Seems like toilet clogs always happen at least inconvenient moments. If you found yourself in such a situation, then you must be asking yourself how to unclog a toilet, and whether it is possible at all without calling a plumber.
Toilet stoppages happen all the time, and this situation is indeed every man’s worst fear, especially when at someone else’s house.
The second you flush the toilet, and the water is only coming up, you just stop and stare at the unpleasant scene – all paralyzed.
There is no room for panic – despite the fact a clogged toilet is embarrassing and disgusting, there are a couple of ways to fix it within a couple of minutes.
In today’s article, we will teach you how to unclog a toilet, so you will know how to react no matter if you are at your own house or at your friend’s.
Stop the Deluge
First thing you want to do in such a situation is to stop the toilet bowl from filling up. Just as we mentioned above, the water would come up second after second, threatening to make a sickening flood in the bathroom.
Here you should take the lid off the tank and close the toilet flapper.
Do this as quickly as possible, as the function of the flapper is to release water from the tank, which is something you want to prevent right now.
Keep one hand close to the flapper and push the flusher with the other hand.
This is the most reliable method to stop the deluge so that you can make some space for further action.
Yet, we are aware sometimes you won’t have enough time to do all this. In that case, throw all of the towels in the bathroom so that they soak up the liquid.
You can use paper towels or newspapers as well if there are any.
Open up a window, as you certainly don’t want to retain bad smell in the toilet.
Top Tricks on How to Unclog a Toilet
Here we gathered 5 tricks that would solve the situation in your bathroom in a couple of minutes. Without further ado, here are the tricks:
1. Water and Dishwashing Detergent
Let’s start with simple solutions, such as mixing hot water and dishwashing detergent. Boil a few cups of water first, and then pour it in the toilet.
Let it sit for a couple of minutes before you move on to the next step.
Hot water will help dissolve things down there, which makes the rest of the job much easier.
What is more, hot water is sometimes more than enough to break up the clog, so you may not need anything besides it.
However, in case you still do – that is not a problem either.
If the clog is still there, simply add some detergent to the mix, as soap is great with dissolving clogs as well.
2. Baking Soda and Vinegar
Just as we promised, here is another simple home solution for a toilet clog – a max of baking soda and vinegar.
You will need one cup of baking soda and one cup of vinegar.
Pour baking soda into the toilet first, and then follow with the cup of vinegar, but be careful, and do this slowly.
This is a powerful combination of numerous types of clogs as it creates a strong chemical fizzing reaction that helps break down the obstruction.
In the end, you can add a gallon of hot water, as it will help dissolve everything within the toilet in a few hours. We recommend you not to flush the toilet right after pouring the mixture and boiling water, but to leave it to sit, and then flush it out in 6 or 8 hours.
We must mention that our tips 1 and 2 don’t work with clogs caused by toys or any similar object, but waste clogs only.
3. Wet/Dry Vacuum
We will move on to a bit more complex, yet very simple methods for unclogging a toilet.
Note that you can’t use any type of vacuum – not the ordinary one, but the wet/dry variety that is designed to cope with water.
You will use it to empty the bowl first, as it has to be completely dry before using it to cope with the obstruction.
Push the end of the vacuum (flexible hose rather than at attachment) into the toilet bowl, and reel up an old towel around it.
Wrapping the towel around the hose will create a seal around the drain.
You need to put some pressure in this as well, as the vacuum needs a good seal.
Wait for a couple of moments for the vacuum to start working, and there is a great chance it will suck out the clog out.
4. Simple Plunger or AIRSNAKE
Did you really we would forget about a plunger?
It is one of the most effective ways to unclog anything, including a clogged toilet.
Now that you know which tool you need, run it under some hot water before you use it.
You want to soften the plunger, as hard ones are harder to work with, and it takes more effort to create a seal within the bowl.
We know you get it – the key with using a plunger is in the solid seal exactly.
You need the right technique here, as pushing the plunger downward without paying attention to the pullback won’t solve the clog.
A few good up and down strokes will do the work, but be careful when pushing the tool upwards.
If you did the job right, the water will flush out content from the bowl, and if not – repeat until you hear a plopping sound.
5. An Auger
In the end, if nothing from our above-mentioned tricks on how to unclog a toilet failed, that means you are dealing with a hard and stubborn clog.
In other words – you will need an auger on this one.
As the auger is a cable-like tool, it is easy to snake through the toilet and get to the clog.
You should invest a slight effort to push it as deep as you can, and move the tool left and right once you get to the clog.
If you think you have loosened up the clog a bit, then you can finish it off with a plunger.
Working with an auger may get a bit unpleasant, as there can be some waste left on the tool when you pull it out.
We recommend you to out some gloves in case it would require cleaning off any content from the auger.
Give the toilet a good flush, and you will see there is no clog in there – such a relief.
How to Prevent Toilet Clogging
The safest way to get rid of toilet clogs is not to cause them at all.
However, sometimes things go in a bad direction, and here are our tips on how to avoid clogged toilets.
If you have kids, then it would be great if you can explain to them that their toys are not supposed to end up in the toilet.
You wouldn’t believe that toys are on the list of top 3 reasons why the toilet tends to clog.
Kids simply flush down the toilet anything that falls in it, without thinking about the consequences.
However, you are right there to explain this to your children.
Now, we come to the part that relates to you.
You want to take care of your toilet as well if you want to prevent clogs.
For example, make sure that you clean the jets around the toilet bowl’s edge. Jets that are not clean and tidy tend to prevent flushing water from the toilet at full power.
The reduced water pressure causes bad content clearing out of the toilet, which means that the content will gather somewhere down there, and induce a clog at a certain moment.
It doesn’t take much your time, as cleaning the toilet with a brush on a weekly basis is just enough to prevent any build-up.
In the end, another great tip for preventing clogs is to take it easy on the paper.
You certainly don’t need the whole roll of paper, right? Of course, don’t be stingy either, but we all know that a couple of sheets would be just enough.
When Is The Time for a Plumber?
Sometimes you simply can’t unclog a toilet, no matter how hard you try.
Reason for this is a deeper problem somewhere in the pipes and drains.
The most reliable sign that you need a plumber with a clogged toilet is when you notice that water backs up in the shower or sink when you flush the toilet.
In other words – when water backs up in odd locations when you flush it, chances that your main line is clogged are pretty high, and you would have to call a local plumber.
Bottom Line
No matter if you are at your own house, or at friend’s, a clogged toilet will probably make you feel sick.
However, you know you have to solve it, and we wanted to give you a couple of solutions so that you can avoid messy situation real quick.
These were our 5 proven tricks and methods for clogged toilets, and chances are pretty high you will manage this issue yourself.
You will learn how to unclog a toilet yourself, but remember that sometimes you will need the help of a plumber, as things can get truly complicated down there.
