April 13, 2020 by

Everyone has a toilet clog happen once in a while, but it’s still an annoying experience every time it happens.  If your toilet is clogged, it may be tempting to immediately call in professionals to fix your clogged toilet – but it’s not always necessary.  For basic clogs, you can often clear the clog yourself!

After all, the most common reason a toilet clogs in the Victorville, Hesperia, or Apple Valley area is a simple combination of too much toilet paper and too much human waste.  Most of the time, this is easy to take care of.

Four Ways to Unclog Your Toilet

1 – Just wait

Don’t keep flushing – just go use another toilet for a few hours, or overnight.  Both toilet paper, and the other materials you’ve produced, will tend to break down naturally.  Sometimes, all a clog needs is a little time and it’ll fix itself.

2 – Plunging

If you want to speed things up, few options are better than a plunger.  All but the biggest and thickest of clogs can be cleared that way.  If you don’t already own a plunger, we strongly recommend getting a flange plunger specifically.  Those are the ones with the protruding bit that goes directly into the hole at the bottom of your toilet, and they’re much more effective than the ones that look like big suction cups.

3 – Pour in boiling water

Boiling water helps clear a clog by causing the materials to expand, and then break up.  This can be a particularly effective trick if you have a low-flow toilet.  Pour in a gallon or two of boiling water, then wait half an hour or so before trying to flush again.

You could also add some dish soap when you do this.  Soap encourages the clog to break up, especially if grease is holding the clog together.

4 – Turn a coat hanger into a drain snake

Most toilet clogs are near the top of the toilet, and that means they’re easily accessible.  Take a wire coat hanger and straighten it out, while leaving a bit of a hook at the end.  Then go digging.  If you can feel the obstruction, rotate the improvised drain snake to try to either break up the clog or else poke enough holes in it that it breaks up.

We Can Fix a Clogged Toilet in Your Apple Valley, Hesperia, or Victorville Home

Of course, sometimes clogs are tough enough that you need professional help.  If so, call in Roto-Rooter High Desert to fix a clogged toilet in Apple Valley, Hesperia, or Victorville!