How to unclog a toilet: tips from plumbers
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You were expecting grandma's tips, but instead, we're offering you plumbers' tips!
After all, who better than an expert to explain how to unblock your toilet without making mistakes?
We asked the best plumbers working on Yoojo to share the simplest and most effective techniques to deal with the toughest blockages.
With over 5000 clients trusting them by booking our toilet unblocking service, they know what they’re talking about.
There's something for everyone here: affordable, easy, quick solutions and tips to prevent it from happening again!
Here’s what you’ll discover in this guide:
🚽 Is your toilet overflowing? Does the water rise when you flush?
Get help from a plumber immediately... posting an ad on Yoojo is free:
❌ Before you start: 4 mistakes you must avoid
WARNING, before you start with the step-by-step guides, here are 4 mistakes to absolutely avoid… consider yourself warned:
Flushing repeatedly: if you see the water rising after flushing, don't flush again… it could overflow!
Using sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, or caustic soda: too corrosive and could damage your pipes, and it’s very dangerous.
Using a coat hanger or wire: a common technique online, but you risk damaging your pipes or, worse, getting this makeshift tool stuck in the toilet, making unblocking even harder (and more expensive if you have to call a plumber).
Not wearing protective gear: goggles and gloves are a must… Safety First! You definitely don’t want toilet water splashing in your eyes!
Alright, you’re ready, let’s discover the best unblocking techniques!
I want to unblock my toilet with products
This solution is particularly suitable for those who have clogged their toilet with organic waste. We’re talking about toilet paper, hair, food, and of course, poopoo.
If you know this is your case, the following solutions work quite well.
White vinegar and boiling water: cheap and effective
💷 Cost: £5
✅ Effective for: small toilet paper clogs
❌ Mistake to avoid: flushing immediately
Here’s an effective tip if you’ve clogged your toilet after flushing a bit too much paper. It happens sometimes, but the clog is usually easy to clear. Here’s the technique used by George:
I pour an entire bottle of white vinegar into the toilet
I usually take my largest pot and boil 2 litres of water
using gloves to avoid potential burns, I pour the boiling water all at once into the toilet
let it sit for 30 minutes before flushing
Extra tip: for an even more effective but still natural result, you can add 10 tablespoons of baking soda to the toilet right after the white vinegar. Let it sit while the water boils. If it works, you should see a chemical reaction occurring in your toilet.
Unblock your toilet naturally with enzyme-based products
💷 Cost: £10 - £15
✅ Effective for: organic waste only
❌ Mistake to avoid: flushing too quickly
Enzyme-based toilet unblockers take time to work... you’ll need to wait overnight!
If you prefer eco-friendly options and aren’t in a rush (meaning you have another toilet in the house), this is the solution for you.
Enzymes are proteins that break down organic matter by "eating" it... perfect for toilet paper clogs or if your kids have decided to "feed the toilet".
No need for videos here as you just pour the product into the toilet.
Here are our plumber’s tips:
Start by reading the usage instructions as the dosage varies for each product.
I recommend using the enzymes in the evening to let them work overnight.
The next morning, pour 2 litres of boiling water into the bowl and it will clear everything instantly.
💡 Did you know?
There is quick-dissolving toilet paper! We recommend buying it if you have narrow or low-gradient pipes.
The famous Destop and other chemical products: use sparingly!
💷 Cost: £5 - £19
✅ Effective for: large clogs of organic waste
❌ Mistake to avoid: using Destop too often
Destop: use sparingly!
Have you tried all the natural products mentioned earlier but nothing works? Maybe Destop can help if you've really overdone it with the toilet paper.
Destop is a particularly corrosive product, which is why Eric, plumber in Manchester, doesn't recommend it:
Why?
Destop can burn your skin
the fumes it emits are dangerous
So, it's a product to avoid if you don’t have a window!
No need for a video to explain how it works, says Eric:
Pour the entire bottle, wait 30 minutes, and then flush… it's as simple as that!
However, your safety is paramount here.
Protective gloves, long sleeves, masks, and goggles are necessary… and pour the product as close as possible to the water in the toilet to avoid splashes.
🚽 How much does it cost to unblock a toilet?
Is it really worth spending an hour with your hands in the toilet when a plumber could do it for you? It's a valid question, but it all depends on the cost.
