How to Unclog Toilet When Nothing Works: Effective Hacks to try

Sometimes you might not be able to unclog the toilet with common tools, which is frustrating.

You don’t need to replace the toilet with a new one or call a professional because there are ways on how to unclog toilet when nothing works.

Will a Toilet Eventually Unclog Itself?

Yes, it may, but not always. When you flush, the water comes back and drains slowly.

It shows that the clog is partial because the water is getting through.

In this case, the blockage would disappear after a few hours.

However, the complicated and severe clogging needs to be handled with utmost care.

For this, you must use the best ways to unclog a toilet.

Why Is My Toilet Clogged With Nothing in It? 

You may be wondering how your toilet gets clogged regularly, even if you do not try to flush non-flushable items such as wet wipes or cotton balls.

Do not blame yourself. The old toilets can’t clear the internal trap or drain because of low-pressure handling.

This feature may cause clogging in your toilet regularly, but modern-day toilets are smartly designed.

There is the least possibility of clogging if you do not attempt to flush wet wipes, paper towels, dental floss, or any other un-flushable.

In addition to that, regular clogging may be possible due to main sewage line problems inside and outside your home.

Anyway, let’s dig deeper and find the best ways to unclog a toilet.

We want to help you to get your stress away and save yourself from potential repair costs.

How Do You Unblock a Badly Clogged Toilet?

To unclog your toilet, you can use the most common and comfortable tools.

Let’s discuss each one of them and how to use each one.

Plunger

1. Pour some hot water to use the plunger, and then put the plunger in the bowl.
2. Focus on the downward push and pull back as well.
3. Flush the toilet if it gets moving after giving a few upward and downward strokes.

Toilet Snake

1. Put the end of the toilet snake into your toilet bowl.
2. Move the handle clockwise to extend the cable towards the clog.
3. Push the snake up and down to clear the clog.
4. Flush the toilet afterward.

How Do You Unclog a Toilet When a Plunger or Snake Doesn’t Work?

You have a severe clog when you fail to unclog your toilet with a plunger or snake.

It is better to use soap, baking soda, or vinegar. Trying one of these methods is one of the best ways to unclog a toilet without a plunger or snake.

Soap

Soap contains chemical substances that decompose the clog and clear the blockage.

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Cut the soap into chunks and drop them into your toilet.
2. Leave them for about an hour or more to allow chemical particles to sit in.
3. Let the soap chunks dissolve and flush your toilet. If the water doesn’t come back, clogging is no longer an issue.

Baking Soda and Vinegar

Similarly, baking soda and vinegar help in dissolving the clog, especially with hot water.

The steps you need to take are:

1. Put a cup of baking soda and two cups of vinegar into your toilet bowl slowly.
2. Let them dissolve in a few hours.
3. Pour about three liters of hot water into your toilet bowl, and then flush. The blockage should dislodge itself.

That’s how using a limited range of chemical ingredients serves as a better tool for unclogging.

It would be one of the best ways to unclog a toilet without a plunger or snake.

That said, don’t try to mix bleach and different detergents for the sake of experimenting.

It may worsen the situation because of various chemicals turning into gases inside your toilet bowl and inside the drainpipe.

How to Unclog Toilet When Nothing Works

What if none of the methods above work? Have a look at the stepwise tips below to unclog your toilet.

Get the Toilet Out and Install It Back

When the clogging persists and nothing works, it’s best to remove your toilet and install it back.

The steps are more do-able than you think, all you need is to follow them chronologically.

Before getting started, you should use the best toilet bowl cleaner to avoid germs.

Step #1: Drain

First of all, you need to drain both the toilet tank and the toilet bowl.

Do not remove your toilet before drainage. Otherwise, your bathroom would get overflowed with filthy water.

Some people attempt to remove a toilet without drainage.

But, this would turn into a complete mess.

