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A clogged toilet is one of the most common plumbing problems in a household. At least one in every six homeowners has dealt with a clogged toilet problem. A household plunger should help solve your toilet clogging; unfortunately, it does not help most of the time.
This article will provide you with guidelines on how to unclog your blocked toilet or blocked drain using baking soda and let you in on several ways to prevent further clogging in the future. Before looking into how to tackle your clogged toilet problem, it is prudent to first talk about the things that might have contributed to it.
What Causes A Clogged Toilet?
A clogged toilet might be as a result of one of the causes mentioned below:
Using Too Much Toilet Paper
Toilet papers are suitable for flushing down the toilet, but they can equally clog your toilet drain when used in excess. Toilet paper is soft, but it takes longer to break down and get dissolved when you flush your toilet if you use a large amount. This can cause the toilet paper to pile up over time and eventually lead to a toilet blockage.
Faulty Plumbing Vent
A plumbing vent allows gases and odours to escape from your home and equally allows the inflow of air which aids water flow during a flush. Each toilet in your home is connected to a plumbing vent. The plumbing vent can get clogged with dirt and debris from the outside of your home, and when that happens, it can prevent gas from escaping and prevent the entry of air which, in turn, leads to a clogged and smelly toilet.
Flushing Non-Flushable Items
Flushing non-flushable items like tampons, sanitary pads, pampers, cotton balls, and lumps of hair down the toilet can eventually clog your toilet drain. These items cannot break down or get dissolved by water; hence, they are unsuitable for flushing down the toilet.
Poor Toilet Design
The design of your toilet can be a contributing factor to the reason why your toilet is clogged. For example, if your toilet has a wimpy flusher that does not generate the pressure required to push waste down the drain, it can easily get clogged. Recently, toilet technology has improved, so you should consider replacing your old low-performance toilet with a high-performance one.
How To Deal With A Clogged Toilet Using Baking Soda
What You Need to Unclog Your Toilet with Baking Soda
- A pair of rubber hand gloves
- A household plunger
- A bucket
- A cup
- Hot water
- A toilet plumbing snake
- Baking soda
- White vinegar
Steps to Follow to Unclog Your Toilet with Baking Soda
- Empty the Toilet Bowl
Usually, a clogged toilet is characterised by a full or an overflowing toilet bowl that, unfortunately, might include several things such as toilet paper or poop. Using a cup, remove the water from your toilet bowl and pour it into a bucket. Doing so will provide room to add your baking soda without making a mess.
- Pour in Hot Water
Unlike cold water, hot water helps to dissolve and break down clogs. Boil some water on your stove, transfer it into a bucket, then pour it slowly into the toilet. Allow it to sit there for about ten to fifteen minutes. Doing this will fasten the unclogging process. If the clog is not too strong, the hot water might fully unclog it.
Note: Take care not to over boil the water as pouring boiling water into your toilet can crack it. Just ensure that the water is hot enough.
- Pour the Baking Soda Into the Toilet
The next step is to pour a cup of baking soda into the toilet bowl. Allow it to settle at the bottom of your toilet bowl and let it sit for a few minutes. Listen for a suction sound and check to see if the water in the bowl has drained. If the water appears drained, proceed to flush your toilet and if it has not drained, take the next step.
- Add the Vinegar
Measure out 2 cups of white vinegar and carefully pour it into your toilet bowl. Watch out for a fizzing sound and a volcanic reaction as the vinegar reacts with the baking soda. The volcanic-like reaction is important as it unblocks the toilet. If the fizzing erupts and gets too high while still pouring in the white vinegar, stop and wait for it to subside and then continue until you pour it in completely.
- Wait For Some Time
Allow the mixture to sit in the toilet for a minimum of two hours to enable it to have time to work effectively on the clog and get rid of it. Come back after two hours to check and see if the water in the toilet bowl containing the mixture has drained. If the water has drained, go ahead and flush your toilet.
However, if the water has not drained, that might be a sign that your toilet is still clogged. To deal with the clog effectively, allow the mixture to sit overnight and flush your toilet in the morning. The pressure from the flush will help push the clog down the drainpipe getting it out of the way.
- Repeat the Above Steps if Necessary
If your toilet remains clogged after following the above steps then, it means you might be dealing with a tough clog. Consider repeating the above steps and see if there will be any changes.
Further Steps To Take To Unclog Your Toilet
Plunge the Toilet
If you carefully follow the above steps and nothing changes, consider using your household plunger. Simply pour 1 cup of baking soda and 2 cups of white vinegar into your toilet bowl, follow it up with 2 cups of hot water and allow the mixture to sit there for 2 hours.
Proceed to place the plunger over the toilet hole and plunge continuously for 30 seconds. Listen for a suction sound and check to see if the water level in the toilet bowl is lowering. Flush the toilet afterwards.
Use a Plumbing Snake
If your toilet remains clogged after plunging it, use a plumbing snake specially designed for the toilet known as a toilet auger. Insert the plumbing snake gently into your toilet hole, then gradually turn the handle clockwise so that the coiled head moves towards the clog. Keep turning it till you feel resistance, then stop and turn the plumbing snake anti-clockwise to get it out of the toilet hole. Proceed to flush your toilet.
If the toilet refuses to flush, repeat the process a few more times to loosen the clog and eventually get it out of the way.
Call Your Local Plumber
If all your efforts yield no results then, it’s time to reach out to your local plumber to help you unclog your toilet. Your local plumber will carry out a video camera inspection to diagnose your clogged toilet. This video camera diagnosis goes a long way to help solve the problem.
Preventing Future Toilet Clogs
Preventing your toilet from clogging in the future is as important as solving your current clogged toilet problem. Here are some of the steps that you can take to keep your toilet clog-free:
- Flush your toilet twice after each use. Doing this will ensure that all toilet paper and human waste gets flushed down the sewer line leaving your drain completely clear.
- Avoid flushing non-flushable items down your toilet drain.
- Avoid using excessive amounts of toilet paper. They can pile up and lead to a clogged toilet.
- Do not use fluffy toilet paper as it is not easily flushed down the drain, which can clog your toilet.
Essential Tips To Remember When Unclogging Your Toilet
- Do not use chemical drain cleaners to unclog your toilet. Chemical drain cleaners contain harsh active agents that are corrosive. These agents can discolour your toilet bowl, soften and deform your PVC pipes.
- Using a mixture of hot water and dish soap will help degrease and break up the clog.
- Solving a clogged toilet problem yourself is cost-effective, but you can always reach out to a local plumber to fix it for you.
Unclogging Your Toilet Might Need A Plumber
In conclusion, a blocked toilet is an unpleasant plumbing emergency that can be difficult to deal with. Unlike chemical drain cleaners, kitchen items like baking soda, white vinegar and hot water are good alternatives that will naturally unclog your toilet without causing damage to your toilet or drain pipes. However, as mentioned above, if you cannot deal with the issue yourself, reach out to a reliable plumbing company to help out.
