By plugging the drain so that it can fill up with water, a bathtub drain stopper is what makes your bathtub a bathtub. But if the stopper becomes damaged or dirty, it can lose its seal, and your tub can lose its ability to hold water.

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In addition, the stopper can collect hair and other debris that can clog your drain. When these things happen, you’ll need to remove the stopper to clean or replace it, or to clear the clog.

Types of Bathtub Drain Stoppers

There are several different types of bathtub drain stoppers, and each needs to be removed in a different way, so you first need to identify which type your bathtub has.

Touch-Toe

A touch-toe stopper uses a spring-loaded mechanism so that it can be opened and closed with the press of a toe. One press opens the drain, and a second press closes it. Touch-toe stoppers have round top lids that are either completely smooth or have the word “press” engraved on them.

Push-Pull

Push-pull drain stoppers have a knob on top of a round lid. They’re opened by pulling up on the knob, and closed by pushing it down.

Lift and Turn

Lift-and-turn (also called “twist and pull”) drain stoppers are virtually identical in appearance to push-pull stoppers with a knob on top of a round lid, but they operate differently. Instead of pushing or pulling the knob to open or close the drain, these stoppers are opened by lifting up on the knob while turning it counterclockwise and closed by turning the knob clockwise.

Trip-Lever

As opposed to the other types of drain stoppers that are operated from the lid on the drain,

a trip-level drain stopper uses a lever on the overflow cover (the round cover on the top of the tub that prevents overflowing water) to open and close the drain. Flipping the lever up opens the drain, and flipping it down closes it.

How to Remove a Bathtub Stopper

Touch-Toe Drain Stopper

Tools Required:

• Flat-head screwdriver
• Soap
• Replacement drain stopper (if necessary)

1. Set the stopper to the open position.

2. Grab the lid with your hand and turn it counterclockwise to unthread it from the shaft cylinder (the part that screws into the drain). On some touch-toe stoppers, the lid and cylinder are one solid piece, so unthreading the lid will also remove the cylinder. However, most touch-toe drain stoppers consist of two separate pieces that need to be removed individually.

3. With the lid removed, use a flat-head screwdriver to turn the fastening screw on the top of the shaft cylinder counterclockwise to unthread it from the drain crossbar (the threaded hole in the center of the drain).

4. Remove the stopper from the drain and inspect it for evidence of damage like rust on the fastening screw, a cracked lid or warping on the rubber plug. Replace the stopper if it’s damaged, or clean it with soap and water as needed.

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Push-Pull Drain Stopper

Tools Required:

• Flat-head screwdriver
• Soap
• Replacement drain stopper (if necessary)

Some push-pull stoppers have a separate lid and shaft cylinder, but most consist of one solid piece.

1. Set the stopper to the open position.
2. Grasp the lid or knob and turn it counterclockwise to unthread it from the drain crossbar.
3. If the stopper has a separate lid and shaft cylinder, unthread the lid to remove it from the shaft cylinder and expose the fastening screw on top of the cylinder. Use a flat-head screwdriver to turn the fastening screw counterclockwise and unthread the shaft cylinder from the drain crossbar.
4. Remove the shaft cylinder from the drain.
5. Inspect the stopper and replace or clean it as needed.

Lift-and-Turn Drain Stopper

Tools Required:

• Flat-head screwdriver or hex key
• Soap
• Replacement drain stopper (if necessary)

1. Set the stopper to the open position.
2. Turn the knob counterclockwise to unthread it from the lid and expose the fastening screw on top of the shaft cylinder.
3. Depending on the type of fastening screw, either use a flat-head screwdriver or hex key to turn the fastening screw counterclockwise and unthread the shaft cylinder from the drain crossbar.
4. Remove the shaft cylinder from the drain.
5. Inspect the stopper and replace or clean it as needed.

Trip-Lever Drain Stopper

Tools Required:

• Phillips-head screwdriver
• Soap
• WD-40 (if necessary)
• Replacement drain stopper (if necessary)

1. Set the stopper to the open position.

1. Use a Phillips-head screwdriver to remove the mounting screws holding the overflow cover and lever in place.
2. Grab the overflow cover and carefully pull the stopper assembly out of the overflow drainpipe until the rods and stopper are completely removed.
3. If the assembly becomes stuck or is otherwise difficult to remove, spray some WD-40 down the drain pipe to lubricate the assembly.
4. Inspect all the assembly’s components for damage and replace or clean them as needed.