Best shower drain unblockers

We tested popular shower drain unblockers including Mr Muscle, Ecozone and Buster, as well as a home remedy of bicarbonate soda, salt and vinegar, to see which method dealt with hairballs the quickest. 

The products below are primarily for bathrooms, so if your sink and drain is clogged with food rather than hair, take a look at our results of the best kitchen drain unblockers.

As with any bleach-based products, make sure you always wear gloves, old clothes and follow the instructions carefully.

The best shower drain unblockers from our test

Compare our results and prices at a glance in our table below, or read on for our full reviews.

Best Buy/Great Value: Buster Bathroom Plughole Unblocker

Available from ASDA (£3.95) Ocado (£3.95)Morrisons  Sainsbury's Tesco (£4) Waitrose (£4.55) 

Pros

• Clears the pipes
• Worked in 15 minutes
• Easy-to-read instructions

Cons

• Single-use plastic bottle 

Our verdict Fast and effective

Size 300ml

Suitable for a septic tank Yes

Buster Bathroom Plughole Unblocker proved itself a worthy Best Buy with its fast-acting cleaning power. 

The two large hairballs we'd made from a combination of different types of tangled hair were shrunk down and able to pass through the U-bend without further issue during our tests.  

Best Buy/Great Value: Mr Muscle Power Gel Drain Unblocker

Available from Asda (£3) Tesco (Ocado (£3.75) Sainsbury's (£3.90) Waitrose (£4.10)  Amazon (£6 x2)

Pros

• Clears the pipes
• Works on hair within 20 minutes

Cons

• With the smaller size it is single-use per bottle

Our verdict Very effective

Size 500ml, also comes in 1 litre

Suitable for a septic tank Yes 

Due to the tough nature of a hairball clog, we allowed this product 20 minutes during our tests and found it seemed to work even faster than that. 

We did this as the product states to leave it for longer for tougher clogs.

See how it measured up in our best kitchen drain unblocker tests.

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HG Hair Unblocker

Available from Amazon (£7.50) Tesco (£8)

Pros

• Clears the pipes
• Instructions are clear and easy to follow

Cons

• Single-use bottle
• The product is two plastic bottles in a cardboard box

Our verdict Big, lots of packaging, effective

Size 450ml

Suitable for a septic tank No

This larger unblocker comes in a lot of packaging. HG Hair Unblocker is made up of two bottles which you pour into your drain one at a time. 

It takes around an hour for the unblocker to work and on both occasions the hairballs flushed through our U-bends. 

Flexisnake

Available from Amazon £20.95 (out of stock), similar products are available from a variety of retailers.

Pros

• Reusable
• Quick and easy to use

Cons

• Hard to clean
• A bit messy

Our verdict Chemical-free and effective

Length 45.72 cm

Suitable for a septic tank Yes

This reusable tool is a chemical-free option ideal for eco-conscious households wanting to avoid chemicals.

Those with more crude tastes may find a simple joy in extricating hair clogs from the plughole with this type of unblocker. 

For others, this process may be somewhat gross. Either way, this tool is easy to use and effective. 

Ecozone Plughole Hair Unblocker

Available from Amazon (£7.20) Ecozone Direct (£8.15)

Pros

• Two uses per bottle
• Simple and easy-to-read instructions

Cons

• Required a plunger to get rid of the hairball
• Creates a strong and unpleasant scent
• Takes 12 hours

Our verdict Slow and somewhat pungent

Size 250 ml

Suitable for a septic tank Yes

This unblocker needed 12 hours to work and during that time the area around the sink had an unpleasant burnt hair smell. 

After the 12 hours had passed the hairball was removed with the aid of a plunger.

Bathroom Blocks Away Plughole Unblocker

Available from Lakeland £5.99

Pros

• Two uses per bottle

Cons

• Required a plunger to get rid of the hairball
• Creates an overpowering scent
• Takes at least six hours

Our verdict Slow and ineffective

Size 250ml

Suitable for a septic tank Yes

We still needed a plunger to dislodge the hairball after waiting for the unblocker to work overnight.

It also creates a very pungent and lingering smell of burnt hair. 

Between the wait time, the stench and how it needed extra help on both occasions in our tests, we weren't impressed with this unblocker. 

