to risk flushing my toilet after losing something round the U-bend? Or AIBU to try DIY plumbing?

[bumbleumble]

I just dropped a piece of plastic in the toilet as it was flushing. It disappeared around the U-bend. It is a plastic cover, four finger-widths in length, two finger-widths in width, and one finger-width in height (although it is not solid, just a snap-on cover, so open on one side).

I don't mind losing the item (although DH might, as it is his :( ) but I really want to avoid blocking the pipes necessitating an expensive plumber call-out.

So far I've tried:

• getting it out myself (wearing a washing up glove and black bin-bag for double protection!)- no luck, and the pipe felt really wide, so I don't think it would have got stuck near the bowl
• using an unwound coat-hanger round the U-bend- no luck

Do I start taking the toilet apart myself (I found instructions online)- we live in a rented house and DH is out today, so I don't want to screw it up.

Or just flush it and cross my fingers that the toilet doesn't overflow, and that it is already long gone in the sewer?

I need to wee and can't make up my mind!

Has anyone dropped something similar size down the toilet and it passed OK?

My friend dropped my hairbrush down the toilet once.

It dropped as she was flushing and got sucked straight down never to be seen again.

Didn't cause any toilet problems but I do still miss that brush.

It is easy to take apart and out back together so I would give it a go. If no luck you may have to call a plumber/ landlord etc but only if you start to get a blockage. Soil stacks are fairly wide however this is the type of item that other things can get stuck onto and eventually cause a blockage later on especially with older crappies pipes good luck op x