How to unblock a toilet
A blocked toilet can usually be cleared with a proper toilet plunger, or hot water and washing-up liquid. Here's what to do, what not to do, and when the problem is your drains.
- Time
- 15 to 30 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Cost
- Low cost
- Steps
- 6
- Checked
What you’ll need
- Toilet plunger with a flange (bell-shaped, not a flat sink plunger) Search Amazon for toilet plunger flange
- Long rubber gloves Search Amazon for long rubber gloves
- Old towels or newspaper
- Bucket
- Washing-up liquid
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Safety first
- Don't pour boiling water into the toilet. It can crack the bowl.
- Don't use a wire coat hanger. It can scratch the porcelain and rarely helps.
- Don't mix drain chemicals with bleach or other cleaners, and don't plunge after adding a chemical.
Step by step
-
Step 1: Don't flush again
If the water level is high, flushing again can make the bowl overflow. If the cistern is refilling, turn off the isolation valve on the pipe feeding the cistern (turn the slot a quarter turn with a screwdriver) or lift the float to stop it.
Next: step 2 -
Step 2: Protect the floor and yourself
Lay old towels round the base of the toilet and put on long rubber gloves. If the bowl is very full, bail some water into a bucket.
Next: step 3 -
Step 3: Use a toilet plunger
Push the flanged plunger into the hole at the bottom of the bowl so it forms a seal. Push down slowly first to get the air out, then pump firmly up and down 10 to 15 times, keeping the seal. Pull it away sharply. Repeat a few times. When the water drains away with a gurgle, it's cleared.
Next: step 4 -
Step 4: Try washing-up liquid and hot water
No plunger? Squirt a generous amount of washing-up liquid into the bowl and leave it for 10 to 15 minutes to lubricate the blockage. Then pour in a bucket of hot but not boiling water from waist height. Boiling water can crack the porcelain.
Next: step 5 -
Step 5: Flush to check
Turn the water back on if you isolated it, and flush once. Watch the level: if it rises towards the rim, stop and try again.
Next: step 6 -
Step 6: Clean up
Disinfect the plunger, the floor around the toilet and your gloves. Wash your hands thoroughly.
Tips
- Only flush the 3 Ps: pee, poo and (toilet) paper. Wet wipes, even ones labelled flushable, cotton buds and sanitary products are common causes of blockages.
- Keep a flanged plunger in the house. It's far more effective than a sink plunger on a toilet.
- If small children are around, check for toys before plunging hard.
When to call a professional
If the toilet still won't clear, other drains in the house are slow, or water is backing up from an outside drain or manhole, the blockage is probably in the drain or sewer. Call a drainage company. If the blocked pipe is shared with neighbours or is a public sewer, contact your water company, which is usually responsible for clearing it.
Questions people ask
Can I use a sink plunger on a toilet?
It rarely works well because it can't seal in the toilet outlet. A plunger with a flange (an extra rubber sleeve) is designed for toilets.
Who is responsible for a blocked sewer?
Usually you're responsible for drains serving only your property within your boundary. Shared drains and sewers are generally the water company's responsibility. Check with your water company.
Are flushable wipes really flushable?
Water companies advise binning all wipes, because many don't break down like toilet paper.
Sources
Checked 9 October 2026. We wrote this guide in our own words, using:
- Thames Water: Bin it, don't block it (thameswater.co.uk)
- Bathroom City: how to unblock a toilet (bathroomcity.co.uk)
- Water UK: sewers and drains responsibility (water.org.uk)
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Printed from howtoguides.uk/guides/how-to-unblock-a-toilet/ · Checked 9 October 2026 · General information only. For gas, electrics, structural work, medical, legal or money decisions, use a qualified professional.