If your bath or shower fills up with water while in use and takes a long time to drain afterwards, it’s likely that you have a build up of debris in your drain.

Often blocked with a mixture of hair and dirt, use these tried and tested remedies: on your bath or shower drains:

Remove the blockage

If it’s as simple as hair or solid debris blocking your drain this should be visible to the naked eye. See if you can grab a hold of it using a rubber glove or piece of bent wire if it appears to be lodged.

Bicarbonate of soda

Simple and effective, by placing around 15 tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda down your drain followed by 100ml of white vinegar after a few seconds you should hear fizzing and see lots of foam. Once this dies down, flush out your drain with boiling water.

Chemical drain cleaner

The harshest method, chemical drain cleaner should only be used on serious blockages. Poisonous and corrosive to humans, chemical drain cleaners can also damage pipes and kill the good bacteria that live within your septic system and should therefore only be used as a last resort.

After trying each method, run the water to ensure it drains quickly and efficiently.

To prevent similar blockages occurring in future, try installing a drop-in hair trap that will sit over your plughole, which can be emptied after each use.