SLOOOOOOW Bathtub drain

[leettema]

The bathtub in our second floor drains slower that molasses. The only thing I've really tried to access it with is this plasic strip with barb hooks on it that I have used successfully in the past to clear two teenage girls hair from the drain. I can snake this thing down quite a way and am not getting anything. I've also tried plunging it some with no luck. I'm pretty sure it's just a hair clog somewhere but I don't have a clue as to how to clear it. It seems like the only thing I can remove is the little cover on the top of the drain. This is what I remove to snake the strip down.

[Bob's HandyGuy]

Forget the plastic strip. Get yourself a rotating hand auger. Push it into the drain until you feel resistance, rotate the auger until it moves through the bend, repeat until you've cleared it to the main line. Keep the auger close to the drain all the while and have a little water running as you do all this. Pull it out slowly, rotating it and moving it into and out of the drain. The auger costs about 25 bucks but you can use it again and again. It will pay for itself the first time it opens a drain.

[e-plumber]

At least you didn't put any chemicals down the drain
Plastic strips and hand crank snakes rarely/only work if the restriction is very close to the drain strainer.

The best long term remedy is to have the bathtub drain line snaked and cleaned with a power machine, then use a hair snare over the tub drain outlet to help prevent future clogs.