Uh-oh! Your toilet doesn’t seem to be flushing properly. It seems something is clogging the pipes, and you don’t have a plunger! Don’t worry! There are various different ways to turn this nightmare around using some household items. Before
calling a plumber in a panic, follow these instructions to get things flowing again.
1. Wait it out
Sometimes the pressure of the water in the bowl can be enough to pass the clog in the toilet. You’ll have to wait overnight though, and it’s not guaranteed to work.
2. Hot water
Pour hot water into the toilet bowl. The pressure and heat may be enough to dislodge the blockage. While the water should be hot, it should not be boiling; boiling water could cause your toilet bowl to crack. Leave the hot water to sit for a few minutes, and if you see the water beginning to drain then you know that it’s worked. Flush the toilet a couple of times and hey presto! An unclogged loo.
3. Dishwashing liquid
An alternative option is to pour about a cup of dishwashing liquid (or any liquid soap you have) into the toilet bowl. The slippery soap should lubricate the clog so that it can be dislodged, or the soap may break up the blockage. You could combine the hot water and dishwashing liquid methods. If you do this, wait about 30 minutes for the soap to work. And then flush.
4. Epsom salts
Epsom salts fizz when added to water. The fizzing of the Epsom salts could break up the blockage, allowing it to be flushed away.
5. Baking soda and vinegar
A mixture of baking soda and vinegar will fizz and froth, potentially dislodging the clog while also acting as a powerful cleaner. Pour a cup of baking soda into the toilet bowl and let it settle to the bottom, slowly add about two cups of vinegar pouring it in a circular manner into the toilet bowl. Let the mixture settle for about an hour and try to flush. If this doesn’t work, you can repeat it, but let the mixture settle overnight.
6. A wire hanger
Unfold an unwanted wire hanger and straighten it out. Then tie a rag on the end that you are going to put in the toilet (this will prevent the wire from scratching the porcelain). Manoeuvre the wire into the toilet bowl and try to dislodge the clog or break it up.
7. Toilet brush
Wrap your toilet brush head with a plastic bag, so that there’s something to help you create suction. The push your toilet brush towards the drain of the toilet bowl and thrash up and down, as if it were a plunger. This vigorous method should be enough to loosen up the clog.
8. Drain cleaner
This isn’t the best method, since drain cleaning chemicals can be dangerous. If handled incorrectly they can cause burns, damage your plumbing, and harm the environment. However, if this is the only option you have, read the instructions on the bottle and follow them carefully.
9. Bath bombs
A bath bomb may be the most controversial method on this list but if you are in a pickle at a friends house, it’s a potential shame saver. The same effervescent reaction of the Epsom salts mentioned above could fizz and cause the clog to dislodge. You might not get away with this without mentioning it to your host, but depending on the circumstances, it may be worth a go. Let the bath bomb fizzle and settle for a couple of minutes and see if the water starts to drain from the bowl.
Whichever method you choose, stick to it. Don’t throw all the bathroom chemicals and household supplies you have into the toilet bowl and hope for the best. Mixing chemicals can be very dangerous, so use caution. The last thing you want to do is make the problem worse!