Blocked toilet - don't have a plunger - any ideas?

[oopslateagain]

Last night the upstairs loo wouldn't flush - well, it fills to the top then goes down very slowly.

We don't have a plunger, or a loo brush, or a proper mop-head-type mop.

DH tried a bottle of cola and a good squeeze, hoping the fizz and pressure would help (plus it's supposed to dissolve teeth, so... ) but no luck.

Have tried a whole mugful of bicarb plus half a gallon of white vinegar - it fizzed quite impressively. Tried a good squeeze of washing up liquid followed by a gallon of boiling water - several times. Tried half a bottle of Cillit Bang followed by boiling water.

Now it all smells lovely and fresh in the bathroom but the sodding loo is still blocked. It is draining slightly quicker, in that when I pour in the boiling water I can now hear it trickling down.

I don't want to waste money on horrible toilet-unblocking strong chemicals if they're not going to work, so any ideas or recommendations?

[fertilityagogo]

Wire coat hanger worked for me the other day

[AGiddyKipperInOneHand]

Yes, something long and bendy like a plastic coated washing line, straightened out wire coat hanger or length of old hosepipe should help shift it.

[oopslateagain]

We moved house in November and ditched all the wire ones, didn't dream we'd need them for fishing about in a loo!

I should point out, DD is 15 so unlikely to be a Mystery Object down there , none of us use massive amounts of loo roll, and I've had a good fish around in there (bluuuurrrrrgh yuk) but it's clear as far as I can reach.

I'm going shopping today so I can buy chemicals or a plunger if someone can tell me what's most likely to work!

[youfhearted]

a plunger does the trick best i think

[throckenholt]

get a stick from the garden (or a poker if you have a fire !) - anything to wriggle around in the bottom - most often gets it going.

Hopefully it is not blocked further down in the pipe.

[NandH]

yep if it's loo roll of big poo poos go and get a clothes hanger!!! works a treat!

[JollyYellowGiant]

I used a metal barbecue skewer when we didn't have any wire coat hangers.

Something physical is morw likely to work than chemicals, in my experience.

[TooYappy]

I used to clear mine with my mop, you will have to buy a replacement mop though.

[starfishmummy]

Fill a bucket with water and "throw" the water into the loo in one big woosh (in other words don't just trickle it in). This works better if you do it from a height so stand on a step or something to do it.

[thebestpossibletaste]

Anything that you can poke around with down there. Alternatively half a bottle of bleach and leave overnight. It should dissolve any poo problems.

[oopslateagain]

Thank goodness we have a downstairs loo!

I'll see if Mum has any wire hangers, that seems the best option here, I'll buy a plunger while I'm out anyway, it's always useful.

About to attack it with boiling water and Harpic - last resort before I go out!

[AGiddyKipperInOneHand]

Could your 15 yo dd be flushing tampons? They could be wedged further down. No point in using more chemicals. If the blockage is near your loo, a plunger should help. (It's a good idea to have one anyway). If the blockage is further down, you might find it starts affecting your neighbour's drains and toilets. We had to get someone out to unblock our drain because of neighbouring mum flushing tampons and blocking it!

[oopslateagain]

No tampons. And definitely just that loo as the downstairs one is fine.

Apparently the Cillit Bang does work - I just tried one last big bucket of hot water to make sure it was all gone before I tried the Harpic (mixing chemicals is a bad idea) and suddenly - whoosh!

Bang! And the shit is gone!

[oopslateagain]

oops. Italics fail.

[Abra1d]

This works:

Boil a kettle. Pour a good slug of washing up liquid down the loo (think about a teacup). Pour the contents of the boiling kettle down the loo from as high up as you can.

The washing up liquid lubricates the surface of the loo and the boiling water melts.