If dish soap, alone, doesn't fix your clog, it may be time to try some hot water. While it is okay to pour boiling water down sink drains, you should never use boiling water in your toilet, as the heat can cause the porcelain to crack.
This can melt PVC piping and pipe seals, causing serious damage. In addition, using boiling water to clear a clogged toilet can melt the wax ring around the toilet, or even crack the porcelain bowl, leading to a pricey trip to your favorite hardware store.
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.
If you can't unclog the toilet using a plunger or a snake, your next best option is to use boiling water. Boiling water can help to dissolve the clog and free up the pipes. To use this method, bring a pot of water to a boil and pour it into the toilet. Let it sit for a few minutes, and then flush the toilet.
Soap and Hot Water - Remove some of the water in the toilet with a cup or bowl to make room for adding about a gallon of water. Put a soap dish, shampoo, or slivers of bar soap in the bowl. Then heat a gallon of water to the temperature of hot tea, pour into the bowl, and wait about 20 minutes.
Caustic soda is a nasty chemical that can burn, but it's very effective for unclogging toilets. To use this chemical, you need to get some rubber gloves and eye protection. You can pick the chemical from the local hardware or grocery stores. Pour a ¾ gallon of cold water into a bucket, and add 3 cups of caustic soda.
Washing Up Liquid
Leave the washing up liquid to work for 30 minutes. Next, take a bucket of hot water and pour it into the toilet. The force of the water should help to dislodge the blockage further. Leave the washing up liquid for a further ten minutes then flush your toilet.
In modern houses some of the drain pipes are PVC plastic, and usually the boiling water will just flow through it without causing any damage. But if it goes through the pipe slowly the PVC could the deform.
However, if the clog is especially tough, your plunger may not be enough. So, what else can you do to clear a badly clogged toilet? The first thing you should do is stop flushing. If your toilet doesn't drain, persistent flushing will only fill the bowl with more water, making the problem worse.
For tough clogs, use a full cup. While that sits, bring a half pot of water (about 4 cups) to boil. Pour this directly into the drain very slowly but steadily to avoid getting burned by splashing water. Allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes, then run water down the drain to check how freely water flows.
If you have a porcelain sink, it is likely to crack due to the heat. All in all, pouring boiling water down your drain will only cause issues down the road. While you may solve an immediate pain point, the water can cause the grease to move down the drain and stick to the side of the drain.
When you are using a baking soda and vinegar solution to clean out your drain, you are actually causing the rubber and plastic that are used for the drain's pipes to be eaten away by the mixture. Over time, this rubber and plastic will break down, causing the drain to become even more blocked.
Salt & hot water
While hot water can help loosen up debris, coarse salt actually scours the inside of your pipes, removing more material than hot water alone. After removing standing water from the sink, pour about half a cup of table salt down the drain before you pour in the hot water.
Ideally, no more than five or 10 minutes. One plumber told us that if plunging goes on any longer, it's time to try a toilet snake or call an expert.
You can also pour vinegar down the drain on its own.
Pour about 1 cup of vinegar down your drain and let it sit for 30-40 minutes.
It may take 2 or 3 tries for the reaction to successfully remove all of the buildup clogging your drains. To prevent future drain buildups, pour equal parts baking soda and vinegar down the drain, let them sit for 10 minutes, then flush with hot water every few weeks or months.
Once a week, flush your drain by boiling a large pot of water. Pour one-half of the pot down the drain. Wait five minutes and pour the rest. It's a simple thing that can help dislodge any grease or debris lurking in your drain.
For clogged or slow-running drains, apply the product and let it work 15 minutes, then flush with hot water. For tough problems, allow 30 minutes before flushing.
Because the boiling temperature of the water is 212 degrees Fahrenheit, it is too hot for direct contact with porcelain sinks and PVC pipes. If you are sure your sink and pipes are neither of the above, slowly pour the boiling water directly down the drain. Afterward, see if the clog loosens up.
Homemade drain cleaner can break up even the toughest clogs in your sink. Baking soda, vinegar and Dawn dish soap along with boiling water can safely unclog a drain.
BLEACH DOESN'T CLEAR DRAIN CLOGS.
It cannot dissolve things like food waste, breadcrumbs, grease, and hair. Instead, pouring bleach into a clogged drain will make things worse. The bleach could react with other chemicals, creating dangerous fumes, and if the reaction is violent, it can even burst your drain pipes.