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How to Unclog a Toilet Without a Plunger

Contributor
By eHow Contributing Writer
(15 Ratings)

If you have ever found yourself with a clogged toilet and no plunger, you know what a nerve-wracking experience that can be. Luckily, there are a few things that you can try. Follow these steps to unclog a toilet without a plunger.

From Quick Guide: Unclog a Toilet
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Instructions

Things You'll Need:

  • Rubber gloves
  • Small container
  • Large container
  • Long spoon or stick
  • Boiling water
  • Towels
  • Large soda bottle
  1. Step 1

    Get as much water out of the bowl as you can. Wearing rubber gloves, use something to bail water out of the bowl and pour it into a larger container. Dump this water outside in the grass and then dispose of the containers and the gloves. Wait about 10 to 15 minutes to give the solids in the bowl time to soften up.

  2. Step 2

    Use something about the size of a serving spoon to break up the solids further. If you can fish any out of the bowl, that is great. If not, that's fine too. Dispose of whatever you use to break up the solids.

  3. Step 3

    Fill a large soda bottle full of warm water. Wearing rubber gloves, keep your thumb over the opening to the bottle and put the mouth of the bottle in the water. Fit the top of the bottle into the hole at the bottom of the toilet. Hold the bottle tightly with both hands and squeeze the bottle so that water shoots down the toilet drain. The water pressure should dislodge the clog.

  4. Step 4

    Place some towels around the toilet just in case it overflows. Flush the toilet. If that didn't unclog the toilet, you can either try Steps 1 through 3 again or continue to Step 5.

  5. Step 5

    Boil some water. Once the water is boiling, carry it carefully to the bathroom and slowly pour it into the toilet bowl. Use care so that the water does not splash back out and doesn't over-flow the toilet. Three quarts or so of water should be plenty. Let the water sit in the bowl until it cools a little. 15 or 20 minutes should be enough. Try flushing the toilet.

Tips & Warnings
  • If the towels on the floor get wet with dirty water, either dispose of them, or wash them with hot water and bleach.
  • Don't put chemicals in your toilet. If the water splashes back on you, you could be injured. In addition, the chemicals could damage your toilet's wax ring.
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