How to Unclog a Toilet with Poop in It With or Without a Plunger

In this article, we show you the 10 most effective methods and also throw in tips to prevent future toilet clogs.
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The dread and embarrassment of poop that won’t flush is a shared feeling. Sometimes, the poop is too big for the toilet, causing a clog. In some cases, the toilet may already be clogged, and the poop only adds to the load. Either way, you’ll want to flush the poop as soon as possible, even if it gets messy. In this article, we show you how to unclog a toilet with poop in it. We also throw in tips to prevent future toilet clogs.

Can you unclog a toilet with poop in it with a plunger?

Yes, you can unclog a toilet Trusted Source How to Unclog Your Toilet - Consumer Reports What to do—and what to avoid—in order to unclog a toilet yourself, from Consumer Reports. www.consumerreports.org with poop in it with a plunger. First, make sure your plunger is wide enough for the toilet to create the vacuum needed to unclog it.

The best toilet plunger is the flange plunger. one with a bell-shaped front which fits around the bottom of the toilet bowl. This design lets the plunger seal around the toilet drain for maximum pressure.

A few tips when plunging:

  • Run the plunger through hot water to soften it.
  • Lay towels or newspapers on the floor to protect it from spills and dirt.
  • Wear rubber gloves to protect your hands from toilet water and poop.
  • Use both hands to hold the plunger for a stronger grip.
  • Apply more force when you move away from the toilet, so the clog comes out instead of going further into the drain.
  • Keep a garage bag nearby to hold the waste.

Position the toilet plunger over the bottom of the toilet bowl and gently push up and down to push the air out. Once the plunger is secured, plunge vigorously around 20 times. Then flush the toilet to see if the clog drains. Repeat the process until you get the desired results.

Note: The plunger needs water to create a seal. Ensure the toilet bowl has enough water to cover the plunger before unclogging. However, if the toilet is overflowing with water, try a less messy method.

How to unclog without a plunger

If you don’t have a plunger or just don’t want to use it to unclog your toilet, check out the other ways below.

Let it rest

If you try to flush poop, and it clogs the toilet, stop flushing first. Any extra water will fill the toilet blow and overflow. To avoid a mess, let the poop and the water rest for the night Trusted Source There's Actually a Better Way to Unclog Your Toilet (and You Won't Need a Plunger) - CNET All you’ll need are common household materials you probably have already. www.cnet.com . This gives the water time to disintegrate the poop. Then try and flush the following day. However, if you have one toilet in the house, try the faster methods below.

Use your hand

How to Unclog a Toilet with Poop in It With or Without a PlungerA quick and easy way to unclog your toilet is to soften the poop with your hand or pick it up with your hand (with a glove on!) and throw it in a disposal bag. Yes, it’s messy and frowned upon, but effective. However, there are plenty of ways to unclog a toilet without touching the poop. As a safety measure, always wear waterproof gloves when unclogging the toilet.

Use a toilet brush

How to Unclog a Toilet with Poop in It With or Without a PlungerMost bathrooms have a toilet brush sitting on the floor, next to the toilet or in a bottom drawer nearby. This is a relief for guests since you won’t have to leave the toilet and ask your host for the brush.

To unclog the toilet, use the brush to press the poo down into the toilet and force a flush. Be careful to avoid spilling the poo and the toilet water on the toilet, yourself, or the floor. Flush more than once if necessary to drain the poo and clean out the brush.

Use a metal cloth hanger

How to Unclog a Toilet with Poop in It With or Without a PlungerIf you don’t have a plunger nearby, a metallic cloth hanger covered with plastic is a great DIY solution. First, wear waterproof gloves to protect your hands from dirt. Then, pick a pair of pliers and use them to unwrap the hanger to create a curved hook that can get into the toilet drain with a hook at the end.

Push the hooked end into the toilet bowl. Wear your gloves and go deeper into the water until you feel the obstruction and move it up and down to remove the clog. Then flush the toilet.

Note: Never use a hanger without the plastic coating because it damages the porcelain.

Baking soda and vinegarHow to Unclog a Toilet with Poop in It With or Without a Plunger

Baking soda and vinegar are essential household items that help you unclog a toilet by breaking down the obstruction.

