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What to Do When Your Plunger Backfires (Or You Don’t Have One at All)

Contrary to popular belief, you can in fact, unclog a toilet without a plunger. This comes as a shocker and a relief to most homeowners, and it’s especially useful in the unfortunate event that a toilet clogs while company is over. So, the next time you cause a toilet to back up and there isn’t a plunger in site, or the plunger simply won’t do the trick, here’s what you can try instead:

Method 1

It’s important to note this method only works if the toilet isn’t overflowing. Grab a bottle of soap or shampoo and pour a generous amount into the bowl. If you don’t have liquid soap handy, you can cut a bar of soap into pieces and dump them into the bowl instead. Then pour hot, but not boiling, water into the clogged toilet and the combination should help break up the toilet paper and help the contents to slide down the drain.

Method 2

When there’s no plunger around and you don’t have time to waste, grab a wire hanger from the closet. Unravel it and use it to poke around and break up the clog. Just be careful not to be too rough or you could damage the pipes.

Method 3

Don’t have soap or a wire hanger? Don’t stress you can also use two common kitchen staples – vinegar and baking soda. All you need to do is pour 1 cup of baking soda into the bowl and follow it up with 1 cup of white vinegar. Wait a few minutes for the mixture to work its magic and then pour a large pot of hot, but not boiling, water into the toilet.

When all else fails, you can always count on the friendly expert plumbers at Hero Plumbing, Heating & Cooling to take care of all your plumbing needs. Our company has been trusted in tens of thousands of home in our 100+ years of service so you know you can count on us!

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