Unclog a Toilet Without a Plunger
This is the coolest trick to unclog a toilet. It's so much cleaner than using a plunger. I can’t promise it will work every time for you, but it worked every time I tried it. All you need is dish soap and hot water.
I would never actually photograph a real clogged toilet because that would be gross. But I wanted to show you how well this method worked, so I stuffed my toilet full of paper towels and toilet paper. I thought those were some pretty tough conditions.
Step 1: Gather Supplies
I used dish soap and hot water. (I told you this was cleaner than using a plunger!)
Step 2: Squirt in Some Soap
I just squirted in about ¼ cup of dish soap.
You'll see the soap settle to the bottom. It lubricates the toilet bowl and helps break up the toilet paper.
Step 3: Add Very Warm Water
I didn’t add boiling water because I didn’t want to damage any of the seals or the toilet bowl itself, but hot water helps break up all the toilet paper. Add enough to help break everything up, but make sure not to overflow the toilet.
Step 4: Flush
You'll see the water slowly move down (it might take a few minutes, so be patient). Once that happens, feel free to flush it and watch the clog go down the drain. Easy peasy!
For more ideas on how to fix a gurgling toilet click here!
We want to help you DIY, so some of the materials in this post are linked to sellers. Just so you know, Hometalk may collect a small share of sales from the links on this page.
Resources for this project:
Comments
Join the conversation
-
I have poured bleach down my toilet, let it sit for about 1/2 hour then flush. This has worked every time.
-
I've had the problem where the clog was not caused by the paper products, but by human waste that was too solid to go down the drain. Nothing worked until a plumber had to snake it out.
-
Dish soap breaks down the protein. Let it sit a little while .. 30 minutes or so. The slowly add hot water from tap from a bucket. A little at a time.
As long as someone did not put a tampon down the toilet, it will work. I have done it for years.
Also, make certain the tp used is very septic safe. Whether you have a septic or not. The strongest dish soap is Ajax.
I squirt it in my sink drains and make certain to run hot water behind it after it coats itself along the drain.
-
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
I’m just wondering how safe this method would be for toilets with a leach bed? Or septic system?
I always thought you weren't suppose to put paper towels in the toliet for these plug toliets?
What's the best method for cleaning the soleplate of an iron?