You know the struggle, especially if you have a lot of hair: you could swear you’re going bald with how much hair accumulates in the drain.

And each strand that falls out in the shower makes the situation worse. The locks mix with dirt, dust, grime and the next thing you know, you’re standing in the shower as the water keeps rising up as if you’re drawing a bath because it can’t get through your massive clumps of hair that have accumulated under the shower drain cover.

The only thing worse than standing in a shower with a clogged drain is unclogging the drain itself. And unclogging a shower drain can be…well, complicated. Calling a plumber can cost you an annoying mount of money, and reaching in and pulling out that gross clump (that somehow attracted all the dirt and grime in your shower) is completely nauseating.

Luckily, there are a lot easier (and less expensive and gross) ways to clear a clogged shower drain—and you likely have all the tools and ingredients you need at home already.

So, how can you unclog the drain in a way that’s both cheap and easy?

Hair and soap

Unfortunately, it can be pretty difficult to prevent your shower drain from clogging. Because of all the hair washing you do, a lot of hairs end up in the drain. Together with the soap scum this will form a sticky type of ball within the drain. The water won’t be able to easily get away and a layer of water will build up in your shower cabin. To prevent the drain from clogging even more, it’s important to remove stray hairs from the shower drain after every shower you take. Also rinse away any soap scum with hot water.

Natural solution

Has the damage been done and are you unable to shower without standing ankle deep in water? Then it’s a good idea to unclog your drain with a homemade, natural solution made from baking soda, vinegar and water. It’s important to first remove as many hairs as possible from the drain, though! Then, mix together 50 grams of baking soda and 80 milliliters vinegar in a bucket or bowl. The mixture will start to fizz, after which you should immediately pour it down the drain. Let the mixture sit and do its thing for an hour and then rinse properly with hot water.