I know that this isn’t the most exciting topic but, well it is necessary. We lived in a house that had horrible plumbing. The toilet would clog every week and a plunger just wouldn’t do the job. We tried several different kinds of plungers and finally, we figured out a fail-proof way to unclog the toilet. So, if you ever have a clog that just won’t go down, this post is for you! File this one in the back of your mind for future reference!
What do you need?
A large pot of water, boiled or very hot
A clogged toilet (I’ll spare you the visual!)
Here is what you do. In the toilet that is clogged, add a decent size squirt of dish soap. Let that sit while you boil the water on the stove. Once boiled, very carefully carry the pot to the clogged toilet and poor it in. If that doesn’t work after one time, repeat. You may need to use a good plunger in between. We never had to do this more than a few times but it ALWAYS got rid of the clog.
The silver lining is that your toilet will be clean when you are finished and you are not smelling any harsh chemicals!
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Debbie Lacey says
I tried this & it works! This is my go to next time!
Joel says
I’ll try this next time. Others are using lemon juice and baking soda, but since vinegar is always available at home, I often use it instead of the lemon juice.
Susan says
Soap is a lubricant maybe that is why it works
Paula says
We have recently purchased a home and have not had a “clogged” toilet BUT we do seem to have an odor in the master bathroom ever couple days. No clogs just an sewage smell. We are not on septic so any suggestions???
Dave says
It could be a lack of water in the sink or bath drains “traps”. These U shaped sections must have water in them to prevent sewer gas from entering the room.
Debbie says
This happened to us when we moved into our brand new home. So we knew the septic tank wasn’t full. We found that the pipes under the sink, that carries the gas out of house, had come undone. We fitted them back together and sealed them. That took care of smell!!!
Merrie L. says
Could you have a broken pipe under your house? That happened to use our sewer company came out and put a camera down our lines no clog our sun went under the house we have old cast iron pipes there were pin holes in it and the standing water caused the smell once fix and the water cleaned up the smell went away.
Susan Holic says
Will putting hot water in toilet break the bowl
Rochelle Robinson says
Couod also be that there isnt a pee trap too.
Dianna Tebbe says
Thanks for a more immediate method than one I found at Home Depot. They have a drain pipe (and toilet drain) cleaner manufactured by Zep that does a good job of maintaining lines over time. Drain lines will accumulate a “coating ” over the years of use. This product contains enzymes that feed on that sludge coating. It is safe for septic systems as well. If you are already having problems, you might want to use it weekly or even daily for a while until you feel confident that you have addressed your problem(s). You would be surprised how fast the gunk can build up even in newer homes. This will not help supply lines, but it does work for drains. Now a monthly maintenance dose keeps the worry at bay. Zep enzyme drain cleaner is found in the plumbing department. It is not toxic or dangerous to use. Plumbers will not refuse to work on your pipes like they would if you have used a powerful lye based drain cleaner. I use the powder, pour a scoop down the drain or into the toilet and add a cup of warm, not hot, water. Do not use the drain for 8 hours to allow the enzymes to do their thing before you run water into the drain. For toilets, I put a large scoop in the bowl, allow it to sink to the bottom and then pour a bucket of warm water onto to drain of the bowl. Again, do not use the toilet for eight hours. Zep has a liquid version, but it is more re expensive.
This stuff is safe and easy to use, so I have even gotten my mother to use a maintenance dose at her house. And, no I do not have any financial ties with Zep or Home Depot,
Robin says
A plumber to me to get ans uae this stuff! But, I haven’t 😳 Thanks for the reminder, I WILL now 👍🏼
jen says
i keep adult wipes and extra plastic grocery bags in the bathroom. we all use these and place the wipes in bags instead of in the toilet, wrap well (if it’s an extra “stinky” use 2 bags) and place in garbage. you can also buy scented doggie poop or baby diaper wrap bags in the dollar store. we find that this cuts down on clogs. i’m allergic to toilet paper, so, this began as a necessity.
ML says
I use wet wipes which should NOT be flushed but they will cause unpleasant odors in an open waste basket. I use an emptied container that held bleach wet cloths. These containers are air tight and are easily rinsed out with hot soapy water on garbage day after the contents are tipped into the household trash bag. There is a plastic brand name coffee container that has a recessed handle and a tight fitting lid which a new mom friend uses by the baby change table for soiled/wet diapers. Wrap, spray paint or apply large pieces of duct tape to either of these types of containers so they are identifiable as biological waste.
