With all the dirt, hair, soap scum, and other unwanted materials that go through the shower and bath, it’s likely that you’ll get your bathtub drain clogged every now and then. If you maintain it properly, you can avoid the worst of it, but you’ll still want to know how to fix it when you do get your bathtub drain clogged.
One way to keep your bathtub from getting overly backed up is to cover the drain with a sieve-like strainer that will filter out the hair and larger materials that become stuck in the pipes. Still, dirt particles are going to get through and eventually stick.

How to Clean Your Bathtub Drain
With your bathtub drain clogged, it’s hard to take a bath or shower in comfort, and the water won’t drain properly.

• The first step in removing the clog is taking out the drain cover and cleaning underneath the surface, as much of the backup may be due to surface material.
• If this doesn’t remove the blockage entirely, you likely have a clog deeper in the drain. Get a tool such as a Drain Claw or simply bend a wire coat hanger and insert it into the drain, using a hooked end of a long, straight line to pull out any masses like hair balls.
• If you’ve removed a great deal of hair and you still have your bathtub drain clogged, run hot water (nearly but not quite boiling) to help melt any items that are stuck to the sides of the pipes. After about 15 minutes, use a plunger to try to pull out the materials. You can also use a solution of 1/3 cup baking soda and 1/3 cup vinegar in water as a fizzing home-brewed clog remover.
• If all of this fails, you can try a drain snake, much like you would use on the main drain in your home. to blast away the clog at its location.

Depending on how badly you’ve gotten your bathtub drain clogged, you may still be having drainage issues. If this is the case, call a professional plumber who has all the equipment to seek out and destroy the problem or let you know if some other steps are available to get your drain working again.