Baking Soda And Hot Water Pour about half of a cup of baking soda down the drain and then follow up with a pot of boiling water. Let it sit for an hour or two before you try flushing again. It might take several attempts, but this method has been known to work really well in unclogging slow draining toilets.
The three potential causes of a slow flushing toilet are low water level in your tank, a clog in the toilet or a pipe leading out of it, or even a buildup of calcium and other hard minerals.
Hot Water and Dish Soap
Wait for 10-15 minutes while the dish soap and hot water soften the clog. Once you do so, the toilet will unclog and flush freely. Alternatively, you could use hot water and shampoo from the sink if you wish to clear your toilet without leaving your bathroom.
The best DIY way to deal with a a simple clog is to use a toilet plunger. A flange plunger or an accordion plunger will work best for a toilet. You can try a cup plunger if that's the only plunger you have on hand.
Experts agree: Drano Max Gel is the best overall drain cleaner because it works quickly to get rid of tough clogs. This reliable and effective cleaner is a thick gel that goes deep in sinks, pipes, and drains to reach the source of the clog and completely dissolve it.
You can use the hottest setting from your faucet first. If you need to heat some in the microwave or the stovetop, you don't want it to reach boiling temperatures. Boiling water can cause toilet porcelain to crack. Allow the hot fluid to sit in the toilet for a few minutes to loosen the clog.
In a toilet, especially since Drano does not work quickly on toilet clogs, it creates a serious issue. The heat generated from this chemical reaction can crack the porcelain of the toilet or soften the PVC of the pipes. So, not only can Drano hurt you, but it can also hurt your toilet and cause costly damage.
There is only one Drano® product recommended for use in slow-running toilets: Drano® Max Build-Up Remover. It contains microorganisms that break down organic matter in pipes that can slow water flow. (However, it will not open a completely clogged toilet.
Try Hot Water
The addition of hot water might be enough to loosen the clog and dislodge the blockage. Fill a bucket with about a gallon of hot water from the sink or bathtub. Then pour the hot water into the toilet bowl.
A partially clogged toilet can sometimes be cleared just by using hot water. The pressure produced by the hot water helps to push material blockages away, while the heat works to dissolve any fat or grease that may also have built up.
Baking soda and vinegar, when mixed together, can form a chemical reaction that looks sort of like an eruption. This chemical reaction can help clear your toilet and any pipe clogs that you might have.
Sprinkle 1 cup of baking soda onto the stain, and then pour another cup of vinegar over the baking soda. Watch the acid vs. base fizz up and let it sit for 15 minutes. Scrub the mixture into stains with a toilet brush.
Liquid drain cleaners cause both internal and external damage to your home's plumbing system. The caustic chemicals in drain cleaners also eat away at the finishes of your sinks and toilets. For example, drain cleaners can settle onto the porcelain of your toilet's bowl and cause cracks.
Pour one cup of baking soda into the clogged toilet, and then chase it with the hot water/vinegar mixture. Leave the volcano mix to do its job, checking in about 30 minutes. In most cases the clog will have come apart, and a simple flush with send it all down the drain. Plus your toilet bowl will be cleaner!
For clogged or slow-running drains, apply the product and let it work 15 minutes, then flush with hot water. For tough problems, allow 30 minutes before flushing. Drano® Max Build-Up Remover works over a longer time period to prevent clogged drains.
Bleach is an effective way to deal with blocked toilet drains as it is a dilute solution of sodium hypochlorite and also contains a high chlorine concentration. Using bleach by itself or mixing it with boiling water are effective ways to unclog a toilet.
While the baking soda and vinegar solution is effective in breaking down a clog, it will also cause your drain to become more damaged. The baking soda's abrasive nature will wear down your drain over time. This is why you should avoid using baking soda and vinegar solution for cleaning out your drain.
While the phosphoric acid found in cola can help alleviate some minor clogs, carbonated beverages are certainly not the ideal drain cleaner. Better DIY methods include a baking soda/vinegar mixture, a plunger, or a plumber's snake.
In some cases, it takes more than one dose of bicarb and vinegar to unclog a toilet. So if your first attempt isn't successful, go back to step one and start over. If a repeat treatment is necessary, leave the mixture for 30 minutes so it can really attack that stubborn clog before you add the hot water.
You can use straight or a diluted vinegar cleaning solution for the bathroom to clean bacteria, especially around the toilet. Cleaning with a mixture of baking soda and vinegar in the bathroom can work really well. To clean your toilet with vinegar, pour a cup of vinegar in the toilet bowl and let sit overnight.
Vinegar will not damage your toilet in any way if it's left in your toilet overnight. Regardless of your toilet's material, the vinegar is not strong enough to damage the toilet or the toilet's plumbing. So, you can leave the vinegar in your toilets overnight without worry.
If the clog is severe, pour up to one-half a cup of baking soda in the toilet. Remember to use equal parts of vinegar and baking soda. So, for every one cup of baking soda you use, use one cup of vinegar. Pour the baking soda first, then pour an equal amount of vinegar.
To safely and inexpensively clean your toilet bowls, pour a generous glug of vinegar, followed by a heavy sprinkling of baking soda, into the bowl. While the mixture is bubbling up, scrub the bowl (get under the rim, too). Let it soak for 30 minutes and flush. That's it.
Vinegar and baking soda produce that oh-so-familiar chemical reaction that powers through buildup and loosens tough stains. While it might seem like it's chewing its way through grime, it's not powerful enough to damage the porcelain finish of the toilet bowl.