Have you ever stuck yourself in a situation where you had no idea how to save yourself from much embarrassment?
Well, you probably thought about the time you clogged a toilet, right? Not to mention, I went through the same problem once, but to my luck, I knew exactly how to tackle it. Here is how I managed to unclog a toilet without calling a plumber.
Pour down a bucket of hot water in the toilet bowl (about one gallon ). Make sure it’s not boiling as it might crack the porcelain and can turn out a total disaster. At the same time, the hot water will provide the required heat that can quickly clear the toilet chain by loosening it. This trick should work for you as it had worked for me.
After researching a little more about unclogging a toilet, I came across so many handy ways to save anyone’s day. For this reason, I thought it might help to share these fantastic tricks with you.
1. Use a Plunger
A plunger is the first thing to look for when you want to unclog a toilet. Use it properly, and you are good to go. The correct way to use a plunger is to place it in the toilet bowl and start pushing it down at a slow pace so that the air is forced out and a seal is produced against the sides of the bowl.
Then, some quick in and out pushes will do the job. It works best when you use as little force as you can because extreme pressure can crack the wax ring sealing and cause the water to leak all over the floor, which you probably would want to avoid.
Remember that using the right tool matters just as much as using it correctly. Many people think that the plunger used for unclogging a sink is the same as the one used for a toilet; however, that is not the case as for the toilet, a flange plunger is preferred.
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2. Pour Some Hot Water
This one is bound to work for you! The hot water has exceptional quality to clear out the drain in no time. All you need to do is heat up about a gallon of water for a few minutes (try not boiling it), and then using a little force, carefully pour it down the toilet bowl, and after a few flushes, you’ll see that the toilet starts unclogging.
3. Vinegar Mixed with Baking Soda
If the hot water does not work for you and you don’t have a suitable plunger to unclog a toilet, here is a simple DIY fuzzy mixture to try out!
Grab a cup of baking soda and mix it with 2 cups of vinegar. Then, pour it down the toilet bowl. This mixture will produce enough bubbles and create a way out for the water to move. After leaving the mixture for about half an hour, pour some hot water into the toilet bowl. If this doesn’t work the first time, try repeating the process.
4. Use a Dish Wash
Another thing that will help you to unclog a toilet is using dish wash. This trick works great if you pour a good amount of the dish wash into the toilet; It should be about half a cup to lubricate the toilet drain thoroughly.
Next, fetch some hot water from the tap or go and heat a considerate amount of the water. Then, pour it into the toilet bowl while making sure that it does not overflow.
5. Water Pressure Using a Plastic Bottle
You can also use a water bottle to unclog a toilet by creating enough pressure. Not to forget, this technique might be a little messier, so make sure you have your rubber gloves on before going ahead with it. Here is how to make it work,
Firstly, you’ll need to take some water out of the toilet bowl with the help of a small container. Then, take a large plastic bottle and fill it up with warm water.
Now, by placing your thumb over the top of the bottle, fix it at the outlet of the bottom toilet. Ensure that the bottle is held tightly and release the thumb while squeezing the bottle simultaneously. It can easily remove anything that’s blocking the toilet if done accurately.
6. Use a Toilet Auger
Now, if your toilet is clogged with something that won’t budge, be it toys or any rigid material, using an Auger can turn out to be more beneficial than using a plunger. The auger works primarily because of how it is shaped.
The curve at the bottom has a spring attached to it that pulls anything out effortlessly, and if it doesn’t, you can use it to push the material further down the pipe, and it will just no longer be stuck as the pipes below the toilet are much wider to keep holding the substance. Additionally, it has a rubber boot attached to it that will prevent the bowl from getting scratched.
The procedure to use the auger is simple, just put it inside the toilet pipe and start spinning and pushing to make its way through. Once you feel that it has grabbed the material, you can easily pull it out.
7. Use Bleach
Bleach is another excellent way to unclog a toilet. It works the same way as the baking soda mixture does. The technique is also somewhat similar to it. All you need to do is pour a good amount of bleach down the toilet bowl and wait for about 10 to 15 minutes.
The bleach will cause any material down there to break apart, thus clearing out the toilet chain. After waiting for a while, a few flushes will eventually unclog the toilet.
Things to Avoid when Unclogging a Toilet
Here is a list of things you should never attempt to do when you have a clogged toilet.
No Chemicals
Always avoid draining harsh chemicals down the toilet bowl. If you have already used one, make sure to leave it for at least a few hours after watering it as much as possible. Also, never mix any acid-based toilet cleaner with bleach to save yourself from additional inconvenience.
Avoid Being Bare-handed
I know it seems obvious, but it’s worth mentioning that while you are trying out ways to unclog a toilet, never forget to cover your hands. Wear rubber gloves beforehand and start unclogging. The gloves are a great way to prevent any harmful bacteria or chemicals from reaching your hands.
Avoid Any Hardening Compound
It is essential to bear in mind to always keep away any hardening substance from the clogged toilet. Compounds like wax, caulk, or grease are condemnable to pour down the drain.
How to Unclog a Toilet Without a Plunger
Having a plunger seems like a necessity when all of a sudden you get your toilet clogged; however, what to do when you don’t find one near you, and it becomes impossible to get one at that moment? Let me tell you; there are still plenty of ways you can opt for when you want to unclog a toilet without a plunger. Like the tips and tricks mentioned above are great for working your way through unclogging.
Still, if these are not your preference, you can try unclogging the toilet using a toilet brush. Yes! The toilet brush can clean the toilet and remove any unwanted material from the toilet drain.
Take a toilet brush and put it down the drain. A few pushes and pumps would be enough to ease the clog and let the water flow. It is a quick and easy way to unclog a toilet.
If you haven’t got any toilet brush either, here is a little DIY trick to help you unclog a toilet without a plunger. Get 2 cups of baking soda, 1/4 cup of Epsom salt and mix it with 8-10 tablespoons of dish wash. Pour the mixture into patty cases and let them harden overnight.
A good bath bomb must be ready by now. Next, put one into the toilet bowl followed by a few cups of water and wait for several hours to do its job. You will be amazed at how well it works.
How to Unclog a Toilet When Nothing Works
If you are still stuck with a clogged toilet, nothing seems to work for you. Here are some additional ways that you might want to try out before actually calling a plumber!
Use a drain snake explicitly designed for unclogging any drain. It is a long wire-like material that must be put inside the toilet bowl. Try giving it a few pushes and turns until resistance is felt, and then you can loosen out the drain.
You can use a wire hanger instead if you don’t have a drain snake. It would be best to straighten out the hanger and then use it just like a drain snake. Also, remember to wrap a rag at the end of the hanger before using it to avoid damaging the porcelain.
You can also try unclogging the toilet if you have some of those wet/dry vacuums. The technique is simple: remove the water using the wet vac, then cover the hose with a rag or a towel to create a seal and start vacuuming it until everything is gasped out and see if the drain is cleared out. Make sure never to try this with a regular vacuum.
However, if you failed in any of these and others are not of your type, you still have some hope left. That is, by pulling out the toilet and getting rid of any unwanted stuff from the pipes.
To make it simpler, you will have to shut off the water supply and deconstruct the toilet. This process can take a long time but can be pretty hectic without using the right tools, and for that, you can check out our recommended tools to help you unclog a toilet smoothly.
Now that everything is pretty straightforward, and you are sure nothing can work or do good to the clogged toilet, I suggest you call a plumber. The plumber can deal with your situation professionally, and you will certainly be out of trouble.
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