Everyone has been there. You’ve flushed the toilet and instead of the water going down, it starts rising. In this situation, we would all like to think that we would have a plunger readily available to save the day, but the unfortunate reality is that most of us buy things AFTER we need them… No need to fear though! Our team is here to help. We have put together a list of some of the most common and safe was to unclog a toilet without a plunger.
Step 1: Turn Off the Water to the Toilet
If you haven’t already, make sure to turn off the water supply to your toilet. This will prevent water from overflowing or prevent it from continuing to overflow. Click Here for a great WikiHow article on how to turn off the water supply.
Step 2: Unclogging the Toilet
Start with Dish Soap
Dish soap isn’t just great for cleaning your dishes! If you are stuck without a plunger, the lubrication properties of dish soap make it a great alternative. Just dump about half a cup of dish soap into the bowl and allow it to sit for a couple of minutes. Likewise, thinly sliced bar soap can also be used to lubricate the bowl.
Add Hot Water
Sometimes dish soap is not enough to get things moving again. In this case, adding a bit of hot water might be just what you need. Just fill a bucket with WARM water (NOT BOILING) and dump it down the drain. **Pouring boiling water into a ceramic toilet can cause it to crack.
Use a Wire Hanger as a Drain Snake
More sever clogs can require you to manually move the item out of the way. If you don’t have a wire snake, you can make one by raveling a wire coat hanger. After you have your tool in hand, use it to gently push the blockage through the drain. **Be careful to not scratch the toilet bowl when using the wire hanger.
Use Science Fair Materials
Another good alternative solution to a plunger is baking soda. Just pour 1x cup of baking soda and 2x cups of vinegar into the toilet. Let that mixture sit for half an hour. Just like a volcano in a science fair, the reaction between the baking soda and vinegar will fizz and begin to break down the clog. If this doesn’t disperse the blockage, try dumping a bucket of hot water on the clog.
Step 3: Call the Professionals
We know it can be difficult and unsavory to unclog a toilet, but you are not alone in this! Our team of highly skilled plumbers are standing by to get your toilet flushing smoothly once again. Just give us a call or schedule an appointment online!
Author Bio:
Brittany Katterjohn
Brittany is a marketer, entrepreneur, and writer with previous business development experience in the home maintenance industry. She currently manages the marketing for Complete Comfort Heating, Air & Plumbing and has a passion for helping people by simplifying seemingly complicated topics related to home maintenance and repair.
