Clearing a blocked toilet

Large, pliable PET bottles with a minimum capacity of two litres can serve as a simple substitute for a force cup or plunger. However, the bottle’s diameter must be at least as wide as your drain. You’ll need to do a little preparatory work to make this trick work: first screw the lid onto the bottle as tightly as possible. Then cut the bottom of the bottle off, making an even cut all the way around using a sharp box cutter. Now place the bottle with the open base over the drain hole at the bottom of the toilet bowl. Squeeze the bottle firmly and repeatedly, releasing it to create overpressure and underpressure, as you would with a plunger. The pressure will mechanically remove the obstruction and pump it up into the bottle.

Are you looking for a solution to unblock your toilet that doesn't involve DIY tools or excessive force? Then vinegar and baking soda are your friends! Baking soda is one of the main ingredients in baking powder, so both products work equally well and should become your go-to product when you have a blocked toilet.

Start by adding baking soda or baking powder directly to the drain. Depending on the extent of the blockage, one or two boxes will usually suffice. Then pour a whole bottle of standard household vinegar down the drain. You will see how the water starts to foam. If you add three litres of hot – not boiling – water, you will further amplify the chemical reaction.

Leave the mixture to work overnight. The next morning, the blockage will have dissolved and you can clean your toilet as usual. Make sure that the room is well ventilated during the chemical reaction phase, as it may produce gases that irritate the mucous membranes.

Your toilet is blocked! What can you do? Many professionals use what they call a drain snake as a manual, mechanical means of clearing the obstruction. This method is especially useful if the blockage is a long way down the pipe, virtually behind the drain. Special drain snakes are available from DIY stores and specialist plumbing supply stores.

With washdown toilets such as those in the Architectura or Subway 3.0 collection, it is relatively easy to insert the drain snake into the drain yourself. Just be careful not to damage the ceramic or surface coating.

Insert the drain snake until you encounter some resistance, then operate the handle at the other end to turn the snake. Apply slight pressure against the blockage. Once the water slowly starts to flow, carefully pull the drain snake back out of the drain.

If the water doesn’t drain away as usual after using the toilet, you shouldn’t flush it. If the toilet is blocked, frequent flushing usually doesn't help and only makes the situation worse. The water may begin to flow upwards and flood the entire room.
Basically, prevention is the best way to avoid blockages. Here are some tips to prevent a blocked toilet: Don't put any food scraps down the drain! Wet wipes, cotton swabs etc. should also be disposed of in the household waste and not in the toilet. The same applies to old oil or grease. These are the main causes of blocked toilets. In other words, you can easily prevent blockages by only using the toilet for its intended purpose! Toilet paper, on the other hand, is harmless because it breaks down very quickly.