rid of a Smelly Bathroom Floor Drain?

Usually, a smelly bathroom floor drain happens when it hasn’t been cleaned for months.

When you clean the bathroom floor drain as mentioned above, it shouldn’t smell bad anymore.

If you still notice an unpleasant odor or want a fresh smell, follow these simple steps:

Run hot water from the shower tap at the highest flow into the water trap for 3-4 minutes.

Before setting up the bathroom floor drain cover, put some scented cleaning detergent in the water trap. Then set the floor drain cover back. It will spread a fresh smell after cleaning the bathroom floor drain.

Why Does the Bathroom Floor Drain Smell?

Typically, a smelly floor drain occurs when the human body oil, long hair, soap suds etc retained for months inside the drain. Or it hasn’t been used for a long time.

If it isn’t maintained properly, it can become blocked or clogged, and bacterial growth in the blockage can produce bad smells.

Also, if it hasn’t been used for a long time, the P-trap or the water trap can get dehydrated. That allows smelly air from the main sewer to reach your bathroom.

The type of smell can vary according to the situation.

Let’s have a look at different types of smells and the correct solution to avoid them.

Why Does My Floor Drain Smell Like Sewer?

The reason is very common.

Hair, dirt, and products that usually go into the floor drain can foster bacterial growth.

This bacterial growth always produces unpleasant smells, including a sewage odor.

If the bathroom floor drain is clogged, it may produce a strong bad odor due to increased bacterial growth.

Or, if the shower is not in use and your P-trap (U-shaped bend) is dried up, the smell from the main sewer can directly reach your bathroom.

Why Does My Floor Drain Smell Like Rotten Eggs?

The reason is scientific.

Bacterial growth in sewage produces hydrogen sulfide gas.

This hydrogen sulfide gas smells like rotten eggs.

When the floor drain is not in function and the water in the P-trap dries up, the gas can reach directly from the sewer to your bathroom, causing this unpleasant odor.

Because the small amount of water trapped in the bend of the P-trap prevents sewer gases from entering the bathroom.

How Do I Get Rid of Rotten Egg Smell in the Bathroom Drain?

Clean your bathroom floor drain thoroughly.

Run hot water flow from the shower tap and keep some scented cleaning detergent inside the water trap.

If the smell persists, it’s time to contact a drain cleaning professional.

This is a sign of an unhealthy floor drain producing a lot of hydrogen sulfide gas, which is toxic and can be hazardous to human health.

Hydrogen sulfide gas can cause irritation in your eyes, respiratory system, and various other health issues.

How to Prevent a Smelly Bathroom Floor Drain?

It’s simple:

Maintain your drain properly. DO NOT forget to clean your bathroom floor drain every one to two months.

Observe the situation. DO NOT hesitate to seek professional help if needed. Identify the source of the smell! If it persists after regular cleaning, contact a professional.

Emergencies are always expensive.

Prevention is more affordable than last-minute emergency repairs. So, don’t wait to take the right action in time.