Blocked bathroom drains are a common occurrence in most homes and a great inconvenience. Unless you don't mind standing in a pool of soapy and dirty water, you may not be able to take another shower without unblocking the drain. Luckily, preventing your shower drain from clogging is a straightforward affair. The following simple maintenance tips can go a long way in avoiding clogs and protecting the entire bathroom area from a plumbing disaster.

Don't let hair go down the drain

Hair is your shower drain's worst enemy. Unfortunately, everyone sheds some amount of hair when taking a shower. If you wash your cat or dog in the bathroom, your drains will also block more often than you can imagine. To keep water flowing down your drains, ensure that hair does not go down the pipes. Do this by investing in a mesh cover. The mesh traps the hair and other solid debris such as broken pieces of soap. You can clean the mesh daily to get rid of the waste and allow water to flow smoothly down the drains.

Pour hot water into the drain

Soap, detergent and other products used in the bathroom can harden inside the pipes over time. This will reduce the water passage in your drains and eventually cause a blockage. You can prevent this by pouring hot water in the shower drain regularly to melt the hardened soap and grease and clear the blockage. Just boil water in your kettle and pour it down the pipe. Point the kettle directly to the drain to prevent the water from splashing and burning your skin. Doing this at least once a week will keep your drains free of clogs.

Maintain the entire bathroom's plumbing

Problems with your shower drain may originate from other plumbing fixtures in the bathroom such as your sink or toilet drain. A clog in one of the drains in the bathroom can cause multiple blocked pipes and affect the shower as well. This can increase the risk of your main drain line blocking and wreaking havoc on the entire home. Prevent this by ensuring that all the drains in the bathroom are appropriately maintained. Clean your sink drains regularly and don't dump debris into the drains. Take care of clogs when they occur to avoid a plumbing emergency.

Contact a professional plumber if you need help with blocked drain clearing. Do not use harsh chemicals and drain cleaning products which can damage your plumbing system and cause expensive repairs.