How to Unclog and Clean your Shower Drain

In this video I will be showing you how to unclog and clean your shower drain or waste.
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The shower drain featured in the video is a high flow chrome effect shower tray waste - which you see a lot with low profile shower trays.
Today's Tool Kit
- bucket filled with soapy water
- cloth
- kitchen roll/ tissue
- spray cleaner made from mixing distilled vinegar with water
- screwdriver
- old paint brush or tooth brush
LET'S CONNECT!
Charlie DIYite
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[@CharlieDIYte]

🛠Charlie DIYte Amazon Tool Store amzn.to/3fcLnY4 - all my tried, tested and much loved DIY tools. You can help support me by Buying me a Coffee ☕ bit.ly/3xuQ3zb or by becoming a Member to unlock a host of benefits - thanks so much 🙏.

[@spacegirl63]

I've had this type of shower drain for 6 months. I thought it was broken - but now i know! All cleaned, thank you :)

[@CharlieDIYte]

Well done Sarah, and thanks for the comment 👍🏻

[@Aliyah8754]

This is what they need to teach you in school so it doesn’t take 2 decades for you to figure out how a shower works!

[@sweta2u]

Lol what

[@uziloveslolis555]

@@sweta2u what do you mean what don’t you understand English

[@gazza2933]

Quite agree Ali. A few more decades in my case. A lot of useful stuff on KZbin, thank goodness.

[@one-day-at-a-time4134]

@@uziloveslolis555 Yes, she does understand English, I think she means how tf does it take 2 decades to figure out how to use a shower... You df haha 😂

[@mattr7425]

I somehow have been struggling to do this for a year without ever realising I could undo the screw and actually do the job properly. Thanks.

[@LivingUKTaiwan]

watching this at 2am after battling with my shower for two hours. Thanks!

[@CharlieDIYte]

Hope you sorted the problem... 😬

[@catcarr3371]

Brilliant video, modern drains are much more complicated! You’ve made cleaning my new drain simple. Thanks 🙏🏻

[@CharlieDIYte]

You're welcome, thanks for the comment 👍

[@suefairchild8135]

Thank you! I didn't know about the screw and have tried all sorts to get the hair out!🛀

[@cecillouise3919]

Honestly my mind was blown when you got the screw out and separated the pieces. I have the same one and did not know it separated I've been struggling for so long! So glad I watched

[@rebeccaodonnell2396]

Can you remember what kind of screw driver you used?? Mine looks like an Alan key but I can't get proper grip on it to unscrew it

[@essemkayy]

Thanks man!! I am a teenager willing to help my parents and i searched for this video, and this was the first one on the search list and it looks exactly like my drain! What a great tutorial!! Thank you soooo much!

[@CharlieDIYte]

You're very welcome, my friend. Your parents are lucky having you around, and now's a great time to start your DIY journey 👍

[@TheNinja691]

Bless you. You’re an inspiration to the young folk of today. 🙏

[@xxbeatuupzz]

I've needed this for 3 years. Thank you so much!

[@chasman100]

thought I'd just say, I'm 20, living on my own with very little money, and I watched this video and it's helped me so much with my shower cleaning! I absolutely loved doing something like that since I've never done it before and this video was a HUGE help! thank you Charlie for your help, 7 years later 😂

[@paulabailey2085]

Excellent, very clear instructions on cleaning shower trap - thank you so much!

[@tepper82]

Sorted mine in 10 minutes. Thanks for the upload mate. Much appreciated

[@CharlieDIYte]

You're welcome. It'll probably need doing every few months.

[@lilian.embucgo]

Just moved to the UK and was unfamiliar with these low profile drains! Thank you for the tutorial! Super clear and good tips.

[@CharlieDIYte]

You're welcome. Glad you found it useful.

[@jeanwalker8276]

Thank you I have been trying to clean my shower plug but didn't know how to get the hair trap off. Thank you so much, I am going to tackle this now.

[@band3kafsh]

Brilliant! You're a genius! Thanks to you, I've unblocked my shower drain. I owe you a pint!

[@CharlieDIYte]

Yes! Glad to hear you've sorted it!!

[@ManuSidhuMD]

Hey! Just wanted to let you know that I found your video really clear and helpful and that I think your channel in general is awesome so thank you!

[@CharlieDIYte]

Hi Manu - massive thanks for letting me know - I really appreciate that!

[@litze8786]

Thank you for sharing I have been successful in clearing my shower drain simply by following your video Greatly appreciated 😁👍

[@moniquesamuel-jones125]

👍🏽 After finding lots of shoddy work by a local so called handyman, I'm now having to put right a issues that he claimed he'd sorted. Your video has saved me a lot of aggro and money to fix our shower 🚿. Thanks 👍🏽 and keep the video coming.

