I forgot to clean my bathroom floor drain for four months. When I finally did, it was already clogged, a typical smelly bathroom drain issue many homeowners face. I know very well how to unclog bathroom floor drain from my professional experience using simple drain cleaning shower techniques.
Cleaning your shower floor drain once every one or two months is a good guideline.
Do it once a month, especially if anyone in your family with long hair has hair fall issues.
Most of the time, your shower drain clogged with hair, making water pool up quickly. Other common culprits are soap scum, body oils, mineral buildup from water, debris like sand, dirt etc.
Today, I will share how to unclog your bathroom floor drain in just 6 easy steps from my experience.
How to Unclog Bathroom Floor Drain: Step-by-Step Guide
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/special detergent for shower drain
- 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 from the water trap and inside the drain before you start cleaning the drain parts.
Step 3: Cleaning Shower Drain Trap
Gently run a small stream of water to the lifted water trap and drain area, keeping the showerhead close to the floor to prevent splashes. This helps rinse away any visible and loose debris before you begin scrubbing.
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 in your kitchen.
Scrub and thoroughly clean all the parts. Rinse them using the water stream from the shower head.
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. Or DO NOT pour boiling water directly into the drain in hopes of better results, as it may unknowingly damage your floor drain pipes.
Just repeat the process several times with the sponge if it’s hard to remove the dirt.
After cleaning inside, hold the showerhead close to it and run hot water from the water tap 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
Rinse off the cleaning detergent from the parts of your floor drain.
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.
Tips From Experience
- Throughout this process, use the showerhead to rinse off very close to the floor drain so dirty water does not splatter on your body.
- After cleaning in these six steps, if you still see any blockage inside the pipe, using a torch, gently use a hook to pull it up. Hopefully, you won’t need to do this if it’s cleaned once every one or two months.
- Finally, after rinsing off the detergent from the cleaned shower drain parts and before replacing the strainer, pour a bit of perfumed bathroom drain cleaner or detergent into the water trap to keep it smelling fresh for a longer time.
- Use gloves, as you may encounter unpleasant debris after opening the water trap
Pro Tip: How to Unclog Bathroom Floor Drain Without Harsh Chemicals
If you want a safer and more natural solution, try using a combination of hot water and dish soap. This method is one of the best natural drain unclogging methods, it’s gentle on your pipes and still effective in breaking down mild clogs like soap scum and hair buildup.
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.
FAQ
1. What is the easiest way to learn how to unclog bathroom floor drain?
The easiest way to learn how to unclog bathroom floor drain is by following a step-by-step guide that uses simple tools like a screwdriver, sponge, and washing-up liquid. With regular maintenance and a few easy steps, you can prevent future clogs and keep your bathroom smelling fresh.
2. Why Does My 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 the drain 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. It can smell like a sewer or rotten eggs.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
The small amount of water trapped in the bend of the P-trap prevents sewer gases from entering the bathroom.
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.
6. How Do I Get Rid of Rotten Egg Smell in the Bathroom Drain?
Clean your bathroom floor drain thoroughly.
Run hot water from the shower tap for 3-5 minutes and keep some scented cleaning detergent inside the water trap.
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.
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 to your eyes, respiratory system, and various other health issues.
7. 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.
Emergencies are always expensive.
Prevention is more affordable than last-minute emergency repairs. So, don’t wait to take the right action in time.
🛁 Want a sparkling clean bathroom without the hassle? Check out our bathroom deep cleaning guide for easy step-by-step tips!
