There’s nothing worse than being landed with a blocked toilet, especially when you are in a hurry. If you ignore it or pass the buck, you could wind up with a flooded bathroom floor.
That’s why we are sure that these quick and fuss-free hacks are just what you need.
Having a game plan for tackling a blocked toilet could potentially save you hundreds of dollars in plumbers fees and perhaps some embarrassment over the course of a lifetime.
These seven quick tactics for dealing with a clogged toilet don’t require fancy products or plungers, relying on basics you are likely to have to hand.
Anyway, we know you are in a hurry so let’s get on with delivering the low-down on how to unblock your lavatory and get your washroom back to its best.
Get a dollar store bucket and keep it on hand to fill with warm water and pour at height into your toilet. The pressure of an increased volume of water may be just what you need to give the blockage that needed shift.
If your lavatory is slow draining you are likely to have success. When you are done it is worth keeping that bucket to give a weak flush the extra bit of oomph your solids may need!
Solids can be effectively broken down by the action of bleach. For this method to work, the bleach has to be thick, and you need to give it time to work.
Obviously, bleach vapors are noxious so make sure that you have plenty of ventilation when using it. If it is successful, the level of the blockage should fall. You can flush or pour a bucket of water down to finish the job.
If you prefer a chemical-lite approach to unclog your toilet, salt and bicarb work a treat. Simply add around 250 grams of salt and bicarb to the toilet bowl, leave for a couple of hours and then add hot water to flush.
You may want to use the salt and bicarb combo on your drains too.
Dawn dish soap is a surprisingly versatile product, and it really gets into gear if you are dealing with a toilet blockage. It must be something to do with the surface tension or physics of your solid mass, but we have had success time and time again by putting this down liberally, waiting then giving a good flush.
The best thing about this hack is it will leave your bowl squeaky clean and smelling great too!
This is a tried and trusted method, but you need to be careful as hot water can crack pipes, especially in chilly weather. Use hot water alongside any of the previously mentioned techniques.
A bit of agitation is sometimes all that is needed for getting to grips with a recently blocked toilet. Use the brush with a similar plunging action as you would with a plunger.
If you are left with a mucky brush clean it off with repeated flushing and let others know where it has been. You can also keep some dollar store brushes on hand that can be discarded as soon as you're done.
If your first response is “Ewwww!”, then this is not for you, friend. But if you don’t want the expense of a plumber and you are pressed for time, getting on some gloves and removing or macerating an obvious blockage will probably do the job.
Be careful doing this if you have put bleach or caustic substances down there, goggle-up and wash thoroughly after the job is done.
Until the next time, keep blockages at bay by going easy on the toilet roll and making sure everyone abstains from flushing items like wet wipes, diapers, and sanitary products.