On Yoojo, we've carried out thousands of toilet unblocking jobs, allowing us to provide an average cost for this service.
In 2024, the average cost to unblock a toilet on Yoojo is:
£42
🥤 Does unblocking the toilet with Coke work?
Some people on the internet say it works, but honestly, from experience, it's not fantastic! Here’s what Mo thinks:
How to unblock your toilet with tools:
If none of the previous techniques work, it's likely that the blockage is larger than you thought. Products alone won't be enough; you'll need to put in some elbow grease.
Here are our plumbers' favourite tips, from the cheapest to the most expensive!
Using a water bottle: the classic DIY method
💷 Cost: £1
✅ Effective for: those who don't have a plunger at home
❌ Mistake to avoid: forgetting to empty the toilet bowl / not wearing gloves
Let's be honest, the water bottle technique is somewhat similar to using a plunger for those who don't have one.
John explains how to do it:
Put on rubber gloves to avoid splashes.
Use a bucket or container to remove as much water as possible from the toilet; this will save you from having to put your whole arm in!
Cut the bottom off a 1.5-litre water bottle. You don't need to cut off much, just 2-3 cm will do.
Keep the cap on, place the bottle in the toilet, and use a back-and-forth motion to "push the water"… just like using a plunger.
OK, it's free and can be useful in an emergency. But the results are mediocre, and for the price of a plunger, it's better to invest £5… it can always come in handy!
The toilet plunger: the essential tool for any amateur plumbers
💷 Cost: £5 - £7
✅ Effective for: all types of small blockages
❌ Mistake to avoid: buying a plunger with a diameter smaller than the drain pipe
The goal of the plunger (and the water bottle technique) is to create an air suction that will push the blockage. It’s an essential tool in every household that can save you from embarrassment in many situations… for all types of pipes!
Here are Ludovic tips:
Buy a large enough plunger to cover the drain pipe.
Wear gloves, as the plunger tends to splash a bit.
Remove as much water from the toilet bowl as possible before plunging.
The toilet auger: amazing but more expensive
💷 Cost: £25 - £70
✅ Effective for: large blockages
❌ Mistake to avoid: buying an auger that isn’t long enough
In the end, if there’s one tool you should buy to unblock your toilet, it would be this: the famous auger. It can also be used to unblock all your pipes (sink, bathtub, etc.).
But which one to choose? Donovan, plumber in London, gives you his tips:
For toilets, I would recommend a "drain auger" type. I particularly recommend the 7-metre model which allows you to reach the deepest blockages… a bit more expensive but more effective.
How to use a toilet auger? You can watch the video above or follow these steps:
Insert the spring end of the auger into the toilet.
Push the rod until you can’t push any further.
Turn the handle to lodge the spring into the blockage.
Try to push the rod further to see if the blockage is cleared.
If your auger moves forward, it means the blockage has probably cleared. Test by flushing the toilet… if it’s still blocked, start again from step 1.
The special pump for unblocking toilets: the best, but at a cost!
💷 Cost: £100
✅ Effective for: large blockages / when nothing else works
❌ Mistake to avoid: do not use the pump right after pouring chemical products
Do you like the plunger? You’ll love the pump, which is essentially a mechanised plunger!
Here’s what our plumber thinks:
If you can afford it and frequently have blockages in your toilet, buying a pump could be a good investment. It’s obviously the best tool on the market, but it comes at a cost.
How does a toilet pump work? It’s very easy to use, says Michel:
Start by removing as much water from your toilet as possible (with a bucket, for example).
Pull the pump’s piston as far as it will go.
Insert the pump deep into the toilet bowl.
Push the piston.
Repeat the operation until you feel the water flowing easily.
Your blockage is gone!
No blocked toilet can resist the power of the pump!!!
How to prevent your toilet from getting blocked? Preventive tips
According to the plumbers we interviewed, if your toilet often gets blocked, it’s likely due to one of these two reasons:
The diameter of your piping is too small
Your toilet lacks a proper slope
The intervention of a plumber will be necessary to learn more about your situation.
Take the opportunity to ask why your toilet is always blocked and how to fix the problem:
Otherwise, if you have recurring blockages, it’s a good idea to maintain your pipes at least once a month. You can use the vinegar and baking soda technique, for example, to prevent your toilet from getting clogged. Enzymes are also a great preventive measure and are cost-effective!
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