What is the best detergent to unclog a toilet?

Author: Annabel Bins  |  Last update: Saturday, August 30, 2025

If you hate the smell of vinegar or don't have enough room in the toilet bowl to do the volcano trick, try this inexpensive and very effective plumbing trick. Pour a half cup of dish detergent (degreasing dish detergent like Dawn works best) into the clogged toilet. Follow this with three to four cups of boiling water.

What detergent is best for unblocking toilet?

As it turns out, you can actually unclog a toilet with dish soap instead of turning to a harsh, toxic bowl cleaner. Just as natural dish soap helps break down dirt, grease, and food that may be stuck on dishes and utensils, it can help break down what's in your toilet bowl.

What will dissolve a toilet clog?

Pour one cup of baking soda into the toilet bowl, followed by two cups of vinegar. Allow the mixture to sit for about 30 minutes. Then, pour a bucket of hot water into the bowl from waist height. The combination of baking soda, vinegar, and hot water may help dissolve the clog and clear the drain (2).

What is the best liquid to unblock a toilet?

Vinegar and Baking Soda: While not a chemical per se, a mixture of vinegar and baking soda can be an effective natural solution for unclogging toilets. Pour one cup of baking soda into the toilet bowl, followed by one cup of vinegar. Let the mixture sit for about 30 minutes before flushing with hot water (2).

How do you unblock a badly blocked toilet fast?

Mix one cup of baking soda and vinegar, each near the source of the toilet clog and allow the reaction to take place. The bubbles created by the response will break down the clog. Give the baking soda mixture about 30 minutes to do its job, then follow it up with boiling water.

How To Unclog Toilet Without a Plunger using Dish Soap! (Updated)

How do you unclog a toilet when the plunger doesn't work?

If plunging the toilet doesn't work, here are seven ways to fix a clogged toilet.
  1. Drain snake. If the plunger isn't working, your next best option is to use a drain snake. ...
  2. Boiling Water. ...
  3. Chemical Drain Cleaners. ...
  4. Baking Soda Mixture. ...
  5. Vinegar Mixture. ...
  6. Squirt Gun Drainer. ...
  7. Call a Plumber.

How to unblock a toilet full of tissue?

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.

What is good to pour in clogged toilet?

Pour in Soap & Hot Water

Dish soap is more dense than hot water, and it's also designed to help break down grease and grime—especially mixed with hot water. It should be no surprise, then, that this mixture can also help loosen many materials that can clog a toilet bowl.

What liquid do plumbers use to unclog drains?

Hydrochloric Acid (Muriatic Acid)

Properties and Uses: Hydrochloric acid, also known as muriatic acid, is a highly corrosive acid used extensively by plumbers to clear severe clogs. It reacts rapidly with organic materials in drains, breaking them down into simpler compounds that can be easily flushed away.

Why can't you use Mr. Muscle drain Gel in the toilet?

Mr Muscle Drain Gel is not recommended for use in toilets because the powerful chemicals in the gel can damage the porcelain and the flush mechanism, leading to costly repairs. Instead of risking damage, consider using a plunger or a plumbing snake to clear toilet blockages.

What breaks down a blocked toilet?

Plunger Method: Creates suction and pressure to clear blockages. Baking Soda and Vinegar Method: Chemical reaction to break down blockages. Toilet Auger Method: Physically removes or breaks up stubborn blockages. Pressure Washer Method: High-pressure solution for deep blockages.

How long does dish soap take to unclog a toilet?

Pouring dish soap down a toilet will unclog many obstructions. Pour 1/2- to 1-cup of dish soap directly in the toilet water and wait about 30 minutes before flushing. Follow the dish soap with a gallon of hot water if dish soap alone does not work.

What not to do when unclogging a toilet?

3 Ways NOT to Unclog Your Toilet (Unless You Want to Damage It)
  1. Using chemical drain cleaners (like Drano) Most chemical drain cleaners clear your drain by breaking down the clog with a chemical reaction. ...
  2. Plunging down too hard. ...
  3. Using the wrong plumber's snake.

What household product will unclog a toilet?

Dish soap is preferred, but if you can't break free to the kitchen, liquid hand soap, body wash, or a bath bomb can work. Squeeze about a quarter cup (or as much as you can) as close to the hole as possible. Add some hot (not boiling) water and let sit to help lubricate and loosen the clog.

How to unblock a badly blocked toilet with washing up liquid?

Next, pour half a glass of washing-up liquid into the bowl to help lubricate it then wait 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, pour 2-3 litres of hot but not boiling water into the bowl which should create pressure at the blockage. Pour the water quickly but be careful not to scald yourself.

What substance can I use to unclog a toilet?

Solution 2: Vinegar and Baking Soda

Pour about half a cup of baking soda into your clogged toilet and wait for a few minutes. Then, carefully pour in two cups of vinegar. The reaction between the base (baking soda) and the acid (vinegar) should be apparent very quickly.

What is the best liquid to unclog a toilet?

Drano for toilets is a popular choice for many homeowners when dealing with stubborn clogs. This powerful product has been a trusted solution for many years, effectively breaking down and dislodging blockages that can cause significant inconvenience and potential damage in the bathroom.

Why should you never use baking soda and vinegar to unclog a drain?

The fizzing reaction and gas created may help loosen some small blockages. However, it is not typically strong enough to break down larger clogs or remove hard-to-reach debris. As a result of the above facts, if you have a serious drain clog, using baking soda and vinegar is unlikely to be effective.

What do professionals use to unblock drains?

Drain snakes also called drain rooters or augers, use a long cable with a spiral-shaped head.

How to unclog an extremely clogged toilet?

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.

Does pouring coke down the toilet unclog it?

By pouring a caustic soda (coke, for example) into the toilet bowl, you can speed the dissolving process along considerably. Simply dump a can of cola in the water and let it eat away at the debris. Just be sure never to flush the toilet when the water level is already high.

How do you dissolve clogged toilet tissue?

Pour in boiling water.

The high heat will help soften compacted paper and flush small pieces away. Repeat using smaller amounts of boiling water if needed. Do not lean over the toilet during this.

Can you put anything down a toilet to unblock it?

Pour several squirts of dishwashing detergent down your toilet, and follow it up with some hot water. Wait for around 30 minutes to give the soap time to work, and then, flush your toilet. If the clog is severe, you can allow the dish soap to sit overnight before flushing the toilet.

Can you use Mr. Muscle drain Gel in the toilet?

Retail chemical drain cleaner

If the clog in your toilet is caused by excess tissue, products like Mr. Muscle and Drano can be viable solutions to break it down, but they come with drawbacks.

Will a toilet unclog eventually?

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.

Previous article
Can you use Dawn to clean a fridge?
Next article
What happens if I put R12 in a R-134a system?