4 Common Causes of a Clogged Shower Drain

If you have ever wondered what causes a clogged shower drain, some of the culprits may surprise you. While there are many possible reasons that your show drain may develop a clog, here are the most common.

Hair and Skin Dead Skin Cells

When you take a shower you can naturally shed hundreds of strands of hair. In addition, literally millions of dead skin cells flow time your shower every time you bathe. These hairs and dead skin cells can stick to the walls of your drain pipe and over time can block the flow of water. A hair catcher in your drain can help, but almost all shower drains will experience a clog because of hair and dead skin cells at one point or another.

Soap Scum

Soap scum is another common cause of clogs in shower drains. Over time soap scum deposits on the walls of pipes can trap other hairs, skin cells and other contaminants that will cause the drain to be blocked. A couple of buckets of hot water with some chlorine bleach poured down the drain every other week or so can help with this problem.

Hard Water

Hard water deposits all sorts of minerals and micro solids on the walls of your shower drain pipe. If not cleaned away, these deposits will eventually clog your drain. Use a water softening agent to avoid this problem.

Trash

Always be careful with toothpaste caps, razor coverings, shampoo caps and other small items when taking a shower. Trash or small items dropped down a shower drain is a very common cause of shower clogs.