The Medicine Cabinet Staple That May Help Unclog Your Toilet In A Pinch

A clogged toilet can be inconvenient and stressful, not to mention embarrassing, but you don't need to panic. Instead of calling out a plumber and paying for what could turn into a costly visit, reach for hydrogen peroxide at the first signs of a clog. The medicine cabinet staple, often used to disinfect cuts, could be the difference between you being able to unclog your toilet yourself and needing to pay the hefty price for an emergency plumber.

Toilet clogs are a common problem and are caused by a number of different things. Whether you have used an overabundance of toilet paper, flushed baby wipes down the toilet, or are simply dealing with a toilet system that's past its prime, all of these issues can lead to a clog. Sometimes, if you can find the source of the clog and the item hasn't gone too far, you may be able to get it out yourself. However, if not, try the following hydrogen peroxide hack to get things back on track.

As well as hydrogen peroxide, you'll need baking soda and vinegar to carry out this hack properly. The first thing you need to do is remove as much water from the toilet as possible and dispose of it. Make sure you wear gloves throughout this entire process for hygiene purposes. Once you have gotten rid of as much water as you possibly can, take half a cup of baking soda and half a cup of vinegar and pour both ingredients directly into the toilet. Leave the ingredients to work their magic for a few hours.

When a good amount of time has passed, flush the toilet and then repeat the same water removal step as above until you have retrieved all the water you can. Now it's time for the hydrogen peroxide. Pour half a cup down the toilet and once again leave it to do its job for approximately an hour or two. Next, pour a good amount of hot water down the drain to get rid of any lingering ingredients and flush.

If the water doesn't settle to a normal level when you flush, it's likely the clog still remains. If so, repeat the entire process above. The way this trick works is that the combination of baking soda and vinegar will help any debris stuck in your drains to move along, thus kickstarting the unclogging process. Hydrogen peroxide also helps to move debris along. Toilet still full or overflowing? You should probably bite the bullet and call a plumber. 

Nobody wants to incur the expense, but, if you have repeated the method above twice or even three times and find the problem remains, it's time to get in a professional. Additionally, if you think your toilet has been clogged due to an object blocking the drain and you can't get it out, this is also a situation where you should call a plumber. However, in mild clogging cases, the above method should work and get your toilet working normally again without the need for any special tools or assistance.