PattyP says
What I don’t understand is why people don’t just flush during and after a large “load”, before adding paper. I do multiple flushes, as needed, depending how how much “stuff”, and how much paper must be used. I used to run a small office (tiny reception, four rooms and a short hall and a single half bath (for both sexes) at one end. I installed soundproofing but one guy would still get teased every once in a while for being a “two flusher”.
Emily says
Because every time you flush, the toilet sprays fine droplets of bacteria-laden water up into the air. If you’re sitting on the toilet while you flush, guess where they’ll land? Yeah. It’s actually best to close the lid before flushing to avoid getting fecal matter on any toothbrushes you keep in the bathroom, or flush and hurry out of public bathroom stalls.
Lori-Jo says
I had thought about this but was worried the boiling water would crack the porcelain toliet.
Jennifer says
Yes, it will crack the toilet! (Or so I’ve heard. I have no experience with that myself.) I test the water first, and if I can’t drink it, I wait a few minutes to let it cool down.
Jo says
Several generations of our family were employed by Armitage Shanks, manufacturers of porcelain sanitary ware (which also included the old kitchen sinks, baths, brass fixtures & copper fittings) – my grandfather worked in the pottery, where they made the porcelain items & fired them in a kiln at over 2,200° F / 1,204° C deg to make them durable … Hot water at a mere 100° C deg is unlikely to cause any problems, unless you’re planning to pour while the toilet is frozen solid. Just like any other type of pottery, extremes of temperature would add stress to existing flaws or cracks, but if it’s in good order there is no reason for concern.
Loretta says
Hi, Jo:
What you said really is very probably true about toilets made out of of *real* porcelain.
However (words of caution), many (perhaps most) toilets are actually made of some rather inexpensive (read: cheap) IMITATION “porcelain”-substitute (read: fake “porcelain”).
Given the abundance of cheap-imitation “porcelain”, it should not surprise anybody that (at least some) toilets would/will crack if very hot water be poured into them.
Always make sure that your toilet really is either real porcelain or some other (and similar) ultra-high-quality, ultra-high-resiliance, ultra-high-durability material before you attempt or proceed to pour very hot fluids of any sort into it.
Low-price / inexpensive toilets are capable of cracking if exposed to very hot water (because they are often made of shoddy substitute materials). Be cautious.
Thomas Simmons says
Have had ongoing issues with toilet clogging after a deposit of #2. Flushed toilet and turned water supply off quickly so the toilet bowl would be somewhat empty. Put a hefty squirt of dawn in the bowl ,let it sir while a large pot of water came to a boil . Emptied boiling water into bowl and it filled up and quickly drained on its own. Turned water supply back on and flushed. It seems to be working normally . Thank you!
MC Dobbs says
Okay so I spent all day doing this and it failed. So now I’m calling a plumber. I f he shows up with a bottle of Dawn I’m going to scream! But boy does the toilet bowl shine.
Melinda says
I didn’t see an answer to the question of whether this could be used with a septic system or not. Could you please advise?
Sandra says
It won’t hurt a septic system. I first heard about this from a prison guard. He would get a bucket of very hot water and put a squirt of dish washing liquid in it. They would not use plungers in a prisoner’s cell since it could be used as a weapon.
I simplified the procedure for regular home use. We keep a big lottle of cheap dishwashing liquid in each bathroom. If you think you are going to clog the toilet, squirt a little dishwashing liquid into the toilet before you sit down. If there’s no time for that, don’t use too much toilet paper before you squirt some dishwashing liquid in a circle around what needs to be flushed, then finish with the amount of toilet paper you need to use.
Important: flush and keep holding the toilet handle down because it may flush after quite a few seconds.
If it doesn’t flush, pull the toilet paper to the front of the toilet bowl with your plunger, use a little more dishwashing liquid, then plunge. It usually works. If not, repeat. When the clog does go down, let the tank fill up, then flush it again to make sure the clog goes all the way through your pipes.
This method does not use hot or boiling water, though I will try that in the future if my clog seems to need it.
