How to Unblock a Toilet

Prepare the area surrounding the toilet by placing newspaper around the bowl. This will soak up any water that may splash onto the floor during the removal of the blockage.

Wear gloves to protect your hands. Using a bucket and a jug or similar device, collect as much of the excess water trapped in the toilet bowl as possible. This will make the following steps much easier.

A plunger works by creating suction that pulls the blockage towards it, dislodging the item and hence encouraging it to go down the pipe. To do this, grab the plunger and press it down firmly to cover the downpipe opening on the inside of the toilet bowl. Pull the plunger up slowly before pushing it down again. Repeat this step many times until you notice the water level in the bowl falling.

If the plunger doesn’t solve the issue, the next step is to try a toilet auger. This is a flexible piece of wire used to remove stubborn blockages. Feed the wire down the toilet until it meets the blockage, twist the handle and try to pull the blockage up. If you are successful with this step, flush the toilet several times after the removal of the item.