How to Unclog a Toilet When You Don’t Have a Plunger
This is truly a nightmare : faced with a situation where there is no toilet in someone else’s house, you go about your business, flush the water … and nothing happens. Or worse, you flush the water and the toilet water (and its contents) starts to rise slowly, like ultra-low flood water. This alone is troubling, but then you quickly look around the bathroom and realize that the bathtub is not visible. Don’t panic and don’t jump out the window. Try this tactic instead.
Run hot water into the sink
This trick may work for a clogged toilet in someone else’s house or yours, but it is definitely most useful for those of us who get embarrassed easily when we are away from the homestead. Youtuber Aaron Bjorn says youneed hot water to put it down the toilet . The sink will probably need to warm up a little to give you enough hot water. So run it at maximum heat.
Take liquid hand soap or shampoo.
While the water is heating up, look for liquid soap. Dish soap is ideal, but you’re stuck in the bathroom and won’t find it under the sink. Fortunately, liquid hand soap will suffice. As a last resort, even shampoo will do. When you find it, pour a lot down the toilet. It will act as a lubricant and will hopefully help get rid of anything that causes clogging.
If the owner is the type of person who made their own oatmeal soap or something, Tess Wilson of Apartment Therapy suggests you look for Epsom salt or even a bath bomb. Is this the type that stores cleaning products under the sink or in the bathroom toilet? Try to find bleach and powder detergent. Wilson recommends using a couple of cups of bleach and one cup of powdered detergent. In fact, anything that can grease or boil should do the trick.
Drain the hot water down the toilet and wait
Now that you have the lubricant, find a cup or container – use their toothbrush holder if needed – and start pouring hot water from the sink into the toilet. Again, the hotter the better here. But don’t rinse just yet!
After you’ve added a gallon or so (or as much as you can without running the risk of overflowing),YouTube’s Clean My Space tells you it’s time to play the wait-and-see game. Hold on tight and let the soap and hot water work wonders.
Do it all again, then rinse
After a few minutes, the soap should have penetrated the cork and you will see the water level in the toilet begin to drop. Add more liquid soap and hot water and wait a couple more minutes. Now you can make a decision and decide when to flush. Hopefully when you do, everything goes smoothly.
As a last resort: suppress everything
If you’ve tried hot water soap and the toilet is still clogged, you may have to physically fight the clog. Grab a toilet brush or find a wire hanger that you can unwind – you can even stick your hand in a trash bag if you’re really desperate – and start poking at the drain. Yes, it will be frustrating, but you can always clean up after the blockage is gone.
However, if you’ve gotten to the point that a few washes with hot water and liquid soap won’t help, just bite down on the bullet and calmly ask the owner for the plunger . It will be a little awkward, but both of you will probably get better in the end. Nothing spoils a party like a crowded toilet.
This story was originally published in November 2017 and updated on December 3, 2020 to reflect the current Lifehacker style.