How to Unclog a Toilet with Poop Still in It-With/Without Plunger

A blocked toilet is not one of the most exciting news around the house but it is even worse when you find out that the clog involves dealing with a bowl full of solid human waste.

The most common method to unclog a toilet with poop in it is plunging. Without a plunger, you can use hot water to dissolve and wash away the waste then brush off the remains. You can use a snake, hanger, or specialized drain cleaners especially when the clog is deep inside the drain pipes

It is important to note that the effectiveness of the unclogging method you deploy will depend on the cause and severity of the clog. Remember that clogs are mostly a result of how you use your toilet and what you put it the toilet. Having this in mind will help you find the most appropriate method to clear the blockage.

The following are details on different methods you can use to unclog a toilet with waste.

Use a Plunger

A flange plunger is the best tool to use for any toilet clog you may have. It’s clean, fast, and very efficient at what it does. What’s more, you could get a plunger with a long handle so you won’t come into contact with the wastewater or the poop.

Toilet Plunger
Toilet plunger

To plunge, take the biggest closet plunger you have in the house and place it on the opening of the P-trap. This will allow it to firm a vacuum. Move the plunger up and down slowly as you gradually increase your speed. Take pauses to see if the clog has passed and continue in intervals.

After several attempts, the clog should disappear . Flush the toilet to wash away all the waste that reverted to the bowl during the plunging process.

To know if the plunging is helping, you should notice water moving out of the bowl into the drain a little slower, this means the clog is dislodging and you should keep plunging. If the toilet looks the same, opt for another method.

A few tips when plunging;

  • Use both hands for a better grip of the handle as you plunge.
  • Exert more forcefully away from the toilet so the waste comes out rather than forcing it deeper into the drain.
  • Always wear protective gloves because the process is messy and dirty.
  • Have a garbage bag to keep any contents you find and wouldn’t want to flush away again.

Without a Plunger

If you do not have a plunger or for some reasons you hate using plungers, here are ways you can quickly unclog a toilet with waste in the bowl.

Use a Toilet Brush

A brush is ideal for light clogs that happen immediately after you flush especially in office washrooms or if you’re using someone else’s toilet.

In most washrooms, a brush is the only item you can find next to the bowl. It is often used to clean the inside of the bowl, but owing to the fact that it is an emergency, you will definitely have to give it another task of pushing the unexpected bowl content down the drain.

The process is easy, cover your hands, take brush and gently press the waste into drain.

Do not exert too much pressure because you don’t want the wastewater splashing all over the bathroom.

Do three quick strokes and pause to see if it’s working. After you have pushed severally, flush the toilet again to see if the water pressure will pull the contents down the drain. If not, move to the next step. That is it!

Your Hands

This is the most efficient, yet the grossest method. It is the ideal method if you’re looking for a super-fast fix in situations where the water supply is limited. It is also the best method if the bowl contents include foreign non-flushable objects like toys.

All you need is a pair of waterproof gloves, a garbage bag and some means to cover your mouth, nose and eyes.

Simply cover your hands and face the then gently using your hand scoop the waste and put it in the garbage bag. Check deeper in the drains for any object that may be causing the blockage.

Flush the toilet to check if it is free of the clog.

If the toilet flushes effortlessly, the work is complete but if not try another method like using an auger or toilet snake.

Try an Auger/Hanger/Snake

A Hanger will work in place or a toilet auger or snake. The hanger gets into the drain pipe and pushes or pulls whatever is blocking the waste. It is also helpful in breaking hard waste in the drains.

Toilet auger working
Toilet auger

This process is also very messy so protective gear for your hands and face is very essential. Keep the hooked side of the hanger hooked so it will press against any blockage easily.

You may find the hanger is too short or it doesn’t seem to work. Now it’s time to other ways.

Wire hanger
Hanger

Further Reading: How to unclog a toilet with a wire coat hanger

Hot Water and Dish Soap to Dissolve & Break down

Hot water is very efficient at dislodging waste as it softens poop and other biodegradable waste fast. You will need to give it time to work as the hot water doesn’t work instantly.

In addition, the process has to be repeated to get the best results. Here’s how you can use hot water plus other agents such as dish soap.

  1. Boil about five gallons of water and put it in a bucket.
  2. Pour enough boiling water to overpower the cold water in the toilet bowl. Wait for ten minutes and check if the clog has started to dislodge. If so, you can flush the toilet.
  3. If the poop hasn’t yet dissolved, add dish soap followed by hot water and wait for another ten minutes before you can flush again

This method is simple, less dirty and messy than the former methods above, however, it’s riskier as you could get burnt so be very careful.

