How to Clear a Slow Shower Drain (2-Minute Fix, No Chemicals)

Home Maintenance5 min readJuly 13, 2026

A slow shower drain has one cause in almost every apartment: a hair clog sitting just below the drain cover. It’s not a plumbing problem, and it doesn’t need chemicals — every shower drain has a trap a few inches down that holds water and blocks sewer gas, and hair and soap scum build up right above it. Liquid drain cleaners like Drano are made for grease clogs in kitchen sinks; hair resists dissolving, so they’re largely ineffective here and can damage pipes and rubber gaskets over time. The right tool physically pulls the clog out.

What you need

One Zip-It tool (also called a drain snake or hair clog remover) — a thin flexible plastic strip with small barbs, available at any hardware store or online for $3–$5 and reusable. Rubber gloves if you prefer, and paper towels for cleanup.

Step 1: Remove the drain cover

Most covers lift straight up, unscrew with a single center screw, or twist counterclockwise. Set the screw aside somewhere you won’t lose it.

Step 2: Insert the tool

Push the Zip-It straight down into the drain opening several inches until you feel resistance. The barbs along the sides catch hair as you insert and withdraw it.

Step 3: Pull the clog out

Rotate the tool slowly as you pull it back up — the twisting motion helps the barbs grab more material. Dispose of what comes out in the trash, not back down the drain. Repeat two or three times from slightly different angles until you stop pulling out significant material.

Step 4: Flush with hot water

Run the hottest water your shower produces for 60 seconds to flush any remaining debris and confirm the clog is cleared — drainage should be noticeably, often immediately, faster.

Step 5: Replace the cover and prevent buildup

Reinstall the cover and screw if it has one. To stop future clogs, consider swapping in a silicone or stainless steel hair catcher — $8 to $15 — that sits over the drain and catches hair before it enters the pipe. Just empty it every few showers.

Mistakes to avoid

Using Drano or liquid cleaners on a hair clog. Hair doesn’t dissolve easily, and you’re left with a caustic chemical sitting on a clog that still exists.
Not going deep enough with the tool. Push down at least four to six inches — the clog is usually a few inches below the surface, not right at the cover.

Remove the cover, insert a Zip-It tool, pull out the hair clog, and flush with hot water. Do it once a month if you have long hair and you’ll never deal with a slow drain again.