Toilet will not unblock. Have tried pretty much everything.

[Taikoo]

Posting here for traffic.
My toilet has been blocked for a week now.

I'm not sure if I blocked it, or if it was the people in the apartment upstairs.
If it was me who blocked it, then it was some toilet roll and poo. Nothing abnormal.
No-one else lives here.

The toilet bowl takes hours to drain.
And then if more water is added, the toilet bowl merely fills all the way back up again.
Then it takes another 6 hours or more to fully drain.
I'm at my wits end.

I have tried:
A plunger
Hot water and washing up liquid
Vinegar and baking soda
A wire hanger.

Nothing works.
I'm skint and can't afford a plumber.

The last thing I did before posting on here was the baking soda and vinegar solution.
Since I did that method the water in the toilet is at a high level.
It will only go back down to a normal level overnight as its draining very slowly.
It takes more than 6 hours for the water to drain down.
I'll have to get more specialised help for sure.

I use the toilet brush wrapped in a carrier bag (one with no holes in) or a sandwich bag. Literally never fails unless it’s a problem with the outside drains, it must create some sort of seal I guess. Just push down the toilet hole and pull back out. Ta daaaa

@TheGirlWhoLived

I use the toilet brush wrapped in a carrier bag (one with no holes in) or a sandwich bag. Literally never fails unless it’s a problem with the outside drains, it must create some sort of seal I guess. Just push down the toilet hole and pull back out. Ta daaaa

Ok, thanks, I'll try that in the morning, when the water's gone down to a normal level. Failing that, I'll get outside help.

It is the landlord’s responsibility.

1. Speak to or email the letting agent. They must have spoken English throughout the letting process?

(It’s not normal to have direct contact to with the landlord in these situations, they pay the agent to do that for them, especially if they live abroad).

1. If the letting agent won’t help then ask a workmate who speaks the local language to help. They could start by talking to the building management.

If you are in Hong King it’s fine to put toilet paper down the toilet. (I used to live there).

Could you speak to the occupants of the flats directly above and below you to see if they also have a problem?

Also, try a bag of soda crystals. Very cheap too

Another one for the mop and plastic bag technique

@Lollypopsun

Bag over a mop always does the trick when my toilets been blocked (son has a habit of using too many toilet wipes)

No wipes should be going down the loo. They block the sewers! Tell him to put them all in the bin.

Avoid drain cleaner, boiling water or bleach. It just makes it more difficult go deal with. When you pour a bucket of water down don't pour slowly. I literally hold the bucket at waste height and invert it in one movement

I’d buy a pair of long rubber gloves and het your arm as far up the u bend as possible to see if you can feel the blockage and push it to unblock. If, on the other hand, you can’t feel any blockage that far down then nothing you do is going to work and you’ll know you have get outside help.

Is there someone at work who could act as interpreter for you?

Get as big a bin bag as you can find, possibly a couple and put them up your arm, it's not pleasant at all but get your hand down there and swirl, if that doesn't get it moving get a plumber.

Stick a glove on op and get your hand down there, rummage around the bottom and pull away any bits of toilet paper/poo.

It's fucking gross but i works.

The washing up liquid and boiled water trick works without you having to wait for the water to drain down. Very cheap and easy.

Got up this morning.

The toilet bowl did not drain overnight at all. Not even one centimetre.
Almost full with foul, very dark brown water.
Situation much worse than yesterday morning.
I thought I was going to cry.

Was about to borrow some money from a new friend and call an English speaking plumber I was recommended.

Had one last go with the plunger and gave it some real welly.
That did the trick and the foul water very quickly drained away. Toilet now works and flushes normally.

What a week.
At least I know what do, if this happens to me again.
Thanks to those who offered meaningful help/advice.

Yay!!

Wow! What an outcome!

Kudos to those saying put your arm in...I could not do that 🤮

Speak to the neighbours in the flat below you; do they have the same problem?
if your as high as the 25th floor, I doubt it is block-wide (I live on the ground floor, when I first moved here the toilet would block regularly, and raw sewage come up through my toilet bowl when flats above me flushed their toilet.

If you've exhausted the suggestions above, try One shot drain cleaner - use it very carefully and follow instructions to the letter, it is VERY powerful.
Some places will only sell to trade customers, but not all.

If it's a persistent problem, and def not caused by you throwing something appropriate down the toilet bowl, try the block management.

shop.wessexcleaning.com/one-shot-drain-cleaner

this listing is trade only - but local hardware stores may have it in stock

I used some Coca Cola to unblock my toilet a while ago, I never drink the stuff,. so just got some cheapo cola. I just poured a half of a two litre bottle down first, and then the rest after while, and it did the job. My toilet got blocked when I ran out of toilet roll. earlier this year, and I used a few sheets of ordinary tissues, but they don't break down like loo roll.

Buy one of those plastic pipes - the kind you have from the dishwasher or washing machine and put that down the loo next time. It will go a long way down. Then blow....... it works. You can get them anywhere.

Caustic Soda!!!! (Very very different to baking soda, this stuff will dissolve pretty much anything!)

Costs about £2 a tub or equivalent wherever you are.

Honestly, it's the ONLY thing that works sometimes here, too

25th floor? Glad I'm not on the ground floor. Your block must have a maintenance team on contract. That what they're for. Contact them.

@longwayoff

25th floor? Glad I'm not on the ground floor. Your block must have a maintenance team on contract. That what they're for. Contact them.

I fixed it this morning. It's fine now. If this ever happens again (dear god help me) I'll contact the landlord's agency.

Cross your fingers, Taikoo wish you best of luck.