Bonnie says
Do you let the water sit or flush it?
Lucu says
Sit for a while…give a little flush…if all looks well continue to flush…if it still seems a bit clogged, squirting and apply hot water again. Took me 2 tries….toilet now flushing great?
Love Pintrest, just that mu h more tonight.
Thanks.
Blanca says
OMG! It really worked. Just had to it once and it worked. No need to call the hubby to clean up his mess.
Lorena says
Omg it really works 😦 Thank you , you saved me from spending a lot of money on a plumber for no reason☺
Robert says
I use this all the time and it really works great but after my son-in-law comes over for dinner, I normally have to use it 3 or 4 times to get the toilet unclogged.
Carol says
We couldn’t believe how well that worked. We tried so many things and this worked like a charm the first time. Thank you so much!
Cheryl says
Will this work on a toilet that is on a septic system? I have a full toilet and can wait till the water recedes but with it being septic, not sure it’s safe.
Carol says
Your kitchen sink water goes into a septic system, if that is what you have, like us. Why would some dishwashing liquid hurt the system just cause you put it through the toilet? Really people need to think before they ask questions on here.
Loretta says
I think that she used the word “septic” to mean that her toilet is *severely* clogged with a huge accumulation of filthy brown sludge that is a biohazard to everybody in the house. That sort of “septic”, as in extremely unsanitary.
There is no need to criticize her communication.
Jan says
Thanks for sharing this- worked like a charm! 🙂
Judy Gamboa says
What if there is an object u cant see it & the plunger wont work? Any other ideas?
Lorrie Fullmer says
Hello!
There’s no way this would work in our home. When our toilets clog (which they do frequently, Mobile home park) just sticking the plunger in the bowl is enough to cause it to spill over and onto the floor. Best tool for the job? A wire clothes hanger! Strong and slightly flexible enough to get sh@t done (pardon the pun ;)) You’ll have to experiment to find the best shape, but you just cut it close to where it twists and becomes the hook, stretch it out and fold over as needed. Use the hooked part (adjust size of hook accordingly) to unjam the “obstruction” ! Once it loosens ( in our house ) it continues on it’s merry way, after a second flush for the “Not so solid” remains. With bigger plugs, we hold back some of the paper with the hook then flush a second time. I hope that helps someone!
Loretta says
I’m sick and tired of using a filthy old wire hanger. they are every bit as disgusting and gross as toilet plungers.
It has gotten to the point that not even a deformed wire hanger (or “turd-chopper”) would work in my toilet.
The clog is more or less permanent, and those greedy plumbers want to charge multiple hundreds of dollars in order to even touch the toilet! (I called them on the phone!)
(Those plumbers in my town seem to think others be somehow made of money! They’re just like slum-landlords.)
(By the way, I also live in a mobile home.)
Rhonda says
I’d be a little concerned on the effect of pouring said water into a toilet where the contents in the bowl are already about to spill over! Ack!
Stefany says
Rhonda, we have only ever used this when the water has started to recede. But, it could used the same way just much more slowly. I still think the process would work because it always does.
We just let the water sit for a bit until it goes down some before doing this though.
john says
Try adding this step: turn the toilet water feed. OFF, plung,plung,plung till the h2o reduces as much as it will. Then pour soap 1 half cup and boiled h2o, plung,plung,plung….let it sit, sit while you say all those words you need to say to feel that youve expressed your feelings. If the clog is cleared, pouring a bowl full of boiled h2o will function just like a normal gravity flush. Repeat this process again. Now turn the water back on. Get a full tank and hit the flush. It WILL WORK.
Mom of a big pooper says
HAHAHAHA!!! This is the best post ever! Thankyou! I can totally relate and have maaaany words to express my feelings to my toilet on a regular basis!!
Looking forward to trying these methods (probably won’t have to wait long, either!)
Cori Westphal says
Have you ever tried this for unclogging a slow drain? Just curious if it might work!
Stefany says
Cori, we haven’t tried it with a drain but I would bet it would work the same way. I would just be careful to pour more slowly. With the toilet, you can just dump it all in but a drain would need a slower pour so it won’t overflow. 🙂
$inD says
I have used baking soda and vinegar, a little of each, once it foams up, flush toilet and good bye clog!!