It is important to mention that the bathtub floor drain and the overflow drain share the same drain line and drain trap. The metal plate however has a small opening through which the water enters the overflow drain. Water from the bathtub will then flow out of the house through the underground sewer line.įor aesthetic purposes, the tub overflow drain opening is usually covered using a metal plate. The overflow drain runs vertically along the wall of the tub and is then connected to the main bathtub drain a few inches below the tub’s floor drain opening. Its function is to drain excess water from the tub through the drain line therefore preventing the tub from overflowing and flooding the bathroom.

Unless you do a very good job drying the water, you are very likely to have a mold problem after a few days.Ī bathtub drain overflow is an opening few inches below the rim of the tub which is connected to the tub’s drain line. Without a tub overflow drain, the tub will simply fill up with water and the excess water will flood your bathroom, soaking anything on the floor including the floor/subfloor itself. And that is where a bathtub overflow drain comes in. It is therefore very easy/likely to get distracted and forget that you had a bathtub filling with water. What you therefore tend to do is turn on the faucet and step out of the bathroom to do other things as the tub fills. Applying vinegar will even prevent these problems from occurring before they start.The thing about bathtubs is that they take quite long to fill up. Vinegar will help to remove any excess baking soda that has remained behind, as well as remove mold, mildew, and water spots. You can get your drain plate extra clean using vinegar. While your drain plate is probably relatively clean by now, if you have missed any spots with your scrubbing, you can reapply the mixture quickly and go over the spots you have missed. However, if neither of these is possible or convenient, you can either wipe it off with a wet sponge or pour water onto it to rinse it off and remove your cleaning mixture.Įxamine your work. Chances are good that you can effectively rinse the drain with either your bathtub faucet or with a shower extension. Once you have scrubbed the entire drain plate thoroughly, you can rinse it off and examine your work. You should go after not only the outside, but into the inside and under anything that is covered up. Use your toothbrush to scrub the drain plate. Once you are done and the entire plate is covered, let the mixture sit. If you need to get more cleaning mixture, do so. Use your toothbrush to apply the mixture to the drain plate. Run a little bit of water over your toothbrush to moisten it. Pretend you are going to brush your teeth with the mixture and measure appropriately. You don't need very much at all to do a good job cleaning your tub drain. Mix them together thoroughly until they form a substance that looks like toothpaste. To make this cleaning agent, get out 1 part lemon juice to 2 parts baking soda. The best way to clean a tub overflow drain involves a cleaning agent made out of simple household ingredients. Cleaning a tub overflow drain is actually quite simple and only requires materials that you probably already have around the house.

Overflow drain bathtub