Toilet Tank

To drain your toilet tank, you need to follow these steps:

1. Have your rubber gloves on
2. Pull the water supply valve outward or turn it clockwise to turn it off
3. Remove the toilet tank lid
4. Bend a length hose into a U-shape and block both ends with your thumb
5. Direct one end of the hose into the toilet tank and the other end inside an empty bucket
6. Displace your thumb from both ends at once to ensure that water flows into the bucket
7. Use a sponge to mop the remaining water at the bottom of the tank 

Toilet Bowl

Before removing your toilet, the next step is to drain your toilet bowl.

This may feel unpleasant, but it is necessary and needs to be done carefully.

1. Use the same hose to drain the toilet bowl if your toilet is overflowing with clean water.
2. It would leave a small amount of water at the bottom of the bowl.
3. Use a sponge, mop it and squeeze it into the bucket. 
4. If your clogged toilet is overflowing with some waste material, it would be a little nuisance. Brace yourself to clean the dirt.
5. You need to gather waste material with a cup and throw it into a bucket.
6. Keep doing it until most of the water is removed from the toilet bowl.
7. Mop the remaining small amount of water by sponge and squeeze it into the bucket.

Step #2: Remove the Toilet

Once done draining the toilet tank and bowl, it is time to remove the clogged toilet.

The steps are as follows:

1. Use a screwdriver to cap off the bolts.
2. Loosen the nuts with an adjustable wrench (you may exert pressure due to corroded nuts but do it carefully by not damaging the toilet).
3. Hold the toilet and lift forcefully to break the wax ring as soon as the toilet bolts come out.
4. Lift the toilet and put it over the thick cloth on the surface.
5. Remove the clog lying at the top of the drainpipe.
6. Clean the drainpipe from deep inside as well.
7. Clear the clog from your toilet laying on the surface.

It is good idea to clean the drainpipe when a toilet is not on it.

We recommend you use the best drain cleaner to make the most of cleaning the drainpipe. 

This step requires soft hands to deal with the cleaning. If you push a little too hard on your toilet, you could pay the price with a break. Do not use abrasive cleaners as you can scratch the finish.

Step #3: Install the Toilet

When you have finished clearing out the clog from the drainpipe and toilet, it is time to install your toilet back.

Here are the things you need to do:

1. Scrap the old wax from your toilet outlet with a knife.
2. Do not reuse the old wax ring.
3. Replace the toilet outlet if it is worn out or broken. (That’s the ring on the floor)
4. Lift the toilet up and then lower it gently once the new wax ring is in place.
5. Align the bolts firmly on the holes.
6. Hold the toilet bowl and push it gently to affix the wax ring.
7. Put the nut on both bolts, tighten both bolts with a wrench and cap them off.

We would suggest a friend who can help you in installing the toilet.

Step #5: Check

The last thing you need to do is check if the toilet bowl is not still clogged by doing the following:

1. Reconnect the water supply, and then pull the water supply valve inward or turn it anti-clockwise.
2. Fill up the toilet tank with water.
3. Flush the toilet. If the water is getting through, your toilet is working properly.
4. Thoroughly wash your bathroom and disinfect it.

We are pretty hopeful that you would now manage to get rid of clogging if you follow the above steps. 

Can You Prevent Clogging for a Lifetime?

If you want to prevent clogging for a lifetime, keep your toilet bowl away from non-flushable items like wet wipes, paper towels, and dental floss.

Using the best toilet paper may prevent clogging to some extent. Making large toilet paper wads is always a bad idea.

However, it is too difficult to impose restrictions on children, friends, and relatives.

Just be alert, and don’t let clogging worsen the situation.

Otherwise, the best way to unclog a toilet without a plunger or snake is to remove and reinstall the toilet.

Maintaining your clog free toilet

Use drain cleaning products to maintain your clog-free toilet. Clean more than the surface on a regular basis and you can know your pipes are as good as they can be.

Final Words

If you decide not to spend money on plumbing services, a little effort can make you stress-free.

Since you now know how to unclog toilet when nothing works, including the vinegar and soda method, you can do it on your own. 

For us, the best way to unclog a toilet without a plunger or a snake is to remove and reinstall the toilet, but carefully.

Just drain, remove, clean and install before you take a seat back. Don’t forget a new wax ring, or get a complete toilet install kit.

In the end, here is a popular saying for you – Every problem has a solution; you just need to discover it.