Vinegar and Baking Soda First, pour a cup of baking soda directly into the toilet bowl. Carefully add two cups of vinegar to initiate a chemical reaction with the baking soda. Wait for 20 to 30 minutes to allow the reaction to break down the clog, and then give the toilet a flush.
Pour Dish Soap: Add a generous amount of dish soap into the toilet bowl. Let it sit for about 10-15 minutes to lubricate the clog. Add Hot Water: Carefully pour a bucket of hot (not boiling) water into the bowl from waist height. This can help break down the toilet paper.
Solution: Use a toilet plunger or toilet auger to push waste through and allow the toilet to flush, or use the plunger to create suction that will help dislodge paper waste blocking the flushing action and allow it to move down the pipe.
While results vary, most standard toilet paper dissolves within a few minutes to a few hours. However, thick, quilted, or ultra-soft varieties take longer to break down, which can cause problems if too much is flushed at once.
One of the strongest substances for unclogging a toilet is a commercial drain cleaner specifically designed for toilet clogs. These cleaners typically contain powerful chemicals that dissolve organic matter and stubborn blockages.
One very low tech method to unclog a toilet is to use a white wine vinegar and baking soda solution, as the chemical reaction can help dissolve the waste. We will explore this and other techniques in a bit more detail shortly…
Yes, a toilet can unclog itself over time, but it depends on what is causing the blockage. If the clog is made up of water-soluble materials, like toilet paper or fecal matter, then eventually they will begin dissolving if you give them enough time.
Excess Toilet Paper Use
Though toilet paper is designed to be flushed down the drain without issue, using too much toilet tissue does lead to recurring toilet clogs. The toilet tissue simply does not dissolve quick enough, so human waste and bathroom waste becomes stuck in the toilet or the sewer line.
Dissolve the paper in water.
Other household items you may add to the liquid solution include vinegar, boiling hot lemon juice, and even bleach, which does require caution. After soaking, the paper should become a wad of crumbled material as it dries.
If the blockage is a build-up of tissue paper, pour 3-4 cups of hot (not boiling) water from waist height into the toilet bowl. Give the hot water around 20 minutes to breakdown the blockage.
Use Drano® Max Build-Up Remover on a monthly basis to replenish the bacteria in the septic system that help break down toilet paper and organic matter in pipes.
You need water, not air, pressure to loosen the clog. If your toilet lacks water, pour in enough water till the plunger is covered. Use a gentle plunge initially since a hard one will force air back around the seal, blowing water all over you and your bathroom floor.
Epsom salt isn't just for bath time—it's also a surprisingly effective method for breaking down toilet paper clogs. To use this method, begin by pouring one to two cups of Epsom salt into the toilet bowl. Add hot water from the tap to help dissolve the salt.
Baking soda and vinegar
As soon as the mixture starts to fizz in the cup, pour it down the toilet and let it work on the blockage for about five minutes. If a subsequent flush doesn't clear the toilet, try repeating again with more baking soda.
You can use straight or a diluted vinegar cleaning solution for the bathroom to clean bacteria, especially around the toilet. Cleaning with a mixture of baking soda and vinegar in the bathroom can work really well. To clean your toilet with vinegar, pour a cup of vinegar in the toilet bowl and let sit overnight.
Make your own drain cleaner by pouring one cup of baking soda and two cups of vinegar into the toilet and adding a half gallon of hot water. Dish soap can also help loosen some obstructions. When using either method, allow the solution to sit overnight and then flush the toilet to see if the obstruction has cleared.
Letting a clogged toilet sit too long can result in more severe problems. Beyond the risk of overflow and water damage, the clog could also cause toilet water to back up into other parts of your plumbing system, affecting sinks, showers, and even your home's main sewer line.
How to fix it. To allow more water in the tank, try gently bending the arm on the float (which is connected to the fill valve). The higher the float, the more water is let into the tank. Flush the toilet once the water level has risen to the right level.
The culprits can be varied, ranging from low water levels in the toilet tank, which results in insufficient flushing power, to clogged pipes that impede the flow of waste and paper. Sometimes, the issue lies in the toilet design, which may need to provide more force to clear the bowl.
Check your water levels
Low water levels in your tank are common causes of toilets filling up with water when flushed. They can also cause slow-draining toilets. You can manually top up your tank with water to help the flush. Then, check the flush tube for cracks and bends that lead to leaks.