You'll probably want to wear rubber gloves because you'll have to dip one hand into the toilet water. Siphoning requires a short, flexible hose that you don't mind getting dirty. There is likely to be a small amount of water left, both in the bottom of the tank and in the bottom of the bowl trap, but this remaining water can be removed by sponging (see below).

Plunge again to force out most of the remaining water in the bowl.

If the clog has been removed, the water should flow freely through the bowl and down the drain, leaving you with only a small amount of water remaining. This should force out any clog into the drain.įlush the toilet to empty the tank. Plunge with an up-and-down motion to get most of the water out of the bowl. This may be the best method to use if the toilet drain is clogged and you cannot flush the water from the tank without causing the bowl to overflow.Īfter shutting off the water supply valve, place the flange of a toilet plunger (also called a closet plunger) firmly into the drain hole in the bottom of the toilet bowl. The plunging motion pushes the water out of the bowl, through the trap, and down the drain (provided the clog is in the toilet, not the drain). Plunging helps to remove the water from the toilet bowl whether the drain is clogged or not. If this is the case, you may need to shut off the main water supply valve for the entire house before you drain the toilet. There is a chance that the toilet's shutoff valve will no longer fully shut off the water supply. The Spruce Home Improvement Review Boardīe aware that old shutoff valves sometimes stop functioning correctly.

How to get sponges to move out