Going to the toilet and then discovering that your toilet is now clogged is one of those common household nightmares that no homeowner really wants to tackle. Perhaps all was fine until you went to flush and now the water is rising at an alarming rate. Or your watch fell off and has managed to lodge itself firmly in the drain of your toilet. There are plenty of ways in which your toilet can become blocked, but there are also many ways how to unblock a toilet by yourself.
Your first thought might be to call a plumber but consider your options before you do this. There may be a more timely (and cheaper) option that would work first.
Plunger
While this might appear to be the most obvious, basic option for you, there’s a reason why a simple plunger remains the best way for you to unclog your toilet with minimum effort.
You’ll need to place the plunger into the toilet bowl and gently push down, (you’re going gently because if you push too hard the chances of splashing dirty water on yourself is pretty high) this first push is to eliminate air from underneath the plunger.
Once you have pushed down for the first time and there’s a good seal, this is when you can push down harder. You should now forcefully pump the plunger up and down while making sure the plunger always keeps contact with the toilet bowl.
Now you’ll want to quickly pull the plunger up to break the air seal and reintroduce water pressure to the toilet bowl. The water should now rush down the blocked drain and hopefully fix your issue. If not, repeat until the toilet clog loosens up.
Toilet Brush
This may be more of an unpleasant option, but if your toilet is blocked, you don’t want to leave the bathroom and you don’t have a plunger, then a toilet brush may be your next toilet unblocking best friend.
Simply angle the brush so the bristles are down and drain and pump down towards the toilet a few times (we recommend you wear gloves for this one). This should be enough to loosen things up.
Flush with Hot Water
If you think that the clog in your toilet isn’t too bad, then you could try this method. Heat up a pan of water until it’s almost boiled, you can use boiling water for other drains in your home such as sinks, but you want to avoid using boiling water on your toilet as it could cause the toilet bowl to crack or melt, which would lead to even more problems on your end.
Once you have your pan of hot water, you’ll want to pour it from about waist level into your toilet bowl. Pouring it from this height will help to dislodge the clog when the hot water hits your toilet water, and the pressure pushes it downwards.
Let the hot water sit for a few minutes and you should see if it’s working or not, if the water starts to drain then you know it’s working. Flush your toilet a couple of times to see if everything is working as normal, if not then repeat the process until the clog clears.
Washing Liquid and Hot Water
A handy homemade remedy for a blocked toilet is hot water and washing liquid. Like the last tip, you’ll want to heat up a pan of water until it’s almost boiling, once it’s hot enough you can pour the washing liquid into the bowl, followed by the hot water.
Let the mixture sit for 10-15 minutes while it works its magic, the washing liquid should act as a lubricant to loosen up the clog. After this you can try flushing your toilet, it should have unclogged so your toilet can flush freely.
Baking Soda Mixed with Vinegar
If washing liquid doesn’t do the job, another easy home technique is using the old-school mixture of vinegar and baking soda.
Firstly, pour one standard glass-sized amount of baking soda into your toilet bowl, followed by the same amount of vinegar (pour slowly to ensure the mixture from quickly overflowing). Close the lid and let the mixture sit for 10-20 minutes, the reaction should break apart any solid clogs. Afterward, pour some hot water into the bowl to remove any remaining debris, and your toilet should be working fine again.
Drain Snake
Conclusion
If none of the above works for you, the last resort before calling a plumber to come and unblock your toilet for you would be using a drain snake. If the clog in your toilet is solid and deeper than the toilet bowl, then this method is particularly helpful. While wearing rubber gloves, push one end of the snake into your toilet down into the clogged area, and prod at the clog until it starts to dislodge, you’ll know it’s working when the water starts to drain.
Flush a couple of times afterward to completely clear the toilet out.
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