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The plunger is one of the first things we pick whenever we notice that our toilet is clogged. But what happens when you don’t have a plunger around? The exciting thing is that there are many other items that you can use for this purpose, and these items might already be in your home, but you didn’t know you could use them.
Read on to learn more about how to unclog a toilet without a plunger in different ways. This article outlines some easy methods, so let’s dive right in.
Unclogging a Toilet Without a Plunger
Most people get tempted to use a chemical drain cleaner if they notice that they don’t have a plunger in their home. However, you should avoid doing this because the harsh chemicals will only wreak havoc on your pipes. You might also be tempted to try using bleach, but this can also cause damage to your septic system.
The best and safest option in such a case is an enzyme cleaner, but note that you might not notice the effects immediately after you use it. Another thing to note is that when trying to unclog your toilet, you may need to flush it repeatedly.
Therefore, you should keep the flapper in the tank closed, and this only requires disconnecting the chain on the arm as you work. You can reattach the chain again when you’re done with the process.
With that said, here are some easy methods that you can use to unclog your toilet without a plunger:
Hot water
If you notice that your toilet is not flushing correctly, one of the first things to do, especially if you don’t have a plunger, is to pour hot water into your toilet. Heat the water on a stove. However, ensuring the water doesn’t reach boiling point is essential.
Once the water is hot enough, pour it into the toilet drain, and allow it to sit for some minutes so that you can tell whether the clog has loosened up. You know the process is effective if your toilet starts to drain properly again. Flush your toilet a few times to be sure the clog has loosened up. In most cases, you only need hot water to loosen the clog.
Another essential thing to note is that to break the clog effectively, you need to use a large quantity of water. You should also repeat the process a few times to effectively clear the clog.
Dish soap
Another approach to consider is using dish soap in the toilet bowl. All you need to do is add a reasonable amount of the soap to the toilet bowl and allow it to sit for up to 10 minutes to ensure it reaches the clogged part.
After that, add hot water to the bowl and allow the mixture to sit again. Like with the step above, it’s important to avoid using boiling water. The dish soap will use grease or lubricant and clean the drain effectively.
Baking soda and vinegar
This is a strategy many people learned when they were in elementary school but had yet to realize that it was a convenient approach. Before you try this method, you’ll need to remove a reasonable amount of water from the toilet bowl. After that, you only need to mix a cup of baking soda and vinegar and pour it into the toilet drain.
Allow the mixture to combine and the chemical reaction to be completed. This shouldn’t take more than 30 minutes, after which you can add hot water to your toilet drain before you flush the toilet. You might consider repeating the process to loosen and clear the clog effectively.
Toilet brush
Another option to consider without a plunger is to use your toilet brush. This might be an unpleasant approach, but you can be sure it’s also an effective strategy. Pumping the brush repeatedly should be enough to loosen the clog quickly.
Wire hanger
This is a handy option, especially if you don’t have a plunger or a drain snake. You can easily make a drain snake with a wire hanger; you probably have many of these in your closet. All you need to do is to unwind the wire hanger so that it is entirely straight.
After that, you can then wrap a cloth on one end of the hook so that it doesn’t scratch the surface of the toilet or cause damage to the porcelain. Also, wear a rubber glove for safety reasons and to ensure a firm grip. You know the clog has cleared out when the water starts to flush appropriately again.
DIY drain de-clogger
Most people are quick to buy different drain-unclogging products. However, you can consider making your own declogger. You only need to mix a few ingredients: Epsom salt, dish detergent, and baking soda. Once the mixture is ready, add it to the toilet bowl and water before leaving to sit for a few minutes. This will effectively clear out the clog in your toilet and allow water to flush easily.
Wet/dry vacuum
In addition to all the options above, consider using a wet/dry vacuum to unclog your toilet. For this, you’ll need to first remove the filter and other accessories in the vacuum, like the bag. Also, ensure that your toilet doesn’t have excess water before you use the vacuum to unclog the toilet.
Once all this is ready, you can place the narrow tip of the vacuum in the toilet and slide it down the drain before you turn it on. This should effectively suck out the clog from your toilet drain. Consider stuffing rags into the drain hole to block air, especially if you find it challenging to create suction.
Key Things to Avoid
When you notice your toilet is clogged, please do not continue to flush it repeatedly, especially in cases where water is already at a higher level. This ensures you don’t have a flooded bathroom or a clogged toilet. It’s better to cut the water supply to your bathroom until you have solved the problem so you don’t continue flushing water.
How to Prevent a Clogged Toilet
It’s always best to take measures to ensure that your toilet doesn’t get clogged, and one of the most important things to remember is that your toilet is not a trash can. Therefore, there are some items that you should not dump in your toilet, especially items that are not flushable or don’t thoroughly flush.
Examples of some items that you shouldn’t flush down your toilet drain include contact lenses, diapers, bandages, floss picks, cotton balls, cotton swabs, condoms, baby wipes, feminine products, and paper towels.
When to Call a Professional Plumber
In extreme cases, you might try all the above mentioned methods, but the clog won’t clear out. The best thing to do if this happens is to call a professional plumber to assess the situation and fix the problem.
If it’s beyond repair, the plumber will advise on what to do or whether you must completely replace your toilet or piping system. When contacting a plumber, it’s essential to go for one with a good reputation and is well-experienced.
Work With Experts in the Plumbing Field
Partnering with expert plumbers is undoubtedly the best solution for clogged toilets and other plumbing issues. Their extensive knowledge, access to state-of-the-art tools, commitment to safety and compliance, ability to provide efficient and cost-effective solutions, and guaranteed workmanship make them the ideal choice for resolving plumbing problems.
When faced with plumbing issues, save yourself the inconvenience and potential complications by entrusting the expertise of professional plumbers to ensure a successful and lasting resolution.
