To use a potty (kitchen bowl)

[nadadise]

Our toilet has broken, can't afford to fix it.

Is it really awful to use a kitchen washing up bowl?

I hate doing it but I can't think of any alternatives. Any ideas?

Ahhhh the parallel universe of MN...where suggestions range from looking for the money to fix it down the back of the settee, 'just borrowing' the money to the age old 'well cancel the broadband'.......
Another sensible suggestion OP- do you know any friends of Reggie and Ronnie who could offer you a friendly 1247452% loan and a free kneecapping just to get you through this tough time?

nadadise not necessarily the case that everyone would be affected at the same time. If you are first on the 'plumbing run' you could just be the first to suffer..we used to be first on the flooding toilet chain at a previous house. Every year!

Or or or...you could go to a food bank?

I was without a loo for ten days once. Luckily I was on my own so it was easy enough for me to nip down the road to the supermarket to make use of their facilities.

It does seem as though you're reluctant OP to take people's advice to try to unblock it (there has been more advice here than caustic soda).

You can buy aerosol type plungers. We keep one for the odd blockage.cyou put the rubber base down into the loo so it makes a seal and then depress the other bit which forces pressurised air down the pipe. It has never failed us and always unblocks the loo. Way better than a normal plunger and much cheaper than a plumber.

Also, if it's a flat you live in, is there not a management company who deal with the building? It's obviously leased and I don't know the details of plumbing in leases contracts but if you're not entirely sure this is only your problem, then there might be someone who could help fix it?

Ok then sharon, what advice should we be giving to people with no money and absolutely no means whatsoever of getting any?

I'm all ears.

Payday loans aren't definitively dodgy. They are irresponsible in that they market themselves as a loan to buy something aspirational like a big TV but as a concept to cover emergencies until you can get paid, they do work out. The interest looks crazy, but that is because they tend to deal in small amounts and short time periods. It wouldn't make sense for them to have a 5% APR because that would result in pennies of interest/profit for them.

You should never ever take one if you aren't 100% sure you can pay it back on time, because that will cost you, but if you do know you can pay it back, it does make sense to pay something like £20 for the service of borrowing £100 over a month. Assuming you have the £20, of course.

Not meant as a dig at you OP, I know you've said you can't and I'm not going to ask reasons why, but I think that payday loans sometimes get a bad rap (and not undeservedly!) but there ARE situations where they are appropriate.

My brother is a plumber, if you want to PM me a pic of the loo and full description he has said he will advise as best he can. If you're local to Essex he may even pop in provided he gets a cuppa!

Morris people have made helpful suggestions as to how to try and resolve the situation which doesn't include the oh so helpful 'you just need to get a plumber out' to someone on the bones of their arse. I despair of this MN attitude where people haven't got the faintest idea what having no spare money at all entails.

Caustic soda is 99p in Pound stretcher O.P or something along that price range. Before my DS was born I was a chef and we used caustic soda to unblock the sinks when they got greasy it's brilliant stuff

There are many people who cannot get any form of finance whatsoever as well. Another thing MN generally fails to acknowledge.

It's true, some people have little clue about being poor, suggesting claiming on insurance and the likes.

Isn't caustic soda damaging to pipes? Am sure I read it somewhere when trying to unblock the grim shit that was blocking washing machine waste pipe

I have been poor, unemployed in the past and i have lived on noodles stayed in bed to keep warm but like in common people by pulp I could have always called my dad! I have clients who cant do this and my heart goes out to them. Not particularly referring to the op but we all need a safety net and the state no longer provide it. The working poor seem to be the worst off.

I have been poor, unemployed in the past and i have lived on noodles stayed in bed to keep warm but like in common people by pulp I could have always called my dad! I have clients who cant do this and my heart goes out to them. Not particularly referring to the op but we all need a safety net and the state no longer provide it. The working poor seem to be the worst off.

Try cheap cola - caustic enough to shift stuff but not too viscious for your pipes.

Unless the op has mobility problems ( drip-feed?) its a bit odd that someone is willing to crap on a paper towel but is too squeamish or unable to face poking a coat hanger down a loo.

Why are people being rude about me?

I have tried to unblock the toilet but have been worried about making it worse.

A couple of bottles of cheap cola have worked for me in desperate times!

Well that's another possibility then :) I do think it might be a job for a plumber, though.

nadadise can you go knocking around the doors of the flats/houses nearby and ask for help? I know if someone came to my door to ask to have a quick look at their toilet, I'd get my DH to help in a heartbeat.

I'm at work Vulcan

Suspicious of what? Why the fuck would I make this up?

Reading through the thread I have said:

I'll try to unblock it with those ideas, thank you

Have tried the plunger

i tried some boiling water and it just kept spilling over

I've also said I'll try the soda/cola; I don't have any wire coat hangers at present.

I definitely don't want people coming in but thanks.