How To Flush A Clogged Toilet – Reasons And Quick Fix

A clogged toilet is the stuff of nightmares. Finding yourself in can be a stressful, disgusting, and even dangerous predicament.

And that’s when it’s just you – imagine trying to deal with it while someone else is on hand to help too.

My article “How To Flush A Clogged Toilet” will show you exactly how to clear any toilet – even if it completely stuffed itself.

If you have a clogged toilet, you can do a few things to clear it out. One is to pour some water into the toilet and flush it. Another is to use a plunger to push the suds out of the way. And finally, if all else fails, you can try using a bucket or a plunger to push the dirt and frustrated sewage down the drain.

How To Flush A Clogged Toilet – Step by Step Guide

How to flush a clogged toilet

If you’ve ever had a clogged toilet, you know how frustrating it can be. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you unclog your toilet in no time.

Step 1: Remove the lid from the toilet.

Step 2: Flush the toilet and wait for it to fill with water.

Step 3: Open the valve under the tank and let all of the water drain out into a bucket or other container.

Step 4: Fill a bucket or bowl with warm water and add dish soap to it (you can also use some bleach if that works better for you). Put on rubber gloves, then pour this mixture into the toilet bowl.

Step 5: Wait about 10 minutes for everything to work through your pipes before flushing again. Repeat these steps if it still doesn’t work until things start moving.

Explore more with our blogs: 

How to Flush Toilet Without Handle

How to Flush Toilet During Power Outage

How to Flush Toilet if Water Is Off

How To Clean A Clogged Toilet | 5 Simple Tricks

How to flush a clogged toilet

If your toilet is clogged, don’t panic. You can fix it with these five simple tricks. Well, I must say that trick number 3 and 4 are my favorite because I have tried them personally and got unexpected results. 

However, if these two tricks do not work for you, then don’t worry. Here we have three more tricks for you that will work in your case.

Pour Hot Water In The Drain

To clean a clogged toilet, the first trick we can use is to pour hot water down the drain.

To do this, you’ll want first to find the shutoff valve for your toilet and turn it off. You can find this valve near the base of your toilet tank.

If you’re unsure how to find the shutoff valve, ask someone who lives in your house or talk to a plumber—they will know how to help you.

Once you’ve turned off the water supply, fill a bucket with hot water from your sink faucet (the hottest water possible).

Then, using a plunger, plunge the water down into the drain as far as possible—this will push any clog further down into the pipes and hopefully dislodge it. So that it can be flushed away later by running more water through your system.

Use Dish Soap

Let’s move on to the next trick: using a block of dish soap. If you haven’t heard of this trick, you will be surprised. You can use dish soap to clean a clogged toilet, which works like a charm.

Dish soap is a simple and safe way to unclog your toilet. The combination of the cleaning power of dish soap and the high water pressure in your sink will be able to break up any blockage in your toilet.

First, turn off all water in your house by turning off the main supply valve. Next, flush the toilet to drain as much of the water from it as possible.

Then, fill your sink with warm water and add one cup of dish soap. Turn on the hot water and let it run for about five minutes until it starts to get sudsy.

Turn off the hot water and carefully pour it into the toilet bowl through an open faucet until it begins to overflow with suds.

Let this sit for 10 minutes before running more hot water down through the same faucet (you may have to repeat this step once or twice). 

Once you’ve emptied all your soapy water from your sink into your toilet bowl, turn on the cold and hot water at full pressure and flush away any remaining residue inside your pipes.

Pour Baking Soda And Vinegar Mixture

Now it’s time for one of my favorite tricks: pouring baking soda and vinegar mixture. 

This method works by using baking soda to soften the blockage in your toilet and vinegar to help dissolve it so that it can be flushed away easily. To clean a clogged toilet with baking soda and vinegar mixture:

Start by filling the sink with water and placing a bucket directly under it. Next, add 1 cup of baking soda to your bucket and slowly pour it into the sink as you run the faucet to create a flowing stream of water. 

The baking soda will begin to foam up as it dissolves in water, so be sure not to add too much at once, or else it might overflow out of your sink.

After about an hour has passed, pour 1 cup of vinegar into another bucket and slowly pour this down your drain as well; this will help neutralize any leftover baking soda residue that may still be inside your pipes. 

If there are still any clogs (such as after waiting overnight), try repeating this process until everything has been cleared out completely.

Use A Plunger

Now, this is the most common and widely used trick using a Plunger (also one of my favorite). First, remove the lid from the tank and place it on the floor to catch any water that may spill out during the process.

Next, place the plunger over the hole in the bottom of your toilet. The plunger should be deep enough to cover most of this hole.

But not so deep that it covers up the entire hole (otherwise, you won’t be able to get it off later).

