It happens to the best of us. You go into the restroom to do your business, but the toilet doesn't cooperate. And after flushing, you're left with what you started with. What to do?
There's more of an art to unclogging a toilet than you might suspect. Over at the delightful
The Art of Manliness blog, a writer claims that because men are no longer needed "to ride out in defense of the tribe," they are now relegated to "do battle in the bathroom." But we women know that the call to unclog a toilet doesn't discriminate -- sometimes
we have to rise to the challenge too.
To ferret out the tips and tricks used by plumbers and civilians alike, we searched through the wisdom at The Art of Manliness,
This Old House,
Planet Green, and various plumbing sites.
Here are some tips if you're the one on clog duty:
• For your first strategy, if the bowl is not already full, try pouring cold water into it, about a gallon or two. Pour it in as quickly as you can without splashing. This will help break up the stuff in the toilet to help you with plunging later on, and it just might unclog it then and there.
• If that doesn't do the trick, try pouring in a mixture of one cup baking soda and one cup vinegar into the bowl. This is a strategy used to unclog blocked drains, as well. However, it will not be effective if the bowl is already full.
• Next, if success has still not arrived, try the hot water and dish soap strategy. Pour about 1/4 cup of dish detergent in the bowl and some hot water (not boiling, or you could crack the china)**. Pour the water slowly into the bowl, directly into the water without splashing yourself.
• Still no luck? It might be time to try a plunger. Of course, this could also be your first line of defense. Use a good-quality plunger with a flange. The flange is the narrow part of the plunger below the cup. If you've got a cheap and flimsy plunger, make it your goal to replace it with a sturdy and high quality plunger as soon as possible.
(Left) This plunger may not have a flange, but we couldn't resist; it's so stylish! Photo: Bobby Berk Home. (Right) This Brasscraft Heavy Duty Plunger is more like it; the flange at the base helps suction effectively. Photo: The Home Depot
• Run hot water over the plunger flange to soften it up. To do good plunging, you need a good seal between the bottom of the plunger and the bottom of the toilet bowl. A softened plunger flange will seal better than a stiff one.
• After you insert the plunger into the bowl and get a good seal, don't just pump it up and down with fury.
Rather, slowly push the plunger down, then pop it up quickly. Why? The reason is that your clog is likely at the very beginning of the narrow channel the waste travels to get into the sewage system. By pumping your plunger, you may be simply compacting the blockage a little further into the channel. By popping it out, the suction will likely pull the clog free, and then it can be flushed away normally.
• If plunging fails, as it sometimes does, you can use what's called a closet auger. This is kind of like a snake that a professional plumber might use, but in this case you never receive the $150 bill in the mail. A closet auger is a cable with a wide end on it that you will use to push the clog through the channel. There is a protective sheath on the cable housing so you don't scratch your porcelain toilet bowl.
If all else fails, and you're out of tricks? Swallow your pride and call the plumber.
How about you? What is your favorite strategy to unclog a toilet?
SEE ALSO:
Coke Can Clean Your Toilet in a Pinch (Lifehacker)
Do You Have a Dual Flush Toilet? (CasaSugar)
** Editor's Note: Thank you to our vigilant DIY Life readers for pointing out that boiling water can potentially crack a porcelain bowl. The author and I would like to emphasize that hot tap water -- as opposed to water boiled in a kettle -- is the best strategy, if you choose this method of unclogging.
Judi Roaman: We Talk Endlessly About the Next President,…
Reader comments (Page 3 of 4)
I can't believe they said to put 1/4 cup of detergent in the toilet. That is the worse thing you can do to a septic system. It kills the bacteria that would decompose the waste.
ReplyIf I leave behind a SEA MONSTER that just won't go down, I put in a call to my realtor...time to move!!
ReplyLuckily, I live in senior housing and I just call the super who takes care of that job,
ReplyAs the more experienced toilet professionals have already stated, most of these "remedies" do not work!
ReplyLet's face it, most of the problems related to clogging are from super soft/super thick toilet paper that wads up like a paper towel! Then we have the morons out there that think anything can go down the drain, like tampons! Then we have all the Eco nuts that want 1 Gallon flush toilets! Toilet technology in this country is about 40 years behind most of the rest of the world. Everything here is price driven for cheap toilets, and you get what you pay for. A toilet from 75 years ago will out perform 90% of the models toda,y but they will use more water, usually! " Usually" because with todays toilets you have to flush them 2-3 times to do what one flush would do back then. Yes, we sure have come a long way in this technology?
