How To Unclog Your Toilet

Do You Have One Of Those Toilets?

Well, toilets are one thing we would rather not discuss too much, and I have already posted a quick tip about unclogging a toilet with no commercial product. And while I have had some fairly positive feedback for that tip, apparently it does not do the job 100% of the time. And we really need to aim for success!

OK, so you walk in the the bathroom, and you see that one of your kids, your signifigant other, or of course the mysterious “somebody else”, have left a nasty mess. What do you do?

• If the bowl is not really full, you try to flush it once, and only once.
• Try the cold bucket or water. You need to strike a balance between pouring it in quickly, and not overflowing the top.
• Try a plunger. We find that those larger plungers you can find these days work better than the really small ones. We even named ours… Big Bob… like he was part of the family. Make sure that Big Bob covers he hole, and that you are pushing water down, and not just air.
• If this doesn’t work, you may have an obstruction that should not be there. Is it possible that somebody in your house put a “non-flushible” item in your potty? Well, it happens. You can either use a “snake” if you have one, or an untwisted wire coat hanger. I really like those inexpensive plastic snakes you can buy, and then discard after a use.
• Note: You may need to wait awhile between every step. Even when a toilet is clogged, the water usually drains, it is just very slow. This gives you an opportunity to step out for a breath of fresh air every few minutes.
• If the blockage is organic, or even paper, a chemical may help. You can even find green friendly products that are not harsh (go ask at the hardware store), or of course use our favorite: dishwashing soap.
• If all else fails, it is just time to call the plumber. In my experience, if you have already called a plumber a few weeks ago, and the clog is back, you are looking at a larger and deeper issue. Your blockage may be in the sewage system beyond your home.

I do have a friend who just gave up after several embarassing situations with her own lav, and she went out and bought one of those “12 golf ball” models at the local hardware store. I know that some of the earliest “low flow” models are not very effective, but the technology of flushing more with less has improved.

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