Soda Crystals

Available from Tesco Asda Ocado Sainsburys (£2) Morrisons (£2.35)

Pros

• Can we used for other cleaning chores

Cons

• Required a plunger
• Seemed to make no difference to the hairball
• Requires more preparation than the others

Our verdict Ineffective at removing hair

Size 1kg

Suitable for a septic tank Yes

Soda Crystals have many uses, but removing hair from a shower's plughole doesn't seem to be one of them. 

The Soda Crystals seemed to do nothing to the hairballs on either occasion in our tests. We were left having to unclog the sink with a plunger.

Clean up elsewhere in your bathroom with our pick of the best bathroom cleaning sprays and the best toilet roll. 

How we tested shower drain unblockers

We bought the most popular products available in national retailers. To find the best drain unblockers, we put them all through the following tests:

The setup

• We had a freestanding catering sink and used one 44mm U-bend per test, which was stuffed with a hairball we made from equal parts straight, wavy and curly human hair mixed with shampoo. 

• 500ml of boiling water was poured into the plughole before the tests began to ensure each clog was firmly lodged in place.

• The products were then applied following their instructions and left for the minimum required time for tough clogs. 

• Afterwards, the U-bends were flushed through with eight litres of hot tap water. If necessary a plunger was used at this point. We have noted above when a plunger was needed. 

The test

• The pipes were examined with a tube camera before and after the products were applied to see how well the unblocker had worked. 

• Then we timed how long it took for eight litres of cold tap water to pass through the U-bend and pipes. 

• We compared these timings to a test using an unused U-bend. The quicker the water passed through the better the unblocker had worked.

• Each unblocker was tested twice. 

How to unblock a shower drain

• As most of these shower drain unblockers are bleach based, we recommend wearing gloves over a long-sleeved top for your protection. Just make sure it's not a piece of clothing you are emotionally attached to in case of any staining.
• To start, pour 500ml of hot tap water down the drain. If this doesn't drain away, use a plunger to force it through. 
• Then take your unblocker of choice and following the instructions, pour it down the shower drain and leave it for the amount of time the manufacturer recommends. 
• Afterwards, pour another 500ml of hot tap water down the drain.

Does bicarbonate soda, salt and vinegar work?

You might spot online advice claiming that bicarbonate soda, salt and vinegar can help to unclog blocked pipes. 

We tried it out with equal parts bicarbonate soda (125g), salt (125g) and vinegar (125ml). It failed two attempts to remove a hairball. 

How to stop hair getting stuck down the drain

Prevention is the best cure. Our tips below will help to stop a hairball clogging your drains in the first place:

• Comb before you bathe
• Pop-up plugs - if you have a pop-up plug, unscrew it every now and again to check and remove any debris. Run water down the drain while the plug is still unscrewed.
• Drain protectors - an affordable option to have an extra layer of defence between loose hair and the plughole. You can buy these from around £6 from Amazon and Robert Dyas. 
• Hair Catcher - it looks like a drain protector but it's designed especially for hair. These cost from around £5 and you can get them from Lakeland and Amazon.
• Enzyme sticks - a cleaning product you put down the plughole around once a month. Won't clear a severe blockage. We haven't tested these so are unclear how effective they are. But if you want to try them, they cost from £6 at Ocado and Robert Dyas.

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What are the chemical hazard symbols and what do they mean?

Many drain unblockers contain chemicals that are hazardous to us and the environment. 

Below you can see the symbols found on some products, what they mean and the safety advice for handling them. 

Chemical hazard symbols and what they mean
	Explosive (symbol: exploding bomb)
	A substance that under defined test conditions when dry or under the effect of flame or heat may explode. Read and use instructions for the given material. Ensure containers are stored in a cool, well-ventilated place with tight-fitting lids. Store away from sources of heat and ignition.  Ensure the material and its containers are disposed of in a safe manner.
	Flammable (symbol: flame)
	Flammable if exposed to ignition sources, sparks or heat. Some substances with this symbol may give off flammable gases in contact with water.  Avoid ignition sources (sparks, flames and heat).  Keep your distance.  Wear protective clothing.
	Oxidising (symbol: flame over circle)
	May cause explosion, fire or damage to living tissue resulting in chemical burns. Reacts with other substances to produce a highly exothermic reaction. Read and use instructions for the given material.  Ensure containers are stored in a cool, well-ventilated place with tight-fitting lids.  Store away from sources of heat and ignition.  Ensure the material and its container are disposed of in a safe manner.
	Corrosive (symbol: corrosion)

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