We’ve all been in a situation involving a clogged toilet (hopefully yours and not someone else’s). A plunger will usually do the trick … but what if you don’t have one on hand? Thankfully, there’s a simple solution that’s just as effective.

First you need to stop the toilet from overflowing. If the water looks like it isn’t going to stop, take the lid off the tank and close the toilet flapper as quickly as you can. The flapper is what allows water from the tank to flow into the toilet bowl, so closing it will keep everything from spilling over. If you want extra reassurance, shut off the water supply. The handle for this is typically behind the toilet near the floor.

Now all you do is add hot water. Not boiling – that could cause the toilet to crack. Find a bucket or empty a wastebasket and fill it up with hot water straight out of the tap. Pour the water carefully into the toilet bowl without overflowing it yourself. Now let it sit for a while. The heat should soften whatever is clogging the toilet and allow it to flush. Even if you do have a plunger available, sometimes adding hot water will prevent the need for any plunging it all.

If hot water alone doesn’t resolve the issue, add some hand soap or dishwashing liquid. Or, if that’s not available, a bottle of shampoo will work as well. Squirt a fair amount of it into the toilet bowl, let it sit for a few minutes (shampoo should be left to sit as long as possible), and then flush it again. This should help to break up the clog further.

If none of this works, then you may be in need of a drain cleaner. Contact our professionals at SOS Drain & Sewer and we’ll fix the problem for you.