Place your hand on top of the plunger handle, then press down hard and fast several times until all the water has been sucked out of your toilet bowl.

If you’re having trouble getting all the water out, try twisting or rocking your hand back and forth on the plunger handle while pressing down firmly with your other hand.

If necessary, you can also try using more force or going faster with each press.

Once all the water is gone from inside your toilet bowl, turn off any running faucets in your house.

So that no more water flows into it from those sources (you don’t want to accidentally flood yourself by adding too much at once).

If you don’t have a Plunger worry not. Get some effective ideas from my article How to Flush Toilet Without Plunger.

Use Plumbing Snake

A plumbing snake is a long, thin tool that you can use to dislodge stuff that has gotten stuck in your toilet. It’s usually metal or plastic and has a hook and a coil.

You insert the hook into the drain, then pull it back out with whatever you’re trying to pull out of there attached to it.

First, locate the drain pipe under your toilet using a plumbing snake. You may see it as part of your toilet’s base or as an attached pipe beneath the bowl itself.

Once you have found it, place one end of the snake into it and push gently until you feel resistance – this means that you have reached something solid. 

Then pull back on the handle and allow the snake’s head to grab onto whatever is blocking your drain pipe (such as hair).

If there is nothing there for it to grab onto, try moving higher up into the pipe until something catches its eye.

If none of these methods work for you, don’t hesitate to contact your local plumber or utility company for further assistance.

What Are The Causes Of Toilets Becoming Clogged?

Toilets become clogged for several reasons, and it would be helpful if you knew most of these reasons to avoid or tackle these causes for the sake of a clean toilet.

Clogged Drain line

The most common cause of a clogged drain is a clog in the main sewer line. This can happen after tree roots have grown into the pipe or when grease gets into the pipe from cooking spills that have been washed down the drain. 

A clogged main sewer line will cause all your home’s drains to back into your home’s plumbing system.

If you have been experiencing problems with the drains in your home and have not had them checked out by a professional plumber, it is probably time to do so before things get worse.

Hard Water

Hard water is another cause of toilets becoming clogged. When hard water sits in your toilet bowl, waste can be more brutal to go down the drain.

This is because hard water causes the surface tension of the liquid to be greater than that of a regular toilet flush. 

This causes waste to stick to the surface of the water and not be able to flow out of your toilet bowl. In addition, as you flush your toilet, this excess water enters your drainage pipes and mixes with other waste materials such as food scraps and grease.

This creates a clog that prevents further waste from being removed from your home.

Flushing Non-Flushable Items

Of all the things that can cause a toilet to become clogged, flushing non-flushable items are the most common.

Paper towels, tissues, and other similar items do not break down like toilet paper, so they can quickly clog up your pipes

Even if you don’t see these items in the toilet bowl when you flush, there’s always a chance that they’ll be caught in the trap at the bottom of your toilet tank or somewhere along your pipe system.

Low-Flow Toilet

Low-flow toilets are a common cause of toilet clogs. This is because low-flow toilets use less water to flush, which means they can also hold less waste than traditional toilets.

This lack of capacity can lead to clogs and other problems with your plumbing system. The solution is simple: install an aerator on your toilet. 

Aerators are inexpensive and easy to install, and they make sure that your toilet uses only as much water as it needs.

Blockages on the Plumbing Vent

If you’re having trouble with your toilet, it could be due to a plumbing vent blockage. When a toilet becomes clogged, it can be very frustrating.

A blockage often causes clogs in the sewage pipe or vent pipe that leads to the sewer system. This can prevent wastewater from flowing out of your home and cause backups inside your home.

If you have recently had a clog in your toilet, there may also be a blockage in one of these pipes. Look at the plumbing vent cap on top of your toilet tank lid to check for this problem.

If there is any water inside this cap or if it looks cracked or damaged, this may indicate a problem with your plumbing vent system.

Also Read:

How to Unclog Korean Toilet

Conclusion 

In conclusion, it is essential to flush toilets regularly to prevent clogged toilets. My guide on how to flush a clogged toilet will be helpful for you to face this situation smartly.

Flushing lavatories regularly can help to clear any built-up matter and free the toilet of any obstructions.

FAQs

What is the fastest way to unclog a toilet?

There is a fast and easy way to unclog your toilet using just two simple ingredients: hot water and dish soap.

Is it OK to leave a toilet clogged overnight?

Well, the good news is that in most cases, it is safe to do so.
Leaving a clogged toilet overnight won’t cause any harm or damage to your plumbing system.

How long should you let a clogged toilet sit?

Experts suggest letting the water sit for just a few minutes before attempting to plunge or use other methods of unclogging.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top