Shampoo

Alternatively, you could opt to use a shampoo which is also a staple in many homes. The shampoo has mineral ingredients such as sulfates that could go the extra mile of cleaning the toilet even further. Here’s how you can use shampoo to unclog your toilet

  1. Boil two to five gallons of water and pour into a bucket.
  2. Pour the water abruptly into the toilet to add pressure and heat. The pressure will surely push the water down the toilet, or at least forward a little.
  3. Add in the shampoo, about one large squeeze, and leave it one for 15 minutes.
  4. Add in more hot water and leave again for 15 minutes. Come back to check on the progress once the time has elapsed.
  5. If you notice the clog has moved, pour the remaining hot water and flush to clean out the rest of the debris left from the clog.

The process may not work in the first attempt, but you can try severally, to see if it will work, if not. Try the next method

Plastic Foil + Coca-Cola or Baking Soda

Plastic Foil with Coca-cola

Coca-Cola is a relatively reactive agent and cleaner on its own. All you have to do is pour a two-liter bottle of Coke into the bowl and follow up with plastic foil. The cling film should be added as fast as possible so the gases from the Coca-Cola don’t escape.

Cococola
Coca-Cola

After covering, leave it on for an hour leaving the Coke to soften the poop. Flush the toilet and use the plastic foil wrapped on top of the toilet to push the clog down. The pressure will further push the poop down the drain. Flush the toilet again.

Plastic Foil & Baking Soda

You can baking soda in place of coca-cola. It’s reactive, it can clean and easily clear away stains, plus works well with Coke. You can use it alongside Coke above or wrap it along with the plastic foil.

  1. Pour a bucket of hot to lukewarm water into the toilet and follow up with soda right away.
  2. As the toilet is being reactive, wrap the toilet completely with three wraps of cling film.
  3. Leave it covered for approximately one hour and flush the toilet. Some pressure will push the foil upwards.
  4. Push it back down with your hands over the foil. The pressure of plastic wrap and the baking soda mixture will easily soften the poop, and it will push the poop in a downward direction.
  5. Now flush the toilet and remove the plastic film.

Baking Soda and Vinegar

Using baking soda and vinegar is very similar to Coca-Cola as it has a chemical reaction. You start by adding three to five tablespoons of baking soda into the bowl, followed by vinegar. It will start to foam and bubble. This is a sign it’s working.

How to unclog toilet with baking soda and vinegar

Give the reaction some time and flush the toilet. You could also take it up a notch by pouring hot boiling water into the toilet. This will intensify the reactions. You can repeat the process as many times as you want, but be careful not to burn yourself with the hot water.

Household Bleach and Commercial Chemicals

Household bleach and commercial chemicals are enzyme drain cleaners used to hasten the degradation process and also clean out the pipes in case they have buildup adhering to the walls of the pipe.

This is the last method as it’s not recommended unless the clog is severe. The bleach can damage the pipes by corroding the metal and damaging the plastic pipes.

Nonetheless, most of these cleaners do a great job at unclogging waste. Here’s a step by step guide you can follow;

  1. Get a drain cleaner from your nearest store. There are several homemade chemical cleaners but they may not be effective and their results could bring more harm than good.
  2. Select store-bought cleaners that are specifically meant for cleaning the drain and getting rid of build-up and clogs.
  3. Open your toilet seat and pour a good out of the cleaner in the bowl. You may notice a fizzy reaction, but close the toilet seat and wait for 15 minutes.
  4. Check whether the clog is gone, most probably it will. Get a toilet cleaner or household bleach and clean the toilet as you flush.

You don’t want to repeat this process of using enzyme waste-removal products and chemical drain cleaners as they are very aggressive and can cause bad reactions in the pipe. Not to mention the toxic fumes that could be emitted in the drains.

FAQs

What Breaks Down Poop in Toilet Bowl?

Some of the solutions and chemicals known to break down human waste include warm or hot water, liquid washing detergents, a solution of vinegar and baking soda, Coca-cola (drink). There are more specialized solutions available in your local stores. Some of these commercial products include;

  • Green Gobbler Drain Clog Dissolve
  • Zep Drain Defense Enzymatic Drain Care
  • BioWonder Septic Tank Treatment
  • Roebic K-570-Q K-570 Biodegradable Leach
  • Rid-X Septic Tank Treatment Enzymes

Why do I Clog the Toilet Every Time I Poop?

The possible reasons you are ever clogging your toilet include, not flushing properly, flushing down the waste with tough and non-biodegradable materials, your toilet’s pressure is slow(low-pressure toilet types), insufficient water supply, faulty drainage system, hard water or huge lumps of waste. A quick fix is trying out large trapway toilets.

Toilet Flushes but Poop Stays- Why my Poop won’t Flush Down the Toilet?

This pretty much depends on how you flush, the power of your flush system, the size of the waste, and the amount of water. Other reasons are the same as those above that create clog every other time you use your toilet.

Further Reading on Unclogging Toilets

One Comment

  1. My toilet is clogged, which is why I’ve decided to start looking for plumbing supplies so I may start fixing the matter. Well, I appreciate your suggestion of using a plunger with a long handle. It also never occurred to me that pouring a two-liter of coca-cola will help address the matter too.

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