How to unblock a toilet: 6 things to try before calling a plumber

Most of the time it's too much toilet paper, or wipes. Even when they're sold as "flushable", wipes don't break down in water and build up in the bend of the pan. After that come objects dropped down the toilet (a toy, a toothbrush, sanitary products), limescale narrowing the passage over the years, and less often a blockage further down the drain.

The classic sign: when you flush, the water rises in the bowl instead of going down, then drains away very slowly. If it still goes down a little, it's usually paper, and the fixes below have a good chance of working.

• Stop flushing. Every flush adds water to a bowl that isn't emptying, until it overflows.
• Close the isolation valve (the small valve on the supply pipe, behind or beside the toilet) if the cistern is still filling.
• Bail some water out if the bowl is full: wear gloves and use a small container to empty it into a bucket.

This is the first thing to try, and often the most effective on a paper blockage. Squeeze a good dose of washing-up liquid into the bowl, then pour in a bucket of hot tap water from a little height to give it some force. Leave it 20 to 30 minutes.

The washing-up liquid slides down and helps the paper come away from the sides. If the level drops, flush once to check.

Never pour boiling water into a toilet. The sudden heat can crack the ceramic pan, and that costs far more than clearing a blockage. Hot tap water is enough.

The best-known home remedy for a blocked toilet. Bicarbonate of soda and vinegar fizz together and help loosen paper. They won't shift wipes or an object.

1. Lower the water level — Bail out the extra water so the mixture reaches the bottom of the bowl.
2. Add the bicarbonate — A cup of bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), straight into the bottom of the bowl.
3. Pour in the vinegar — Two cups of white vinegar, slowly: it fizzes.
4. Leave it, then flush through — At least half an hour, or overnight, then pour in a bucket of hot water. Repeat once if it drains better.

A plunger is still the most effective tool for a blocked toilet. Use a flanged plunger (with a soft sleeve under the cup), made for toilets: it seals the opening at the bottom of the bowl, where a flat sink plunger lets the pressure escape.

You need enough water to cover the cup. Seat it flat over the opening, press gently to push the air out, then pump firmly up and down about ten times without breaking the seal. Pull away sharply. Try three or four rounds before deciding it isn't working.

A pump-action plunger (like a large syringe) works the same way, with more force.

No plunger to hand? A 1.5-litre plastic bottle can help: cut off the bottom, keep the cap on, push the open end into the opening in the bowl and pump in short bursts. It's less effective but sometimes enough for a paper blockage. Otherwise, repeat the washing-up liquid and hot water and give it longer.

A toilet auger is a flexible coiled cable with a crank handle and a sleeve that protects the bowl, sold in DIY shops. It reaches a blockage in the bend of the pan or just past it.

Feed the end into the opening at the bottom of the bowl and turn the handle while pushing gently. When you feel resistance, keep turning to break up or hook the blockage, then pull the cable out. Flush once to check.

An ordinary drain snake without a sleeve can scratch the glaze. Go gently.

Don't flush and don't plunge: you'd push the object further in, where it's much harder to get out. If you can still see it, put on long gloves and lift it out by hand.

If it's out of sight, call us. On a wall-hung toilet, objects often get stuck between the pan outlet and the connection in the wall. Sometimes the pan has to come off to remove it cleanly.

Avoid chemical drain cleaners based on caustic soda or acid. They don't dissolve wipes or objects, they can damage seals and pipes, and they make the job dangerous if they sit in the bowl. Never mix two products: some give off toxic fumes.

Enzyme drain cleaners are gentler: the enzymes break down organic waste and paper. They're for upkeep rather than a real blockage. If your house is on a septic tank, don't use anything harsh.

• Boiling water: it can crack the ceramic.
• Flushing again and again in the hope it clears: the toilet overflows.
• Pushing with a coat hanger or the toilet brush: you pack the blockage tighter or push a dropped object further in.

In these cases, see our blocked toilet page. If several drains are affected, read blocked drain: what to do too. Send us a photo on WhatsApp: we'll tell you if a simple fix will do, otherwise we give you the price before we come.

• The plunger and toilet auger didn't help, and the water still won't go down.
• Something fell down the toilet and you can't see it any more.
• Water comes up in the shower, bath or sink when you flush: the blockage is in the shared drain.
• The toilet blocks again after a few days.
• A chemical drain cleaner has already been poured in and is sitting in the bowl.

Weak flush, or a cistern that fills slowly? See toilet flush repair. For every other water problem, see our plumber in Luxembourg page.

• Never flush wipes, even "flushable" ones: a bin next to the toilet solves it.
• No sanitary products, cotton buds, hair or food scraps down the toilet.
• If the toilet often drains slowly, descale the pan and check the flush.