[@rufogarcia8344]

Thanks man, I thought I needed some fancy drainage cleaner, but nah, this was all I needed!

[@joanmcc752]

Great video - Even I managed to get the shower flowing freely again

[@jobishop7271]

Thank you so much for this! I've never cleaned a shower drain before and your video made the experience a lot less traumatic

[@kristinachadwick1798]

Hi water in bottom of shower isn't draining it's the plastic white shower cap cover it comes out all as one expect the water cup lol will try vinger thing.fingers are crossed

[@valeriedoughty7293]

Watched this just to see how to get the screw back in after struggling with it for 2 years. Just done it! Easy peasy- brilliant!

[@CharlieDIYte]

Glad to hear it Valerie 👍🏻

[@24Wayney]

Excellent thank you. I just cleaned ours because of a drain smell, I didn't do it as well as you ! So now I will be out with the vinegar and brush to do a better job! Thank you!

[@emelieramadan2577]

You are my hero, been battling with this for months, was so disgusted that I didn’t look inside before - so easy!

[@CharlieDIYte]

Aw, so glad to hear you found it useful. Just remember, when you find yourself standing in water, that's your drain telling you it needs declogging again - which will probably be every few months!

[@beahyle]

I know this was made 6 years ago but we just recently moved to Belgium and I was wondering how to clean my shower drain. I’ve never seen this type of drain trap before. Thank you so much for the detailed How To!! I’ve also noticed that I may need to buy a new one since I don’t have all the parts in my drain 😢 I appreciate you for making this video. 😊

[@shiwanisabnis1447]

Now thats what I call a training video. Amazing! Thank you so much specially for showing over the ‘actual drainage’.

[@CharlieDIYte]

You're very welcome. Thanks for the comment. 👊

[@janesmith1870]

I've just moved and have one if these in our shower, which wasn't draining. Thanks to you posting this I can now remove and give a clean. Thank you. You've probably saved me many ££££ from calling out a plumber for a blockage.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks Jane, really glad you found it useful. Yes this needs to be done every few months as a bit of hair can quickly reduce the water flow rate through the waste. 👍

[@bonniesom9979]

So simple yet so helpful! Thank you!

[@CharlieDIYte]

You're welcome. Thanks so much for the comment 👍

[@sandrakendrick2401]

thank you so much, I struggled praising chrome cover off (female pensioner with athritis) BUT rest was super clear and easy to do. screw was bit corroded so need to investigate that. very pleased.

[@avelamore8256]

Thank you very much that was clear and helpful. Keep up,the good work!

[@CharlieDIYte]

You're welcome - thanks for the comment Orla!

[@Floflo-dy9gj]

amazing ! thank you ! cant belive there was nothing in the specifications for my tray this is the best video !

[@tojanis1]

Worked for me. Excellent video. And yes, as Bee Smart said, USE RUBBER GLOVES

[@R251400]

I got sick & tired of cleaning my shower trap so have decided to rip it out & replace with a bath tub or install a high rise shower tray - only IF I can use a shallow/regular P trap on it instead of these poxy shower bottle traps.

[@cathysutherland315]

New shower put in but then wondering how to clean it in the future. Thank you for detailed clear instructions

[@yvonnemcwilliams9696]

Brilliant Charlie you have been a lot of help to me I have cleaned my shower tray drain watched you do it I was going to call a plumer done it my self I can’t believe it Thanks I will be watching your channel in the future you explain things very clearly brilliant job done 👍😊😊

[@CharlieDIYte]

Aw, thanks Yvonne 👍🏻 Yes you will need to clean it every few months or so. Satisfying though, watching the water flood out again, isn't it!

[@AXHEJAZ]

Your video helped me out to unclog my drain thank you so much! 😊

[@CharlieDIYte]

AXHEJAZ You're very welcome - thanks for the comment. You'll need to repeat this every few months - or when you find yourself standing in water!

[@XX-lx1qm]

Very helpful ! I pulled out the trap and yes it was full of gunk.Thank you

[@CharlieDIYte]

Gary 6666 Hi Gary. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Glad you found it helpful!

[@maimee927]

Thank you so much! This has been haunting me lol. Gonna clean it properly at last! ... tomorrow.

[@CharlesLGoodwin]

It looks like you have come up with a solution. I'll start cleaning straight away - Thanks

[@CharlesLGoodwin]

Turns out I had nut to undo rather a screw, but the same principle applied - Thanks

[@genomeara6922]

Excellent, clear video & explanation. Thank you!

[@CharlieDIYte]

You're welcome. I've just done mine again. It needs doing every few months ideally.

