We know that having a clogged toilet is discomfort, especially when you are in hurry and out of a plunger. This can make the situation worse. But if you are not having a plunger, that doesn’t mean that you cannot unclog your toilet.
You might think of calling a plumber to get unclogging services. If you are going to do this, Stop! There is no need to call a plumber. When you can unclog your toilet on your own, then why waste money? Have you ever thought about unclogging a toilet with baking soda and vinegar? Sounds strange? Yeah! But this is true and proven.
Baking soda is a very good cleaning agent. And we all are well aware of the dissolving properties of vinegar. They both collectively make a powerful fizzy cleaner that will be natural and efficient.
Can you unclog your toilet with Baking soda and vinegar?
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Other than the cooking and baking purposes, baking soda is such a miracle ingredient in cleaning anything. And when it is mixed with vinegar, the results will be mind-blowing. Since elementary school, we have all known about the volcanic eruption.
The same type of reaction occurs when we mix vinegar with baking soda. A bubble fizz will be produced just like a volcanic effect. You will enjoy seeing this. This fizzy reaction will help you in clearing the clog.
It is seen proven in many cases that the combination of baking soda and vinegar unclogs the clogged sinks. So if the clog is not tough, big and hard then this mixture can also unclog a toilet.
Requirements:
Things that you will require to unclog a toilet are:
- Safety gloves and glasses
- Face mask
- Baking soda
- Vinegar (White vinegar or apple cider vinegar)
- Hot water
How much baking soda and vinegar will be needed?
When you are going to unclog a toilet with baking soda and vinegar, both the ingredients will be needed in equal quantity. The quantity of baking soda and vinegar depends on the severity, type and size of the clog. Consider if you are using one cup of baking soda and one cup of vinegar, and the clog is not very big then there is no need to pour all the quantity at one time.
If the clog is big then you can pour all the baking soda and vinegar at a time to make a big fizzy reaction, so that the clog will get a great pressure. It all depends on your assessment. Remember that if you are dealing with a big clog then there will be a big mess too on the floor because of more fizz. Get yourself prepared for that too.
How can you unclog a clogged toilet with baking soda and vinegar?
We are now going to explain the steps and procedure to unclog a toilet with baking soda and vinegar when your plunger is not working.
Your safety comes first:
Before starting the whole process of unclogging the toilet, you must have to prepare yourself. Take all the necessary precautionary measures. Wear safety rubber gloves. Cover your face with a face mask and safety glasses. If you are a bit clumsy, you must take additional safety measures.
Apparently, baking soda and vinegar can’t cause any serious harm to your skin. But keeping in view your hygiene and protecting your face and eyes is mandatory.
Keep the proper amount of water:
When unclogging your toilet, it is very important to keep the required amount of water in the toilet bowl. If the toilet bowl is full of water or overflowing, take out some water with the help of any container. Do not empty the toilet bowl.
It is suggested to keep almost half the water in the toilet bowl for proper unclogging. So if the water level is lower than half, pour some water into the toilet bowl to make it half full.
Assessing the clog:
This step of assessing the clog is very crucial in unclogging a toilet. As we have discussed above that the quantity of baking soda and vinegar are depending on the clog. The quantity of both the ingredients can be increased or decreased according to the size of the clog.
Put baking soda in the toilet bowl:
Take one cup of baking soda and put it directly into the toilet bowl. If the clog is big and stubborn, you can use one and a half cups of baking soda. If the clog is small and not severe, then you can first pour half a cup of baking soda then you can use the other half if required.
Pour the vinegar:
After pouring the baking soda, wait for 5-10 minutes and let the baking soda sit. Then take the same amount of vinegar and pour it into the toilet bowl. If you are not wearing the safety glasses, keep your face away while pouring the vinegar. Avoid the splashing of baking soda and vinegar in your eyes.
Let the bubbly reaction happen:
When you pour the vinegar into the toilet bowl containing baking soda, the reaction will start to happen quickly. While pouring the vinegar, you’ll see the formation of bubbles. There will be a sound also. The mess will be big and make your toilet floor dirty.
The fizzy bubbles will be overflowing from the toilet bowl. Let this happen until the reaction calms down. It will probably take 20-25 minutes to let the fizz sit. This fizz will create pressure on the clog and will help it to break or pass away.
Pour hot water:
If you are not sure whether it will work or not, take 1-2 liters of water and put it on the stove to get heated. When it gets heated, take it off. Note that you need very hot water but still not boiling water. Once the fizzy action slows down, pour the hot water into the toilet tub and leave the toilet for 1-2 hours. It will let the clog soften and dislocate.
Check for the clog:
After 2 hours, check if the clog has passed or not. If the clog is cleared, then all the water in the toilet will be drained through the outlet. If still water is present, this means the clog is still there and needs a little push.
Flush the toilet:
Flushing the toilet will give that push. And after one or twice flushing, you will see there is no clog anymore. Feeling relieved? See it was not tough.
Repeat, if still unclogged:
But if the clog is still here, don’t give up. Repeat the same procedure again. It will be worth doing this. If after two or three repetitions, the problem remains the same, this means that the clog is much more stubborn than you thought. Or maybe the clog is in the drainpipe. And due to water filling in the pipe, your ingredients are unable to reach the clog. In such a case, you’ll need to contact a professional plumber.
