There is really nothing worse than a toilet that is clogged. Wait, we were wrong. There is actually something worse and that is if you have a clogged toilet that still has poop in it. Yes, this is absolutely disgusting. But with that being said, it does happen more often than we would like to admit.
What we are here to talk about today are the various methods at your disposal to deal with this unpleasant situation.
Can You Unclog a Toilet with Poop in It?
Yes, absolutely, you can definitely unclog a toilet that still has poop in it. Let us ask you this, if your toilet is clogged and has poop in it, what are you going to do, just throw out the toilet and buy a new one? No, of course not, you have to unclog it. As you are about to find out below, there are no less than ten different ways to unclog a toilet with poop in it.
10 Best Ways to Unclog a Toilet with Poop Still in It
What we want to do right now is to talk about the very best ways to deal with the situation are. What is quite surprising, as you will see, is that there are actually many different ways of doing so. So let’s get right to it.
1. Try the Toilet Brush
OK, if you happen to be stuck in someone else’s bathroom and you don’t have a plunger handy, something that you can try doing is to use the toilet cleaning brush to try and push some of the poop down the drain. Sometimes the poop might just be too big to fit down past the trap of the toilet, in which case breaking it apart and shoving it down the drain with a toilet brush might just work.
With that being said, if the toilet is severely clogged or if the clog occurs well below the trap, then using a toilet brush to try and jam it down the pipes won’t do any good. Do keep in mind that you want to move slowly here because you don’t want to spray poop water all over the place.
2. The Good Old Plunger
The next option at your disposal here, perhaps the most common way of unclogging a toilet, whether or not the bowl still has poop in it, is to use the good old plunger. First and foremost, when you go to plunge a toilet, you want to make sure that the top of the plunger is also covered with water, as this will help in making a good suction and it will also help force the water and the waste down the drain.
Moreover, when you are plunging a toilet that still has poop in it, do be quite careful. You might even want to wear a mask in order to prevent poop water from splashing up in your face. If there is a very severe clogging of the toilet, especially if there is a physical object, then this might not work. If plunging it a few times does not work, then use any of the other methods that we have described here today.
3. A Toilet Snake
Yet another option that you have at your disposal for unclogging a toilet that still has poop in it is to use a good old toilet snake, also known as a drain snake. Now, what you need to remember here is that because there is still poop in the toilet, you want to have a bucket of water handy, or at least a pitcher of water that you can then pour over the toilet snake as you pull it back out of the bowl.
The simple reality is that if you unclog a toilet that is still filled with poop, that toilet snake is going to get absolutely covered in it, so you do want to have a way to wash it off when you are done. On a side note, wearing some rubber gloves is probably a good idea too.
All you really have to do here is to insert to the end of the toilet, snake into the toilet, and then continue cranking the lever in the appropriate direction to extend the snake down into the drain.
Once you feel an obstacle or a blockage, start twisting the drain snake back and forth really quickly and also push it back and forth. This should help dislodge the clog. If this does not help to dislodge the clog, then you might have to resort to one of the other methods that we have described here today.
For more on how to use a toilet snake, check this article.
4. Get Dirty
OK, so we do realize that using your own hands to literally pull poop out of your toilet is not exactly the most attractive option out there, but when it comes down to it, it might just be one of the easiest and most effective. The simple reality is that if you have toilet paper and poop that is clogging the toilet trap right at the bottom of the bowl, then the easiest thing to do is to just dislodge it with your hands.
Of course, you are going to want to wear waterproof rubber gloves to do this because you don’t want to get that poop and poop water all over your hands. You may also want to wear a facial mask because you will have your face right in the toilet bowl when you do this. It’s definitely not the most attractive or sanitary option, but when it comes down to it, it does usually work.
5. Boiling Water
The next method that many people use to unclog a toilet that still has poop in it is to pour boiling hot water into the toilet bowl. What you need to be aware of here is that this is quite a lengthy process and you will probably need to repeat it three to four times.
All you really have to do here is to get about half a gallon of boiling hot water and pour it right into the toilet bowl along with the poop. The aim here is to have this boiling hot water literally disintegrate the poop to the point where it will then be able to be flushed down the toilet. If this does not work, try mixing a good bit of dish soap with the hot water to increase its efficacy.
6. Using Soda
Now, this is definitely one of the more interesting methods that you can use to unclog your toilet, but the fact of the matter is that it does actually work. What you want to do here is to take at least one liter of a highly carbonated soda and pour it into the toilet bowl along with the poop. You will then take plastic or Saran wrap and cover the toilet bowl so that absolutely no air can get out.
The goal here is to have the carbonation within the soda buildup in the toilet bowl to the point where there is so much pressure that it will quite literally force the poop and the other waste down the drain. This is not always the most effective option, but if you have some soda laying around your house you may as well give it a shot.
7. Baking Soda and Vinegar
The next method that you can try using to unclog a toilet that still has poop in it is to fill the toilet with about a cup of baking soda and then pour in about the same amount of vinegar. When baking soda and vinegar mix, there is a very strong chemical reaction that produces a lot of oxygen and foam.
If you put this in the toilet together, this oxygenating chemical reaction should be enough to dissolve the poop in the toilet to the point where you can then flush it down the drain. In fact, using baking soda and vinegar is also a great way to clean your toilet of other leftover waste.
8. An Enzymatic Toilet Unclogger
If you want to spend some money on an actual product, then you can try going for a toilet-safe enzymatic unclogger. These are special liquids that are designed to quite literally liquify poop, waste, toilet paper, and more. Sure, they might take a few hours to work, but those bacteria will quite literally eat the waste until there is nothing left. This is not exactly a cheap option to go with, but if the clog was caused by poop and toilet paper, then this is the way to go.
9. A Coat Hanger
If you do not have the toilet snake, but you get the feeling that there is a clog somewhere in the pipe right below the trap, then something you can try doing is using an untwisted coat hanger. Make sure that the coat hanger is coated in plastic, or else the metal will scratch the inside of the pipes and will damage the porcelain in your toilet. Just untwist a coat hanger and then start shoving it into the drain. If you feel any obstacles, move the coat hanger around quickly to try and dislodge the waist. You can then flush the toilet.
10. Bleach
This is something that we would not do unless it is absolutely necessary, or in other words, using bleach to unclog your toilet with poop in it is the last resort. Bleach is of course extremely poisonous and horrible for the environment, so pouring three or four cups of it into your toilet to unclog it, while it will definitely work, will not do the environment any favors.
Mistakes to Avoid, Tips & Tricks
Lastly, here are some additional tips to help you get out of your problem:
- Personally, we recommend going for the physical methods before you try pouring anything in the toilet, because more often than not, the physical methods, such as plunging, using a toilet snake, and even using a coat hanger, will generally work best.
- If you do not absolutely have to, do not pour bleach down the toilet.
- Always wear a face mask and goggles when trying to unclog a toilet that still has poop in it, because you do not want that poop getting into your mouth or eyes as that can cause serious sickness.
- If all else fails, the only other option that you have at your disposal is to call a plumber for help.
Summary
There you have it folks, ten ways to unclog a toilet with poop in it. We hope that we have managed to help get your toilet running smoothly again!