What is more nerve-wracking than dealing with a nearly overflowing toilet? Yes, finding yourself with no plunger. Yikes!
A clogged toilet is one of the most common household issues. But don’t panic because there are simple yet effective ways to fix it. With the right combination of know-how and essential tools, you should be able to prevent yourself from being in a nasty flooded bathroom. You can get things in working order with these mess proof methods.
Here are six effective ways to get the water flowing.
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1. Pour hot water
Use hot water, not boiling water. Boiling water can crack the porcelain. Fill a bucket with hot water and pour it into the toilet from about your waist level. Then, let it sit for a couple of minutes before you flush it down. The hot water should be able to dislodge whatever is causing it to clog.
2. DIY bath bomb
You can create a DIY bath bomb by mixing these superhero worthy ingredients – baking soda, Epsom salt, dishwashing soap.
How to do it:
- 2 cups baking soda
- ¼ cup Epsom salt
- 8-1 tablespoons of dishwashing soap
- Mix all ingredients and then put them in a muffin tray. Let them dry and harden overnight.
- Once it’s ready, you can drop it into the toilet bowl with a few cups of water.
- Let it sit and dissolve for a few hours. It will help to loosen up any ‘brownish’ gunk that is blocking the water flow.
READ: How to clean a burnt pot or pan?
3. Squeeze in dishwashing soap
Dishwashing soap does the trick as well. Squeeze a generous amount of soap into the bowl, add some hot water and let it sit for a while. For extreme clog, you may want to leave it overnight. The soap will act as a lubricant that helps debris slide down seamlessly. Alternatively, you can also use bar soap. Chop it into smaller chunks, and drop the pieces into the toilet.
4. Use a wire hanger
No plumbing snakes? No problem. Unwind and straighten the hanger except for the hook. You might want to use a hanger with plastic coating to avoid it from scratching the toilet. Angle the hanger down and prod the debris until water starts to drain. Then, flush the toilet a few times to clear it out. Also, don’t forget to wear rubber gloves when you’re doing this method.
5. Use a toilet brush
Push the bristles down the drain and pump the toilet brush up and down the same way you would use a plunger. Do a few forceful pumps and the water will clear up in no time. It might not be the most pleasant method, but nothing is as gross as clearing up a flooded bathroom floor.
6. Combine bleach and powdered dishwashing soap
This method works wonder for really tough clogs. You need to mix two to three cups of bleach with a cup of powdered dishwashing soap. Then, pour the mixture into the toilet. Let it sit for 20 to 30 minutes and let the chemical mixture do its magic. Later, flush down all the debris. This method is the best if you’re dealing with a full toilet bowl.
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Thanks to these methods, now you can clear up a clogged toilet without a plunger. You can simply flush it away with common household items. Try them out and tell us which one works for you. Disgusting? Probably. But at least you cleared the toilet.