One thing is clear: all of us will likely encounter plumbing issues in our lifetime at least once or twice. One of the least pleasant of these is a clogged toilet, stubbornly staying as such regardless of your attempts to flush away the filth. So you have a predicament and are now wondering, “How do I unclog my toilet full of gunge?”
To unclog your toilet, use the toilet brush to break up the feces or a plunger to help unclog. Suppose these do not get the job done. In that case, other alternatives include pouring roughly 2 cups of bleach into the toilet or combining vinegar and baking soda, which will help dissolve the contents.
When dealing with a feces-clogged toilet, your first option is to grab the toilet brush to help break up the pieces or pick up the plunger; however, sometimes, these options do not work, and we need to come up with other solutions instead. So, to save you the hassle of trying to figure it out and avoid plumbing expenses, we have compiled this article to give you a hand.
Using A Toilet Brush Or A Plunger To Unclog Your Toilet
When you experience the horrifying aspect of a toilet that is clogged up with poop and water, you may panic, especially if it is the case that you are at another person’s home. Please do not fret, though, as there is an array of solutions that we will unpack. You will be well-equipped to handle the situation by the end of this article.
The first port of call is to grab the nearest instrument to you, which is the toilet brush that most households have sitting near the toilet bowl. This is generally used when cleaning the toilet. Or if there are stains or remnants left in the bowl once we have finished with our business. However, you can also use it to help break down the pieces of feces, which may lead to the toilet unclogging.
The next item you can attempt to use is the humble plunger, which has always been an effective tool for handling these situations. The only problem is that you need to be careful of causing the muck and water to splash back onto you. If you are at someone else’s abode, you may need to ask where they keep their plunger if it is not already in the bathroom.
To unclog a toilet with a plunger, you simply need to place it into the opening (this may mean immersing it in the water) to create a vacuum. Move the plunger up and down as if you were churning butter in the good old days. Once you are started, get momentum going, and then step back and see if the contents subside.
The water should begin to release into the pipes, but if it is not happening at all or at a prolonged rate, you will need to continue the process. There are, however, occasions when this does not occur, and you need to consider alternative methods.
Unclog Your Toilet With Dish-Washing Soap And Hot Water
We can pour other things into the toilet to aid in getting it to unclog, but an excellent and easy option is first to try using a dish-washing liquid with hot water. This option will not be possible if the toilet is already almost overflowing. However, if there is space, you can add the liquid and hot water, and with some patience, you should find it aids in disintegrating the feces.
We say hot water, but boiling is ideal as it shall be more effective; using cold to lukewarm will not work for this operation. The liquid is also slippery, so it will help the contents stuck in the toilet bowl slide right out. It is unlikely that this will work on the first attempt, and therefore we recommend repeating the process.
Unclog Your Toilet Using Coca-Cola And Plastic Foil
That is correct; that lovely, delicious cola drink that many enjoy is also highly effective when needing a cleaning agent. It is known to be able to dissolve battery acid, so it should have no problem when handling a blocked toilet that needs to be unclogged. You will need roughly 80 oz (2 liters) of Coca-Cola to get the job done well and properly.
Also, you will want to use fresh cola that has plenty of fizz in it. Then, pour the Coke into the toilet bowl and immediately cover the opening with plastic foil. You will need to wait for approximately one hour before you go and inspect the toilet. The combination of the soda and plastic foil covering will cause both breakdown of the feces and cause pressure to build up.
Remove the foil and see if the fecal matter has subsided; if it is not too bad a clog, this should have done the trick. You will then be free to flush the toilet and clean any remaining residue that may have stuck to the bowl.
Combine Baking Soda And Vinegar To Unclog Your Toilet
If you do not have Coca-Cola in the house, then you may well at least have baking soda and vinegar, and if not, thankfully, they are a cheaper alternative than some other remedies. You will simply pour half a cup of both baking soda and vinegar into the toilet and allow it to sit there for close to an hour to be safe.
The combination of these two items will work in a similar way to Coke and help the feces to disintegrate, and this will allow you to then flush it down the toilet, or at the very least make it much easier to now plunge the toilet.
Use Household Bleach To Get Your Toilet Unclogged
We are starting to get towards the big guns now and are no longer messing around. Household bleach is something that most people will ordinarily have as it is used for general cleaning; however, it can also help unblock a toilet that is clogged up. It is better than many other products for this job, as the detergent is potent.
You are likely to use about two cups worth of bleach; once again, patience is crucial, and the bleach will need time to dissolve the poop and allow you to flush it down the drain then. If bleach does not do the trick, then look at our last two heavy-duty options.
Using Hydrogen Peroxide To Unclog Your Toilet
Hydrogen peroxide is excellent for killing germs, but it is also highly effective at aiding in unclogging stubborn toilets. One aspect you must be wary of, though, when using roughly a cup of hydrogen peroxide is that the water levels are not too high as this chemical can cause the toilet to overflow when you flush it. So if the bowl is full, try one of the other options first.
Using A Toilet Auger To Unclog Your Toilet
A toilet auger is likely the option you will use once you have exhausted all other options at your disposal. You can either buy one or use a medium-sized cable to snake your way through the toilet’s drainage system. An actual auger is likely your best bet, as it is designed to break the clog into more refined pieces and will not damage the toilet in the process.
You will feed the auger into the toilet, wiggle it around, and allow it to slide through the pipes and work its magic to get rid of the clog (however deep it may be). This is not something that most people will have lying around; however, it may be a worthwhile investment if you have regular plumbing issues with your toilet.
Conclusion
As we have seen, you can use the humble toilet brush and plunger, but there are other methods (some of which you may never have even thought of), such as using Coke or, as seen, a combination of baking soda and vinegar. Overall, it is best to start with the simplest possible solution and work through the other suggestions. If all else fails, it may be time to call the plumber and seek their help.
Amos Christen graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Interior Design from Drexel University — Philadelphia, PA. Since 2003, Amos has worked with top interior design professionals in this area, including architects and interior/graphic/lighting designers. As a skilled interior designer, Amos Christen is highly versed in fine arts and crafts and uses that to supplement his main area of expertise. He often publishes articles related to home décor on several websites, including Sprucetoilets.com, Sprucebathroom.com, and Mybesuitedhome.com. He also contributes to leading interior design magazines.