How to unclog a toilet, with or without a plunger

What should you do first when a toilet clogs?

When the water in the bowl rises after a flush and stays there, resist the urge to flush again. American Standard warns against flushing a clogged toilet over and over, because each flush sends more water into a bowl that has no way to empty it. Your first move is to turn off the water at the shutoff valve on the supply line that feeds the tank, so the tank cannot refill and push the water in the bowl over the rim.

Before you start, protect the floor around the toilet. American Standard suggests laying old towels or paper towels around the base and putting on rubber gloves, since plunging tends to splash. If other people live with you, let them know the bathroom is out of use for a while, so nobody flushes while the plunger is in the bowl.

How do you plunge a toilet correctly?

A plunger works by pushing and pulling the water held in the bowl, which moves the clog back and forth until it breaks apart or slides down the drain. That only happens when the rubber cup forms a good seal over the drain opening at the bottom of the bowl. American Standard lays out the process in these steps:

1. Turn off the water to the toilet and avoid flushing while the bowl is full.
2. Cover the floor around the toilet with old towels or paper towels.
3. Put on rubber gloves and set the plunger in the bowl so the rubber cup covers the trapway hole completely.
4. Pump the plunger vigorously for 5 to 10 minutes. The water should begin to drain, and it can take several tries.
5. Remove the plunger, turn the water back on and flush once to test the result.
6. If the toilet is still clogged, repeat the plunging and the test flush until the toilet flushes normally.

Keep your strokes steady and keep the rubber cup submerged, since the plunger does its work by moving the water around it. Run the test flush with the lid up and one hand near the shutoff valve, so you can close it again right away if the water in the bowl starts to climb toward the rim.

How do you unclog a toilet without a plunger?

If there is no plunger in the house, or plunging has left the bowl still full, American Standard describes two household methods that loosen a clog so it can move on its own or with a few more strokes of a plunger. The first uses liquid dishwashing soap. Pour an ample amount into the bowl, follow it with a pot of hot water, and let the mixture sit for about 10 minutes. American Standard specifies hot water that has not reached a boil. After the soak, try a test flush with your hand near the shutoff valve, or plunge again using the same steps as before.

The second method uses 1 cup of baking soda and 1 cup of vinegar poured into the bowl. American Standard says to let them sit for 5 minutes, add a pot of hot water that has not boiled, wait another 10 minutes and then plunge. Poison Control adds a useful note about this pairing: the reaction between baking soda and vinegar produces carbon dioxide, which usually cannot build enough pressure to clear a clog by itself, and the mixture is unlikely to dissolve a tough grease clog. Treat it as a soak that softens the clog and gets it ready for the plunger, and plan on plunging afterward.

Can a drain snake clear a toilet clog?

When a clog sits deeper in the trapway, the curved passage molded into the toilet itself, a snake can reach it physically and break it up or pull it back out. The EPA's septic care guidance recommends a drain snake as an alternative to chemical drain openers for a clogged drain. Toilet augers, also called closet augers, are drain snakes sold for use in toilets, and the instructions that come with the specific tool you buy are the ones to follow, since cable length and handle design vary from one model to the next.

Kohler's homeowner guide for one of its toilets lists a clogged trapway or clogged rim holes among the causes of a poor flush and recommends cleaning them when necessary. Work slowly, follow the tool's instructions, and test with a single flush once the cable is back out of the bowl.

Are chemical drain cleaners safe to use in a toilet?

Chemical drain cleaners are worth keeping out of a clogged toilet. According to Poison Control, non-enzymatic drain cleaners contain strong acids such as sulfuric or hydrochloric acid, or strong alkalis such as sodium or potassium hydroxide, and swallowing them can cause serious burns, permanent tissue damage and even death. On skin, they can cause pain, irritation and burns. Poison Control also points out that splashback is a particular risk when a cleaner is poured from high up or into a drain that is fully blocked, which describes a clogged toilet bowl full of water.

The EPA advises homeowners with septic systems to avoid chemical drain openers for a clogged drain, because toxins poured down the drain can kill the organisms that treat wastewater in the tank and can end up discharged into groundwater. If a cleaner is already sitting in the bowl, plunging would splash that water, so wear goggles and rubber gloves as Poison Control recommends, keep children and pets out of the bathroom, and tell the plumber exactly which product you used. If someone swallows drain cleaner, gets it on their skin or breathes in the fumes, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 or use the webPOISONCONTROL online tool. The service is free, confidential and available 24 hours a day.

Why does your toilet keep clogging?

A toilet that clogs again and again usually has a cause worth tracking down. Kohler's troubleshooting guide lists a clogged trapway or rim holes, a clogged soil pipe and clogged vents among the causes of a weak flush, and the soil pipe and vents run inside the walls and floors of the house. American Standard notes that older toilets may have weaker flushing power. If the tank is acting up as well, with water running long after the flush, our guide on how to fix a running toilet walks through the parts inside the tank. The EPA notes that a single leaky or running toilet can add as much as 200 gallons of water per day, so a tank problem is worth fixing at the same time.

What should never go down a toilet?

Most prevention comes down to what goes into the bowl. The EPA's rule of thumb is to flush nothing besides human waste and toilet paper, and the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension sums up the same idea as the three P's: pee, poop and toilet paper. American Standard explains that facial tissues, cotton swabs, tampons and dental floss do not break down in water. The EPA's list of items never to flush includes:

• Non-flushable wipes, such as baby wipes and other wet wipes
• Paper towels, diapers and feminine hygiene products
• Dental floss, condoms and cigarette butts
• Cooking grease or oil and coffee grounds
• Cat litter and pharmaceuticals
• Household chemicals such as gasoline, oil, pesticides, antifreeze and paint or paint thinners

Wipes sold as flushable deserve a mention of their own. The University of Georgia Extension takes up the question of whether to flush them and answers that most sources say you should not. Adding a quick check of each toilet's flush to the bathroom tasks in our seasonal home maintenance checklist helps you notice a slow flush early, and you can find more guides like this one in our bathroom section.