A blocked toilet always seems to happen at the worst time. If you do not have a plunger, these methods can clear a simple blockage caused by too much paper.
First: stop it overflowing
- Do not flush again. Each flush adds more water.
- If the bowl is close to the rim, lift the cistern lid and push the flapper or flush valve down to stop water entering the bowl, or turn off the isolation valve on the supply pipe if there is one.
- Put towels around the base of the toilet.
Method 1: Hot water and washing-up liquid
- Squirt a good amount of washing-up liquid into the bowl.
- Wait a few minutes for it to work down towards the blockage.
- Pour in a bucket of hot water, but not boiling, from waist height. Boiling water can crack a ceramic pan.
- Leave it for 15 to 20 minutes, then try a single flush.
This works best on paper blockages.
Method 2: The toilet brush
Push the brush head firmly into the outlet at the bottom of the bowl and pump it up and down several times. It works a bit like a plunger. Rinse and disinfect the brush afterwards.
Method 3: Remove some water and try again
If the bowl is very full, bail out some water with a small container (wear gloves) before trying the methods above. This reduces the chance of overflow.
What to avoid
- Chemical drain unblockers. They will not dissolve wipes or objects, can damage the pan and are dangerous if the toilet then needs clearing by hand. See do chemical drain unblockers work?
- Wire coat hangers, which scratch the pan and can push the blockage further in.
- Repeated flushing.
When it is not the toilet
If other fittings are slow, water rises in the shower or bath when you flush, or the outside chamber is full, the blockage is in the drain, not the toilet. See water coming up through the shower when the toilet is flushed.
When to call
Get help if the toilet will not clear, keeps blocking, or something hard (a toy or phone) has gone down it. See dropped something down the toilet? and blocked toilets. If sewage is overflowing, see emergency drain unblocking.