How to unblock a toilet: plunger, hot water and what not to do

3 min read · 8 steps · Updated 3 October 2026

A blocked toilet announces itself in one of two ways: the water rises towards the rim when you flush, or it drains away far too slowly. Both are fixable in a few minutes with things you already have at home. The one thing that makes it worse is flushing again.

If you rent, tell your landlord about plumbing problems and pests that keep coming back before you try anything beyond these simple steps.

Step by step

1. Do not flush again

   One flush that does not work is your warning. A second one only adds water to a bowl that cannot drain and is how floors get flooded. If the water is close to the rim, wait ten minutes for it to drop, or bail some out into a bucket with a jug.

   Done

2. Read the blockage

   Slow draining means a blockage that is still forming, which is the easiest to clear. Water that rises and stays means a complete blockage: harder, but usually still a home job. A bowl that empties almost completely after a flush points to a venting problem in the waste pipe, which needs a plumber.

   Done

3. Fish out anything solid

   If a toy, an air freshener or a bottle went in, put on rubber gloves and pull it out. No method below will dissolve plastic, and pushing it further down makes an expensive job.

   Done

4. Try hot water and washing-up liquid

   Squirt a generous amount of washing-up liquid into the bowl, then pour in a bucket of hot tap water from waist height. The soap lubricates, the water softens paper. Wait 20 to 30 minutes and flush once. Do not use boiling water: a sudden temperature change can crack the porcelain.

   Done

5. Use the plunger properly

   Use a toilet plunger with a flange, the rubber lip that fits the outlet, not a flat sink plunger. Push it into the hole at the bottom of the bowl so it seals, with enough water to cover the cup. Start with a gentle push to drive out the air, then pump firmly up and down. The pull matters as much as the push. When the water drops, flush once to check.

   Done

6. Try bicarbonate of soda and vinegar

   For a slow drain, pour half a cup of bicarbonate of soda into the bowl, then half a cup of white vinegar, and add two to three litres of warm water. Leave it for about 30 minutes and flush. It helps with soap and limescale build-up more than with a solid plug.

   Done

7. Reach it with a wire or an auger

   A straightened wire coat hanger, with the end wrapped in tape so it does not scratch the bowl, can break up a paper plug just inside the bend. A toilet auger, a short plumbing snake with a protective sleeve, does the same job better and costs little.

   Done

8. Know when to stop

   If the toilet is still blocked after a few attempts, if other drains in the house gurgle, or if water comes up in the shower or bath, the blockage is further down the pipe. Call a plumber or, for a shared drain, the water company. Do not pour chemical drain cleaners into a toilet: they rarely work on paper, and if they fail, you then have a bowl of caustic liquid to plunge.

   Done

Good to know

Prevention is simple: only toilet paper and what comes out of you go down a toilet. Wet wipes, even the ones sold as flushable, cotton buds, sanitary products, kitchen roll and hair are the usual causes of blockages.

Old pipes block more easily when limescale narrows them. A cup of white vinegar left in the bowl overnight once a month helps in hard water areas.

If you have no plunger, a dry rim and a few tight layers of cling film over the bowl can act as one: flush, let the film bulge, and press the bulge down.

For the kitchen: how to unblock a sink. For the shower: how to remove limescale from a shower head and taps.

In short: No second flush. Hot water and washing-up liquid, wait 30 minutes. Flange plunger sealed over the outlet, gentle then firm. Bicarbonate and vinegar for a slow drain, a wire or auger for a plug. No boiling water, no chemicals. Still blocked: plumber.