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💧 How to Plug a Bathtub Drain Without a Plug
After a long day at work, you’re eager to relax with a bath, but your bath plug decides to give up and falls apart. Unless you have a fixed bathtub drain stopper like a pop-up stopper, you can try these makeshift DIY solutions using common household items. Experiment with these temporary homemade fixes to find the one that works best for you, ensuring you can enjoy the relaxing bath you deserve.
💧 How Do Bath Plugs Work?
A bath plug, also known as a drain stopper, functions by sealing the bathtub’s drain hole, thereby preventing water from escaping. It relies on the water pressure from above to keep the seal tight. Available in various sizes, shapes, and colors, bath plugs are typically durable but may require replacement over time due to wear.
💧 Homemade Makeshift Drain Stoppers for Bathtub, Shower, or Sink
🧰 Use a Plastic Coffee Pod or Plastic Cup
If you love caffeine and enjoy your coffee via a coffee pod (or Keurig cup, to some people) every morning, this is the fix for you. Most single-serve coffee pods are similar in size to most drains in modern bathtubs not fitted with drain stoppers.
If you don’t drink coffee from pods or don’t have any lying around, try a small plastic medicine cup. A small medicine cup will do the same job as a single-serve coffee cup.
To try this makeshift bath plug, hold the empty coffee pod or cup in the bathtub drain hole and fill up the tub with water to check how well it seals. You need water pressure for this to be successful, so it takes a bit of water to hold it in place.
If the pod or cup is slightly too small for the drain opening, you could try wrapping a bunch of rubber bands around it to fit properly.
🧰 Use a Jar Lid the Same Size as the Drain Hole
If you have a bath drain that’s significantly larger than that coffee pod, you could try another common household item: the infamous jam jar lid (or any type of metal or plastic lid).
For this temporary solution to work, place the flat jam jar lid upside down in the drain hole. If it fits, it should provide a temporary seal for you to enjoy your bath.
Again, like any removable solution, you need water pressure to hold the lid in place, so you may have to fill the bathtub up considerably before the water pressure holds it in place.
🧰 Use Plumber’s Putty
Plumber’s putty can provide a temporary fix for your bathtub problem. Plumber’s putty is best used in conjunction with your old bathtub plug.
To prevent water from draining away, roll up the putty into thick spaghetti and line the hole of the drain. Then use the plug as normal. The putty should fill in the gaps of the bath plug.
If you don’t have this type of putty lying around, you could try normal putty, but be aware this can make a mess, and you don’t want it going down the drain and causing clogs in your bathtub drain.
🧰 Cover the Hole with Waterproof Duct Tape
Many households have duct tape sitting around, so this is an easy one to try. Before you start, make sure your bathtub is dry to help the duct tape stick to the bottom of your bathtub.
You will probably need a double layer so it can withstand the water pressure of a full bathtub.
🧰 Try the Plastic Bag Trick
You can make a temporary seal from a plastic bag filled with a wet washcloth.
Find a plastic sandwich bag and fill it with that washcloth that’s rolled up to fit the drain size and zip it shut. You can use a rubber band to better secure the bag’s top.
Ensure you remove as much air from the plastic bag as possible to prevent it from floating up while filling the bathtub. Ensure your bag fits snugly in the drain opening while filling the bath. A plastic bag filled with water does the same trick, so you can also give that a go.
🧰 Block a Bathtub Drain With a Toilet Plunger
Not everyone will be comfortable with this one, but we will add it anyway, as it works great. By their very design, toilet plungers work well at sealing your bathtub drain.
Since you have used it for other tasks around the home, we won’t remind you of it. Make sure you clean the rubber end with hot water and soap.
Press down on the plunger over the drain hole, and you should have a nice watertight seal. You can remove the wooden handle if it looks weird while you are bathing. If it’s fixed to the plunger, we guess it’s staying where it is.
🧰 Block it with a Marine Drain Twist Plug
For all the keen fishermen and boaters out there, you could try using a marine drain twist plug. Find a boat drain plug that’s a similar size to your drain and block it.
Hold down the twist plug to ensure it fits the hole correctly. To block the water, hold the plug in place, and twist the handle clockwise to lock it in place. Voila! you have yourself a blocked drain ready for your soothing bath.
💧 Conclusion
To block a bathtub drain, find a household item that can cover the drain hole and won’t float when the bath is filled. These temporary solutions work well, but for a permanent fix, replace the plug at a hardware store, ensuring it’s the right size.
Alternatively, consider installing a toe touch sink stopper for a more durable solution. If DIY isn’t your thing, or if you need a professional installation, contact a plumber. Don’t let a missing drain plug spoil your bath! For more plumbing insights, check out our other plumbing articles.
Related Reading: DIY Guide to 15 Common Plumbing Problems & Solutions