[@abbeyrandles8927]

This was very helpful as I got a new shower and needed to know how to remove and clean the waste. Thank you

[@CharlieDIYte]

Glad you found it useful and thanks for getting in touch 🙏

[@pixieat23]

unclogged it myself..thanks for ur vid😊

[@loisbolton1800]

Thanks you have really been a hero - couldn’t figure out my new shower drain! ❤

[@CharlieDIYte]

Ah, glad you sorted it and thanks for the comment. You'll probably need to clean it every few months 🙏

[@nickyjane296]

Thanks... drain sorted 😀 I didn't know there was a secret waste compartment!!! 😆 It looked like a solid piece but actually, thanks to your video, I realised it must be there. Wish the plumber had shown me when he fitted it! Thanks

[@CharlieDIYte]

Great work Nicky. Ideally you should do this every few months. You'll know when as you'll be standing in water 😉 Thanks for letting me know. 🙏

[@KLa35]

Thanks for this, I have the same shower drain and thought I would need something more abrasive.

[@johnmills3619]

Thanks again Charlie, followed your instructions and my shower is so much better at draining now.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Glad to hear it John, thanks for the comment. It's worth doing this every few months or so. 👍

[@johnmills3619]

@@CharlieDIYte will do 😎

[@ianpayne5016]

Good shower tray waste cleaning vid Charlie! Thanks!

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks Ian. Glad you found it useful. 👍

[@Mr.AJaved]

I think you the only person who know how to do work properly 👍

[@davidslater7917]

This was very helpful indeed, thank you very much for sharing this for us, much appreciated

[@CharlieDIYte]

You're welcome, David. Glad you found it useful 👍

[@christinehayvice5856]

Thanks so much for this. I've just bought a house with one of these and had no idea how to clean it.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Christine Hayvice You're very welcome. Thanks for the feedback!

[@xxshystarxx]

Thanks so much Charlie! I recently moved into my new house, and had never encountered a shower drain like this before, and was struggling to work out how best to clean it, as it seemed to be getting filthy every other week!

[@really-quite-exhausted]

I never noticed the screw that connects the plastic plug to the metal part!! Thank you this video is exactly what I needed.

[@CharlieDIYte]

You're welcome. Cleaned mine again yesterday. Always worth removing the screw as you need to pull the hair out in the direction it came in. 👍

[@r5414]

Brilliant very useful how to clean your shower drain, grateful for your videos.

[@CharlieDIYte]

You're get welcome. Thanks for the comment.

[@AccountantDoesDIY]

Good and clear video Charlie. The only extra step I do with ours is to give it a final few plunges with one of those super-size plastic hand plungers that sort of concertinas down as you press it. Given they don't have any rubber seal or anything (just plastic throughout) their suction power is phenomenal. I find it helps pull up a load of dirt from further down the waste pipe which i can then just wipe up with some kitchen roll.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks Chris. Great thinking. I used to have one of those plungers. I need to buy a new one. I agree, they're enormously effective 👌👊

[@louiespringer]

Well done Charlie , blocked trap cleared !

[@figrafix]

Really useful! Thank you....I didn't realise there was another removable bit after the cover and insert had come off.

[@CharlieDIYte]

You're welcome. Thanks for the comment!

[@noelmayo9368]

Thank you. Most helpful.

[@Hunterlyf1]

Thank you so much! Life saver

[@chrisjohns5173]

Thanks Charlie , that was perfect .

[@norastipsandtrickscorner]

Very useful and informative video,i also suffering this problem.thanks dear

[@artemis3283]

Lifesaver absolute king 👑

[@user-il2ll8ky6b]

Thank you so much for this very helpful DIY.

[@CharlieDIYte]

You're welcome. Thanks for the comment. 👊

[@ksumar]

Useful tip. If you take all the gunge, no need to disassemble, and simply hold in whilst flushing in a clean toilet the water jet will remove most of it. An old toothbrush with Cilit Bang helps also to scrub the junk out!

[@CaptainWiggins]

Not all hero's wear capes. Thanks for the video!

[@txteva]

I was about to try and snake the drain as I thought I'd cleaned it all... But I didn't know you could remove the odor trap and there was a bunch more gunk to clean! So thank you!

[@figrafix]

Me neither! But I've ordered a snake anyway, just in case the gunk has migrated.

[@boydownunder007]

Very usefel thanks for making the effort to make this video

[@mialovestarot]

Thank you! Exactly what I was looking for ❤

[@CharlieDIYte]

You're welcome 👍

[@wileyfox3436]

Yes well the trick with the screw was really helpful.

[@Bodzilla001]

Thank you so much for the video, I was scratching my head thinking how I will re-attach the drain top but watching your video I realised it was a screw holding it all down

[@mirelaszabo5805]

Thank you , Charlie

[@artinverted572]

Very helpful, thank you for this video!

[@CharlieDIYte]

You're welcome. You need to do this every few months really. 👍

[@hannah5807]

Very helpful thank you!