Walmart sells the toilet Auger for less than eight dollars. Its got a handle you turn and about 3 feet of snake. Works great. If this doesn't clear the clog, it is a bigger problem than you should be working on. Everyone should have one of these. I would buy it before a plunger.
ReplyIf you just use some dish detergent after each large BM it will never clog.
ReplyBEST SOLUTION.....IF YOU HAVE A BIG BM, FLUSH AS YIU GO, 2 OR 3 TIMES AND YOU WON'T HAVE A CLOG.....DUH!
Replyto the guy who clogs the toilet all the time buy a presure assisted toilet it never clogs they cost anywhere from 175 to 300 depending on the brand trust me im a plumber for 23 years they are great just make sure you have around 25 pounds of pressure in your home water pressure.
Replynever put hot water in a toilet!!!
Replyit can melt the WAX SEAL and cause damage to the floor
What do you have to do to get in some remarks??????????????
ReplyI tried the hot (not boiling) water approach and it melted the wax seal the water seeped under white marble tiles and permanently stained them, plus the toilet had to be resealed...moral of the story, don't pour hot water down your toilet...
ReplyLet's RETURN to the 3.5 gallon flush waterclosets (toilets) .Always had customers compain with the 1.6 gallon.
ReplyAbsolutely correct! VERY HOT WATER DOES CRACK THE TOILET BOWL--When I flush the toilet and see that it is blocked, I wait until some of the water drains slowly thru the clog and goes down more often than not in about 20 minutes or so! When there is minimum waste and water in the bowel, pour 1/2 clorox and a little water, just enough to bring the waste mater and water to what is normal amount in a toilet bowl. Wait for about 1/3 hour, then flush. If it continues to be clogged, wait several hours and try this same method becasue by then the tissue, which more often than not, and possibly a large/wide stool has distintegrated to the point where it will go down when flushed a second time with clorix and water. IF that doesn't work, I spread out a metal clothing hanger, and straighten the curved end that hangs on a rack, and very slowly rotate it in the opening, very slowly so as not to splash the dangerous contents into your face. Rotate it slowly several times and more often than not the clog will empty out.
ReplyMy solution is to drop a gallon plus of COLD weater from a height ( waist high ) into the bowl as you flush it. The weight of the water seems to do the job . Use a big soup pot.
ReplyIT WORKED!!! Thanks for this timely article!!!!!!
ReplyJulie,
ReplyBuy disposable rubber gloves in the paint section of any hardware store. When you're finished, just toss 'em. Then you don't have to do any disinfecting.
I find that if you loosen the bolts on the side about 2 inches and vigorously shake the toilet from side to side the bowl will empty. If that don't work, you need to turn your air on high and run water in all the sinks in the house. The positive pressure from the aircon combined with the negative static pressure of the water passing to the sewer lines is usually enough to do it. Or you can just go with a plunger. That always works no matter which end you use. Just be consistent.
ReplyI thought a closet auger was a wire clothes hanger.
ReplyFirst of all save yourself the time of unclogging the toilet by not clogging it in the first place. 7 Elevens, McDonald's your spouses workplace are all places that will allow you to make a bowel movement without the inconvenience of unclogging.
ReplyWhat I like to do is when I know I have a tumultuous bowel movement on the way (for example if I eat red meat or wheat pasta) I will call a neighbor and make a playdate for our kids. You then go over there and boom goes the dynamite on your way out. It is very easy to then blame it on your child when the neighbor catches wind of the clog. Just say something like "I'm sorry Billy's stomach has been upset all week." Go home to a fresh unclogged toilet
I find that if you loosen the bolts on the side
Replyabout 2 inches and vigorously shake the toilet
from side to side the bowl will empty. If that
don't work, you need to turn your air on high
and run water in all the sinks in the house.
The positive pressure from the aircon combined
with the negative static pressure of the water
passing to the sewer lines is usually enough to
do it. Or you can just go with a plunger. That
always works no matter which end you use. Just
be consistent.