Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Using dish soap and hot water
• Method 2 of 3: Mix baking soda and vinegar
• Method 3 of 3: Dissolve the clump of dirt with a clothes hanger
• Warnings
• Necessities
• Use washing-up liquid and hot water
• Mix baking soda and vinegar
• Dissolve the clump of dirt with a clothes hanger

It is annoying when your toilet is clogged because you cannot use it until it is unclogged and there is a chance that the water will spill over the rim of the toilet bowl. If your toilet is clogged and you don't have a plunger around the house, you can use a number of other household items to clear the blockage. In the event of a severe blockage, you may need a special sewer spring to break the lump of debris into small pieces. When you are done, your toilet should be functioning normally again.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Using dish soap and hot water

1. Put 60 ml of dish soap in the toilet and let it soak for 25 minutes. Pour liquid dish soap into the toilet bowl so that it flows down the drain. While you wait 25 minutes, the detergent will make the drain slippery, so the clump of dirt will slide down the drain more easily. While you wait, you may see the water settle down as the lump breaks up and comes loose.

   Tip: do not use bar soap or shampoo, as they contain fats and can make the blockage worse.

   
   
2. Pour 4 liters of hot water into the toilet bowl. Use the hottest water that comes from the tap. Just above the drain, slowly pour the water into the toilet bowl to help flush out the clump of dirt. The combination of hot water and dish soap can break up the lump of dirt so you can flush your toilet again.
   • Only pour hot water into the toilet bowl if there is no risk of it overflowing.
   • You can also add 200 grams of Epsom salt to break up the lump of dirt.

   Warning: never pour boiling water into the toilet bowl. The sudden change in temperature can cause the china or ceramic to crack, damaging your toilet.

3. Flush the toilet to see if the lump has been flushed away. Flush your toilet normally and see if the water drains completely. If so, the detergent and hot water have worked well. If the toilet is still clogged, you can try again or try some other way to fix the clog.

Method 2 of 3: Mix baking soda and vinegar

1. Put 250 grams of baking soda in the toilet bowl. Throw the baking soda into the water. Try to spread it evenly throughout the toilet bowl so that it covers all surfaces. Wait for the baking soda to settle at the bottom of the toilet bowl, then move on to the next step.

   Tip: if the toilet bowl is not full of water, you can also pour 4 liters of hot water into the toilet bowl to disintegrate the lump of dirt.

   
   
2. Pour 500 ml of vinegar into the toilet bowl. Slowly pour the vinegar into the toilet bowl. Make circular movements so that the vinegar is evenly distributed over the toilet bowl. When the vinegar mixes with the baking soda, everything starts to fizz and bubble through a chemical reaction.
   • Avoid adding the vinegar so quickly that the fizzy mixture spills over the rim of your toilet bowl. When that happens, you have even more mess to clean up.
3. Let the mixture sit for an hour before flushing the toilet. As the vinegar and baking soda react with each other, the lump of debris disintegrates so that it can drain more easily. Use a different toilet or wait until an hour has passed before attempting to flush the toilet.
   • If the water still doesn't sink, try pouring the same amount of baking soda and vinegar into the toilet and letting it soak overnight.

Method 3 of 3: Dissolve the clump of dirt with a clothes hanger

1. Straighten a wire clothes hanger except for the hook. Grasp the hook firmly with thin-tipped pliers. Grab the bottom part of the clothes hanger and turn it counterclockwise to loosen it. When you've done that, straighten the hanger as best you can, but leave the hook alone so you can use it as a handle.
2. Tie a cloth around the end of the clothes hanger. Use the end of the hanger without a hook. Wrap the cloth around the hanger and tie it in a knot so that it stays put. The cloth prevents the clothes hanger from scratching and damaging your toilet bowl as you push it down the drain.
   • Choose a cleaning cloth that you no longer need, because it will get very dirty when you squeeze the clump of dirt.
   EXPERT TIP

   Pour 60 ml of dish soap into the toilet. Let the detergent flow to the bottom of the toilet bowl and soak for about 5 minutes before using the clothes hanger. During this time, the detergent will draw into the lump of dirt, causing it to disintegrate more quickly.

   • If you don't have liquid dish soap, you can also use another foaming cleanser like shampoo or shower gel.
3. Insert the end of the clothes hanger with the cloth around it into the toilet bowl. Hold the hook of the coat hanger firmly with your non-dominant hand. Push the end of the clothes hanger with the cloth around it into your toilet so that it disappears down the drain. Keep pushing the hanger down the drain until you feel a blockage or you've almost completely plunged it into the toilet.
   • Wear rubber cleaning gloves if you don't want to get toilet water splashed on your skin.

   Warning: the wire clothes hanger can scratch the bottom of the toilet bowl. If you don't want to risk scratching your toilet bowl, use a sewer spring.

   
   
4. Move the clothes hanger down the drain to push the clump of debris apart. Make quick up and down movements to disintegrate the lump. The lump should come off and the water in the toilet bowl should settle. Keep pushing the lump until you no longer feel a blockage.
   • If you don't feel a lump of dirt or blockage, the blockage may be deeper in the drain.
5. Flush the toilet. When you have removed the clothes hanger from the toilet bowl, flush the toilet in the normal way. If the clothes hanger helped, the water should drain easily. If not, you can try again to push the clump apart.
   • If a clothes hanger fails to clear the blockage on the second attempt, call an unclogging company to have the problem fixed.

Warnings

• Never throw boiling water in the toilet, because the sudden temperature difference can cause cracks in the porcelain.
• If you've tried all the methods in this article and your toilet is still clogged, call a plumbing company as soon as possible to have the problem fixed.

Necessities

Use washing-up liquid and hot water

• Liquid dish soap
• Bucket

Mix baking soda and vinegar

• Baking soda
• Vinegar

Dissolve the clump of dirt with a clothes hanger

• Iron wire clothes hanger
• Narrow-tipped pliers
• Cleaning cloth
• Liquid dish soap
• Cleaning gloves