Shower drain cleaner for smell

The best shower drain cleaner for a smell is the one that removes the film causing it, so start by pulling the hair and scrubbing the strainer, then use a cleaner whose label names shower drains and follow it exactly. Spraying a scent over the problem does not help. Most smells come from organic buildup in the drain, which is a different problem from a full clog. Plumbers treat it as part of the wider job of drain cleaning and clogs, and the fix is usually cheap. This page shows how to tell the causes apart.

What is the best shower drain cleaner for a smell?

An enzyme or bacterial cleaner suits a smell with no clog, because it works slowly on the organic film. A chemical opener is a stronger option for a smell with a slow drain. Whichever you choose, remove the hair first, because a cleaner cannot work through a hair mat. Never mix two products, and never plunge after a chemical.

Drano's label for its gel lists sodium hydroxide and sodium hypochlorite as ingredients and tells you to avoid splashing and never to combine it with other cleaners. Enzyme products are weaker, which is the point: they are for upkeep. Wikipedia's drain cleaner entry draws the same line, describing enzymatic cleaners as suited to regular maintenance and minor clogs, and chemical openers as corrosive acids or alkalis that dissolve organic material.

Use this order:

1. Pull the hair and wipe the underside of the strainer.
2. Flush hot water for a minute.
3. Apply a shower-drain-rated cleaner, following its time on the label.
4. Flush again and run the shower for two minutes.

How can you tell what is causing the smell?

Fill a clean glass from the shower, let the water run a minute, carry the glass out of the bathroom and smell it. If the glass smells fine, the drain is the cause, which is exactly the test LADWP suggests. If the water itself smells, the issue is in the supply, and that is a different kind of call.

Beyond that test, look at where and when the smell shows up:

• Only when the water runs: the drain wall film. LADWP says hair, soap and food waste build up on drain walls, and bacteria growing there produce gases.
• When the shower has sat unused: a dry trap. The trap holds water that seals out sewer gas, and it can evaporate in a rarely used shower.
• A smell with gurgling: a vent or line issue.
• Smell in more than one room: the building drain or the lateral.

For a household-wide smell, see how to get rid of sewer smell in the house and the plumber for a sewer smell.

How do you clean a smelly shower drain without chemicals?

Lift the strainer, hook out the hair and slime, scrub the strainer and the visible pipe with a brush and dish soap, and flush with hot tap water. For a guest bathroom that is rarely used, run the shower for a minute to refill the trap. This clears most smells, because the film comes off the wall.

A few more habits that help:

• Keep a fine strainer in the drain and empty it each week.
• Run hot water for 30 seconds after the last shower of the day.
• Rinse with plenty of water after using conditioner or body oils, which add to the film.
• Avoid boiling water on old pipe, because heat can damage some fittings.

Hard water adds to the work in Los Angeles. LADWP's hardness averages run from 8.6 grains per gallon in the San Fernando Valley and western Los Angeles to 16.3 in eastern Los Angeles and the Harbor, and minerals plus soap form scum that holds onto the film. The detailed steps for hair are in how to unclog a drain in the shower.

Why is my sink draining slow but not clogged?

A slow sink with no full blockage is usually a partial clog of hair, soap and grease on the pipe wall, a stopper or pop-up that catches debris, or a partly blocked vent. It is the same buildup that causes smell, at an earlier stage. Clean the stopper first, then the trap, before reaching for a cleaner.

Check these in order:

1. The stopper. Lift it out and clean the clump on its underside.
2. The trap. Place a bucket and unscrew the curved pipe by hand, if it is a plastic one.
3. The overflow. The hole near the rim can hold slime that smells.
4. The vent. Several fixtures draining slow and gurgling hints at a vent or main-line problem.

In a kitchen, grease and food are the cause more often than hair, so see how to fix a slow draining kitchen sink. In a bathroom sink, bathroom sink clogs from hair is the better guide. If slow drains and smells both show up in every fixture, the problem is below them, and a camera visit can show the line.

How do you keep the smell from coming back?

Catch hair at the strainer, flush with hot water, and clean the drain on a schedule, for example the first of each month. Run rarely used showers and floor drains to keep their traps full. If the smell returns within days of a clean, the cause is likely not the film, and the vent or the line needs a look.

The trap's job is to keep sewer gas out of the building, so a trap that loses its water will smell. Poor venting can pull water from a trap, which is why a smell that comes with gurgling is a plumbing question and not a cleaning one. If the glass test points at the water supply instead, read removing hard water scale and the page on water softener installation for the mineral side.

When should you call a plumber for a drain smell?

Call when cleaning has not worked after two attempts, when the smell is sewage, when it comes with gurgling, backups or wet spots, or when it appears in several rooms. These point to a vent, a damaged line or the sewer lateral, which are not do-it-yourself jobs.

In the City of Los Angeles, the owner maintains the private sewer lateral, and LA Sanitation takes calls about sewer odors and overflows on its 24-hour line, 1-800-773-2489. If the smell is inside your home or from private drains, it may be your own plumbing. Plumbing Drain Cleaning for a smell is often a short visit, and a camera can save you guesswork. A local plumber comes to you, and we arrange the visit so you see a written quote before any work starts. You can ask for one on our quote page. To see what a drain visit costs, read the cost to unclog a toilet and the plumber cost guide.

Common questions

How long does a shower drain smell take to fix?

A drain cleaned by hand usually loses its smell the same day. An enzyme cleaner can take a few days of repeated use to show a difference. If you refill a dry trap, the smell often stops within minutes. A smell that lasts after two cleans calls for a plumber, who can check the vent and the line.

What should I ask before I hire someone to look at a drain smell?

Ask whether the visit includes a camera, what the visit fee covers, and how they will tell a drain film from a vent or sewer-line problem. Ask for the total in writing before work starts. If the work involves permits or more than $1,000, California requires a contractor license, and you can check it on the state board's site.

Does someone need to be at the property?

Yes, or an adult you trust, so the plumber can reach the bathroom and any cleanout. You should see the quote and agree to any added work. If you rent, tell your landlord first, because sewer-side problems are often the owner's responsibility.

Is it safe to pour bleach down a shower drain to stop a smell?

Bleach can kill odor-causing bacteria on the surface, but it does not remove hair, and it can react dangerously with other cleaners, so never mix it with a drain product. Some drain gels already contain bleach. If you do use any chemical, ventilate the room, wear gloves and eye protection, and call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 after any exposure.