  • Pour 1 cup of baking soda into the toilet.
  • Pour 1 cup of vinegar into the toilet bowl and watch for the foaming reaction.
  • Keep pouring the vinegar until the bubbling stops. Repeat until you’re satisfied.
  • Flush your toilet.

If your flush isn’t strong enough, boil a gallon (approximately 3.8 liters) and let it cool slightly, before pouring it into the toilet bowl after the bubbling stops.

Baking soda and plastic foil

How to Unclog a Toilet with Poop in It With or Without a PlungerBegin the process by boiling water and letting it cool slightly. Then pour the warm into the toilet and add a cup of baking soda immediately. Keep in mind, the reaction will not occur if you use boiling water. Wrap the plastic foil around the toilet bowl and let the mixture sit for an hour. Then flush the toilet to drain the dirt.

Hot water and dish soap

How to Unclog a Toilet with Poop in It With or Without a PlungerIn this technique, the soap and hot water slowly soften the poop until it disintegrates down the drain. You need to repeat the process severally, so be persistent.

  • First, get a bucket and liquid dish soap.
  • Add three spoonfuls of dish soap into the bucket.
  • Boil hot water and pour it into the bucket – this way the dish soap mixes in. Boil as many jugs as you need.
  • Pour the hot water into the toilet. The goal is to replace the cold water in the toilet with warm, soapy water. Add one more bucket and let the water sit for 10 minutes.
  • Then flush the toilet.

If the clog is still there, repeat the process until the poop disintegrates completely. Remember to handle hot water cautiously. Wear treaded shoes and avoid moving long distances for the hot water. The nearer, the better. For example, you can use water from your bathtub.

Use a drain cleaner

How to Unclog a Toilet with Poop in It With or Without a PlungerA drain clog remover enzyme cleaner is a clean way to unclog your toilet. First, read the manufacturer’s instructions to make sure the solution is safe for your toilet. Many people use soft drinks such as Coca-Cola. Simply pour the two-liter soft drink into the toilet bowl and let it break down the poop until it’s ready for flushing.

Alternatively, purchase a commercial drain cleaner. From reviews, Green Gobbler Drain Clog Dissolver is an excellent enzyme cleaner. It’s environment-friendly and biodegradable, and safe for dissolving toilet clogs. First, pour the liquid into the toilet and leave it overnight to break down the clogs. The next day, flush the toilet with hot water.

Use household bleach

How to Unclog a Toilet with Poop in It With or Without a PlungerYou can unclog your toilet with poop in it with laundry bleach. Pour two cups of household bleach in the toilet bowl and let it sit with the poop for at least an hour. If possible, check if the clog has disintegrated before flushing the toilet. For the best results, flush the toilet with hot water. This method may take several tries.

Use a toilet auger

How to Unclog a Toilet with Poop in It With or Without a PlungerA toilet auger or a closet auger is a drain snake that has a flexible metal cable that drills through clogs and breaks them down for flushing or pulls them out. You can purchase a manual auger from your local store.

  • Hold the handle and pull the metal upwards. Then insert the boot (curved lower part) inside the water to avoid scratching the toilet bowl.
  • Push down until the auger stops, and in a clockwise motion, turn the handle as the auger works its way all the way through the toilet drain.
  • Then, pull back the flexible metal straight up to remove any clog.
  • Then flush the toilet and repeat the process until satisfied.

While a manual auger helps you reach clogs near the toilet bowl, it may not be sufficient for the entire toilet drain. A handheld electric drain cleaner is an excellent tool for removing toilet clogs.

You can also use the auger to remove other deep-seated clogs efficiently.

According to reviews, the Populo Electric Drain Cleaner stands out as an easy-to-use, affordable, durable, and versatile snake auger. It has excellent throttle power to remove stubborn clogs and around 25 feet of cable to access long drains.

How do you know it’s time to call a professional?

If you find yourself frequently unclogging your toilet, call a professional plumber. It may be a sign of a bigger problem in the toilet drain and sewers. A professional drain or sewer cleaner can remove stubborn clogs and restore your toilet drains.

How to prevent toilet clogging in the future

After you’ve unclogged your toilet, you want to make sure this won’t happen again. Check the tips below to prevent the issue in the future.