[@tracystewart3217]

I know this is an old video, really helpful. Just wondered if you have one to fix the actual waste as I unscrewed the hairtrap rather than pulling it out and brought the whole thing out including sealant

[@SAM-xm7zk]

Hi Charlie, great tip to unscrew the chrome part as I find this very hard to clean! Can you please help further as it's actually the drain that's blocked and really difficult getting into clean it, any help to resolve this would be excellent?

[@ellenkerr3607]

Thank you Charlie, was driving me nuts as could not remove the top and felt like it was going to break! After watching this have got it out and all cleaned and gleaming now :)

[@CharlieDIYte]

Really glad to hear that Ellen 👍 You'll probably have to do it every few months, or when you find it's not draining properly. A bit of a pain but the design is quite clever because it stops all the hair going further down the drain where you can't get to it.

[@flexyflips6511]

Thank u so much, I was stuck with my shower.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Really glad you found it useful, and got the drain unblocked. Satisfying when you see that water drain out properly again, isn't it!

[@ReBcSyKeE]

Thank you, so helpful!! 😊

[@subhashiniweerasinghe2796]

This was very helpful. Thank you. 😊

[@CharlieDIYte]

You're welcome. Thanks for the comment.

[@kehindeodunaike7273]

Wow, this was very useful. Job for tomorrow taken care of.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Glad you found it useful 👍

[@davidtsmith3520]

Very helpful - many thanks

[@CharlieDIYte]

You're very welcome. I've just redone mine. Typically needs doing about every 3 months.

[@johnmckellar3772]

Genius. This worked a dream!

[@CharlieDIYte]

Glad to hear it. Thanks for letting me know. You want to do this every few months just to keep it nice and clean👍🏻

[@sorsara78]

very satisfying

[@vivmuldrew5194]

Excellent (though unavoidably a bit stomach churning!!) description of how to clear a shower drain of hair etc, but even after that my shower tray still I think rather slow and as it’s shallow I often get a little spillage outside. What can I use to clear the area and pipes below?

[@christurner6430]

I would use a drain cleaner (a 'drain blaster' device) that uses a plunger to drive lots of water rapidly down a drain pipe. Fill the drain to back up as much as possible (i.e. keep the shower water running fast) and then blast the drain line by quickly locating the blaster on the drain inlet at the shower tray and operating the plunger! Probably hair or even builder's debris in the line. Repeat as necessary.

[@gersychoko]

Saved me too, thank you very much!

[@moirakizito4828]

thanks for sharing :)

[@amyking1319]

Will give this one a try next time I am cleaning the shower, Charlie

[@CharlieDIYte]

Go for it Amy. It should do the trick. Just frustrating how often it needs to be done. Have a good weekend :)

[@kulbircheema9785]

So helpful 👍👍

[@user-vo4hg5qi8k]

Amazing video…. Just figured out how to unclog my drain after many failed attempts. 👍

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks. Glad you found it useful. 👊

[@paulcampion5933]

Excellent video

[@pinkskitchen]

Useful my friend. TFS. Stay connected 😊

[@CameronSearle]

How does he do it, well done chap. Legand as always!!!!!

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks 😉👊

[@andshebecameabutterfly416]

Old video but oh so helpful - thanks Charlie!

[@CharlieDIYte]

You're welcome, thanks so much for the comment 👊

[@andshebecameabutterfly416]

@@CharlieDIYteBrilliant channel, brilliant content - will help this numpty no end! Subbed immediately 😁

[@gazza2933]

Great advice thank you. Wish I hadn't just had my breakfast. 😁👍

[@CharlieDIYte]

Sorry about that 😏

[@phyllisweatherhead4938]

Great job done

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks. You have to do this pretty regularly (every few months).

[@leagarcia6029]

great 😀 can you tell us how to clean out the drain pipe further too?

[@iwantagoodnameplease]

I watch a lot of your modern DIY videos (including how to plumb in an outdoor dog shower!) and find it amusing that not only did your early DIY channel had a video like this but that it's such a popular one! If people weren't DIYing it already, did they get a plumber in to do it ? :) Is that why I can never got hold of one?!

[@mrocob83]

Great video man

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks Javier. These things need cleaning out every few months. I've just redone mine 👍🏻

[@KwaddyK]

Super helpful thank you

[@CharlieDIYte]

You're welcome 👊

[@denzeltracy]

thanks Charlie

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks for the comment - glad you found it useful!

[@hayley8715]

Never knew you could unscrew that part. I'll be adding a screwdriver to my cleaning bag. Vinegars.great but I never use because the smell isn't pleasant! The trying to clean it without unscrewing that makes it hard so knowing how to take apart you can use another product. I still think they could come up with a better design. I clean people's everyweek any many of them stink 7 days later however thoroughly cleaned and with whatever product cleaned with (tried them all). Only thing that helps somewhat is taking removable part out after every use and sitting it on shower floor.