How to unblock a toilet
Quick answer: Use a proper toilet plunger (the type with a flange), get a good seal over the hole at the bottom of the bowl, and push and pull firmly 10 to 15 times without lifting it off. Repeat a few times. Most blockages clear within a few goes.
A blocked toilet is one of the most searched household problems in the UK, and most of the time it is a ten-minute job you can do yourself. The cause is nearly always too much toilet paper, wipes or something that should not have been flushed.
Do not keep flushing to see if it has cleared. If the water is high in the bowl, another flush will only make it overflow.
What you will need
- A toilet plunger with a flange (the soft rubber collar that fits the hole), not a flat sink plunger
- Rubber gloves
- Old towels or newspaper for the floor
- A bucket
- Hot (not boiling) water and a squirt of washing-up liquid
- A toilet auger or drain snake (only if the plunger fails)
Step by step
Stop and look
Do not flush again. If the bowl is nearly full, leave it a few minutes: the level often drops by itself. If it is close to the rim, take the lid off the cistern and lift the float to stop more water coming in.
Protect the floor
Put old towels or newspaper round the base of the toilet and put your gloves on. Plunging can splash.
Add washing-up liquid and warm water
Squirt a good amount of washing-up liquid into the bowl and add a bucket of hot tap water poured from waist height. Use hot, not boiling, as boiling water can crack the china. Leave it for 10 minutes.
Get the plunger sealed
Put the plunger in the bowl so the rubber covers the hole at the bottom completely. If you are using a flange plunger, tuck the flange into the hole. Tip the plunger slightly to let the air out as it goes in, so the cup fills with water, not air.
Plunge firmly
Push down gently first, then pull back sharply, keeping the seal. The pull is what shifts the blockage. Do 10 to 15 strokes without breaking the seal, then pull the plunger away on the last one.
Check and repeat
If the water drains away, flush once to test. If not, repeat the plunging up to four or five times. Add more hot water between rounds.
Try a toilet auger if needed
If the plunger will not shift it, feed a toilet auger (a short flexible cable with a protected end) into the bowl and turn the handle while pushing gently until you feel the blockage give. Do not force it, as you can scratch the china.
Flush and tidy up
Flush twice to check it is flowing freely. Clean the plunger in the toilet with disinfectant, rinse it, and wash your hands well.
Tips
- Keep a plunger in the bathroom. A slow-draining toilet caught early is easier to clear.
- Never use more than a few sheets of toilet paper at once, and only flush paper. Wipes, even the ones sold as flushable, are the biggest cause of blockages.
- Do not use drain cleaner chemicals in a toilet that is going to be plunged. If chemicals are in there and it splashes back, they burn.
Stop and get help if
- Other toilets, sinks or the bath gurgle, drain slowly or back up as well: the problem is in the main drain, not the toilet.
- You see waste water coming up in a manhole, gully or the shower tray.
- The toilet has been plunged and snaked and still will not clear. The blockage may be beyond the trap.
- You rent: tell your landlord or agent first, because drain problems are usually their responsibility.
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Common questions
Can I use boiling water to unblock a toilet?
No. Boiling water can crack the porcelain. Hot water from the tap, with washing-up liquid, works better and is much safer.
Is it OK to use bleach or drain cleaner in a blocked toilet?
It is best not to. Chemicals rarely clear a proper blockage in a toilet, they are dangerous if they splash back during plunging, and they can damage older pipework. Use a plunger first.
Why does my toilet keep blocking?
The usual causes are too much paper, wipes or sanitary products, a low-flush cistern that does not move waste far enough, or a partial blockage further down the drain. If it blocks every few weeks, get the drain checked.
More guides
Last reviewed 17 October 2026. This guide is general information for UK homes and is not a substitute for the manufacturer's instructions. If the job involves gas, mains wiring, asbestos, structural work or working at height, or you are unsure, ask a suitably qualified person.