Visit a doctor

If your poop is hard, big, and clogs toilets, you may want to visit a doctor for a consultation. Hard and big poop is a sign of constipation Trusted Source Constipation | Johns Hopkins Medicine Constipation is a condition in which a person has uncomfortable or infrequent bowel movements. Generally, a person is considered to be constipated when bowel movements result in passage of small amounts of hard, dry stool. www.hopkinsmedicine.org . The doctor will advise you accordingly on any changes in diet and medication. Also, watch what you flush!

Avoid flushing non-flushable items down the toilet

How to Unclog a Toilet with Poop in It With or Without a PlungerMany toilets clog because of flushing non-flushable items. Even if the clog isn’t obvious the first time you flush an item, it contributes to a clog. As the debris accumulates, it eventually blocks the toilet drain. Avoid flushing facial tissues, feminine hygiene products, napkins, wipes, paper towels, plastics, toys, floss, coffee grounds, and diapers. Even items marked as flushable may clog your toilet.

Usually, flushable waste disintegrates. If you’re uncertain about flushing an item, soak it in a bowl of water and check if it breaks down. If it breaks down, it’s safe to flush, and if not, dump it in your trash.

Upgrade your toilet

How to Unclog a Toilet with Poop in It With or Without a PlungerYour poop may not flush effectively because your toilet needs an upgrade. If your tank can’t hold enough water to flush the toilet and runs continually, you need to replace the flush valve. A new flush valve seals the water in the tank and releases water for an efficient flush. You can pick from the best toilet flush valves to find the right replacement for your toilet.

Alternatively, you pick from the best flushing toilets and upgrade to one with a stronger flushing mechanism. If you’re keen on saving water, invest in the best dual flush toilet and lower water consumption on number ones.

Watch your toilet paper use

While cleaning with adequate toilet paper after poop is important, don’t overdo it. Too much toilet paper clogs the toilet. The paper takes time to dissolve in the toilet water and flush properly. If you are worried about the quality of toilet paper, try using two to three-ply rolls that are thick.

If toilet paper clogs the toilet, let it sit for a while to disintegrate and flush multiple times.

Avoid placing items on the toilet tank

While the toilet tank seems like a great location to palace bathroom items, it’s best to avoid it. Items may drop into the toilet, and you may flush them before noticing. Soaps, ornaments, and toys should not sit on the cistern. Also, keep your toilet lid closed to prevent any items from accidentally falling in.

Keeping the lid down also prevents young kids from dropping items in the toilet and flushing them down for fun. It’s best to lock all your bathroom doors to keep toddlers out of the toilet.

My toilet flushes but poop stays

Poop may refuse to flash depending on the size and hardness, how you flush, the power of your flush system, and the amount of flush water. In addition, other items may clog the toilet drain and prevent the poop from flushing.

If your poop is hard and too large, you have a health concern. However, if the flush is not strong enough, you need a toilet with a stronger flush mechanism and system. You may have a low-flow toilet model designed to save water. However, the low water level means there isn’t water to go around and drain the toilet contents. You may also notice some of your poop back up.

In some cases, the toilet drains, and sewer system may be damaged by tree roots growing in the pipes, causing an obstruction. Professional drain inspectors and cleaners are best equipped to handle such a clog.

Final thoughts: clogged poop is easy to resolve

If you’re wondering how to unclog a toilet with poop in it, there are several effective ways to resolve the issue quickly. Most methods break down the poop to help with flushing. Less conventional methods include removing the poop and disposing of it. You can also work with toilet tools and house chemicals. However, commercial drain clog cleaners and augers are more effective. Acquiring an electric auger is the best way to unclog poop in a toilet and retain a solution that works for years to come.

If you have frequent toilet clogs, avoid flushing non-flushable items and watch how you use your toilet paper. However, if your toilet has a weak flush, upgrade the flush valve, or replace the toilet with newer designs. Select a toilet with a strong flushing mechanism and system. Remember to also purchase water-efficient designs to lower your water bill.

References

1.
How to Unclog Your Toilet - Consumer Reports
What to do—and what to avoid—in order to unclog a toilet yourself, from Consumer Reports.
2.
There
All you’ll need are common household materials you probably have already.
3.
Constipation | Johns Hopkins Medicine
Constipation is a condition in which a person has uncomfortable or infrequent bowel movements. Generally, a person is considered to be constipated when bowel movements result in passage of small amounts of hard, dry stool.

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