Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Tips & Warnings:
- Try squirting some dish soap in the toilet and let it sit for a few minutes and then continue to plunge. It has been known to work wonders according to our readers, who suggested it.
- If the plunger or the auger don't remove the clog, you options are to call in the pros or remove the toilet yourself and manually remove the blockage.
- If you're desperate and can't get hold of a plumber, a strong wet/dry vacuum will sometimes be able to remove a clog.
- Buy the highest-quality plunger you can.
- Be very cautious about using a chemical drain cleaner/opener in a clogged toilet. They are caustic and can cause chemical burns to the eyes or skin. Make sure that any product used is specifically marked as safe for use with porcelain, and follow the manufacturer's directions exactly. Never mix any of these chemical agents, as dangerous reactions could occur. Never attempt to plunge a toilet after you have put drain cleaner in the bowl.
Step1
Ask your family if anything is missing. A missing toy or a make up container could be blocking the toilet and if so will likely require you to use a toilet auger. If no one knows about anything missing, you're probably dealing with a clog.
Step2
Place some old towels or blankets on the floor around the toilet, (no matter how careful you are, some water will likely splash onto the floor).
Step3
Scoop water out of the toilet bowl into a bucket (not down the sink). Leave enough water to cover the plunger
Step4
Insert the plunger into the toilet, making sure the rubber globe or cup is fully seated over the drain opening and covered with water.
Step5
Push the plunger handle down with firm strokes. Increase pressure on the clog by pushing and releasing the plunger 10 to 15 times. Rough, careless plunging can damage the toilet bowl. If the clog isn't too tight, these bursts of increased water pressure caused by the plunger,will probably clear the obstruction.
Step6
Attack tougher problems with a toilet auger, which is similar to a plumber's snake but covered in a plastic sheath to protect the toilet bowl from scratches (see "eHow to Use a Plumber's Snake"). Lost toys, tubes of makeup and stubborn clogs will all probably require an auger.
Step7
Flush the toilet when you think the clog has moved. As a precaution, have the toilet tank lid off and be ready to stop the water flow by raising the ball in the toilet tank.
Comments
D-I-M-W-N said
on 7/11/2008 Watching friend's house - know nothing of nothing - toilet clogs - doesn't work same as in Africa - what to do, what to do - turn off water (good advice from hubby) - soak up overflow with old towels (good advice from me) - friend just put in new floor - not sealed - said not to get water on floor - YAAAAA!!! Called friend - use Clorox (BAD ADVICE) - store guy said use plunger and rid x - didn't use rid-x (HARD WORK ADVICE) - Hubby not around, so I think - everything I know about America, I've found on the net, so I type in How to Unclog a toilet - watch the vid - try it out - NOTHING - Start reading the posts - find some liquid dish soap - boil up water... OGH!!!! It worked - been up all night - going to bed now and dreaming about a way to figure out how to invoice people for waste of time on bad advice... hmmmmm???? I thought so... Super website, discovered some other stuff - love
plungerhappy said
on 7/1/2008 It was a holiday and I couldn't go to the store to buy a plunger. There was a ball of toilet paper stuck in the toilet. I tried pouring 3 tablespoons of dish detergent, waited 10 minutes and flushed, did not work.
Tried another 5 tablespoons, wait 2 hours, and voila, the toilet paper floated to the surface, just picked it up and flushed. Good as new....and no plunger required!! Thank you for the great suggestions and my apologies to the plumbers.
jhandboys said
on 6/27/2008 The dish soap and hot water worked for me after the second try. After the first attempt was unsuccessful I put more dish soap in and left it for a few hours. I did not think it was going to work but lo and behold I gave it one last try and whooosh. I love this site!
rnmomof2 said
on 6/18/2008 I never post anything online, but this worked so well I am compelled to talk about it! After several failed attempts to unclog the toilet (my 4 year old used a lot of paper towels instead of toilet paper)I was desperate.... almost went to Lowes for a drain snake. Before I was about to leave I just searched online and came upon this site. The dish detergent and hot water worked! I just let the water from the clog drain out of the tank for the most part, poured in some detergent, let it sit for about 10 min, added some hot water, plunged and flushed until it was gone. What an easy solution!
mkraftjr said
on 6/1/2008 I just came across this after struggling all day with whatever my toddler did to my toilet earlier. I have been plunging and plunging all day with no success. Finally I saw this and tried the dish detergent thing out of desperation and curiousity. I really have never heard of this and frankly did not believe it one bit. I literally plunged for over an hour throughout the day but then I poured about 1/4 bottle in the toilet, waited about 3 minutes, plunged 5 seconds and it was fixed! My wife and I are just amazed at this! If you are a disbeliever...believe! So weird!