662-253-8493 Clogged toilets are nobody’s idea of a good time. Yet they’re pretty unavoidable. One minute you’re taking a quick trip to the bathroom, the next you’re frantically plunging an overflowing toilet.
Well, if your plunging skills fail you or the clog is just too tough, here are 4 alternative methods for clearing the mess. You might want to grab the rubber gloves for some of these.
Hot Water
In most cases, a little hot water is enough to break up a clog. Fill a pot or tea kettle with hot water (not boiling) and slowly pour the water down the drain. Let it sit for a few minutes. If the water starts to drain, you’ll know it’s working. You can follow up with a few pumps of the plunger, or simply flush.
Liquid Dish Soap
If hot water alone doesn’t do the trick, try pouring a little liquid dish soap down your toilet. Soap can act as a lubricant and help get things moving again. Squeeze about a ¼ cup into the bowl and let it sit for about 10 minutes, allowing the soap to move down the drain and reach the clog. Then, add hot (not boiling) water and give it a few more minutes before plunging or flushing.
Baking Soda and Vinegar
If your toilet bowl is overflowing, empty some of the water out. Then, pour a cup of baking soda and one cup of vinegar down the drain. When the baking soda and vinegar combine, the mixture will bubble up and help loosen the clog. Let that sit for 30 minutes before adding hot water. If it doesn’t drain after flushing, repeat those same steps.
Faux Plumbing Snake
If you don’t have your own plumbing snake, you can make one out of a wire hanger. Unwind the hanger to make it completely straight, but leave the hook intact. Wrap a small rag around the hook so that you don’t scratch or damage the porcelain. Then gently angle the hanger down the drain until it reaches the clog. Once you notice the water draining, flush the toilet a couple of times to fully remove the matter that caused the clog.
Can we guarantee that one or more of the above toilet clearing steps will work? Unfortunately not. If, for example, the clog is further down the drain then a snake can reach, it may take “next level” measures to remove it. So if your DIY steps aren’t producing a favorable result, contact the home plumbing professionals at Service Pros. We have yet to meet the clogged drain or toilet that we couldn’t break up and get your sewer or drain lines working perfecting once again.
