Toilets tend to be unsanitary, and a broken or stopped toilet can be especially unclean. Don't forget to put on a pair of rubberized gloves before starting and eye protection if you have it available. Protect the floor around the toilet with a few layers of newspaper or an old towel that you won't mind throwing away once you've successfully unblocked the toilet.



Pour half a bucket of warm water into the toilet, slowly. If you notice that the toilet begins to drain, but is still slow, repeat this twice. If that doesn't unclog the toilet, you'll have to get to work with a plunger.

Grab your plunger and try pushing forcefully in an upward and backward movement. You are basically trying to force water through to break up the clog. Your choice of plunger may have a lot to do with your degree of success. Ask someone at the hardware store which is the plunger that works best. I remember picking out a plunger once that looked very effective only to have the hardware store salesperson steer me to a more standard model. A plunger with bells and whistler is probably not what you need to unstop a toilet.

If your toilet stops up and you have no plunger available, an old rag head mop will work as well -- use a push-pull motion like you would with a plunger. If the water starts to drain after using the plunger (or mop), you have succeeded!

But if you still have stagnant water, straighten a wire hanger, leaving a small L shape at one end. Place the end of the wire hanger into the S-shaped bend in the toilet, and push through the blockage. You are basically trying to bust it up. A straight wire hanger can also be employed as a hook to help you fish items out of the P or S bends if you know what's caused the blockage to occur.

To stop the growth of bacteria and refrain from spreading germs, you should clean the toilet and any tools that you used once the toilet is in proper working order again. If your toilet remains blocked or clogged after following these steps, you should probably run through them one more time. If that still doesn't work, call a plumber.

Even though too much toilet paper, toilet bowl fresheners, and small toys are the culprits in most clogs, there are still numerous ways by which a toilet might become clogged or blocked that you can't deal with on your own. For example, it may be the sewer line rather than the toilet itself that is blocked. To avoid further problems that may be more complex, use your best judgment, as any problems you create may be more difficult (or more expensive!) to reverse.