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I do realise this is rather a disgusting topic, but it’s something we should talk about. Your toilet can get clogged, a fact you may be oblivious to until you sit down to do a number two and find you aren’t able to flush it away.
What now? Do you really need to call in a plumber and have them witness the poop? Or do you do something about it yourself?
Here’s how you can try to unclog a toilet with poop still in it. Note that your toilet may unclog itself, if left long enough, and if the clog has been caused by poop or toilet paper. If you have been flushing non-flushable items, it may take a fair bit of effort.
Use a Toilet Brush
As you probably already have a toilet brush next to your toilet, you can try using it for unclogging purposes.
Wear rubber gloves before you get stuck in, as there may be a bit of splashing involved. Grab your brush and press it down towards the drain and wiggle it around to try and get the blockage to move.
This tactic will only work if the clog is high up and easily reachable with the brush. In case you are not sure the method has worked, try the following step:
Use a Plunger
Using a plunger can be a fast and efficient way to unclog a toilet, even if there’s still poop in it. Hopefully, you already own one for emergencies like the one you are dealing with now.
Lift the toilet seat to avoid splashing it and wear rubber gloves. Cover the toilet drain completely and press the plunger into the toilet. Release it gently, as you don’t want to splash that contaminated water all over the floor and yourself. Stand a bit further back, and use slow and steady motions.
If the first plunge doesn’t work, keep trying. It can take several tries to unclog a toilet. However, if you’ve had more than 10 goes and water is still not flowing away, you will want to try something else.
Use a Plumbing Snake
A plumbing snake is probably the best way to unclog a toilet, with or without poop still in it. It tends to work when nothing else does, and it’s what plumbers themselves use, so if your drains frequently get clogged, you might want to consider investing in one. You can buy one in a local hardware store, or order one from Amazon for less than £20.
The snake will tackle the clog at its source, whether it’s near the drain opening or somewhere deeper in the pipes. All you need to do is slowly and carefully feed it into the bowl and through the drain, until you feel the clog. Wear rubber gloves and don’t rush the process, as you don’t want to damage your toilet bowl.
Depending on the type of snake you have, you may have to crank a handle or turn a winch, or you may just need to snake a long piece of wire down the toilet. Use the snake to break clots up or pull them out.
Once you are fairly certain most of the blockage has been cleared, slowly pull the snake out. Flush the toilet. If the water is flowing away as it should, scrub and disinfect the toilet and the area immediately around it, as well as the snake itself.
Use a Clothes Hanger
If you don’t have a plunger or a plumbing snake on hand, you can try using a clothes hanger. You are looking for one made entirely out of wire, and not the plastic or wood kind.
Unwind the wire clothes hanger completely. You can use pliers if you can’t do it by hand. Then slowly feed the end without the hook into the toilet drain and turn and wiggle it around. Wear rubber gloves for the task.
The hanger should break up the poop causing the clog. Be careful not to scratch the bowl, and don’t be too vigorous with the wiggling. Note that this method won’t work if the clog is not actually caused by poop, and there is something further down blocking your pipes.
Try Hot Water and Dish Soap
If you want to try to unclog a toilet with poop without getting your hands dirty, so to speak, you can try using hot water and some dish soap. It’s a great method for breaking up poop clogs.
Pour about a litre of water into a pot and let it come to the boil. Add roughly two tablespoons of dish soap to the pot, and take it over to the toilet. Pour it in slowly and carefully, and let it sit for 5-10 minutes.
When you come back, the poop should have started to break up and thin out. You can try flushing the toilet, but stand by with a plunger to make sure the water doesn’t overflow.
Don’t try this method more than once, especially if the water levels in the toilet are high.

Use Coca-Cola and a Plastic Foil
If you have a bottle of Coca-Cola at home, you can try using it to unclog the toilet. The phosphoric acid in it will act as a declogging agent and break up the waste that’s blocking your toilet.
Lift the seat and pour a few cups of Coca-Cola into the toilet. Then grab some plastic foil and cover the lid, to speed the chemical reaction up. Let the Coke sit in the toilet for no more than an hour.
Take a look inside the bowl and examine the state of the poop. If it’s broken up, you can flush the toilet. Again, have your plunger ready to prevent any overflows.
Try Baking Soda and Vinegar
Baking soda and vinegar are a great way to unclog drains and sinks. All you need to do is pour one cup of baking soda into the toilet bowl, then chase it with a cup of white vinegar. It will start to fizz and foam immediately, so make sure you are standing back and wearing gloves.
Wait until the fizzing stops and try flushing the toilet. Plunger at the ready, of course.
You can also pre-mix the baking soda and vinegar in a bowl, but as you will need to pour it into the toilet rather speedily, this might be the messier way to do it.
Use Baking Soda and a Plastic Foil
You can also use baking soda without the vinegar to break up a poop clog in the toilet.
Start by pouring 5 cups of warm water into the toilet. Then add a cup of baking soda, and place some plastic foil on the toilet to enhance the chemical process. Let it sit for up to an hour, then check on the state of the poop. If it has been broken up, flush.
As usual, your plunger is your friend.
Try Some Shampoo
Shampoo can also help you break up the poop causing your clogged toilet. It has to contain lauryl sulphate or another surfactant though, so if you are using a shampoo without sulphates, it won’t work.
Start by pouring 3 cups of hot water into your toilet bowl, then add about a cup’s worth of shampoo. Let it sit for 30-ish minutes. Check on the clog and see how it’s doing. If you decide to flush, make sure the plunger is there to help you prevent an overflow.
Use Household Bleach
You can also try using bleach to unclog a drain. Before you do, make sure that it won’t damage your kinds of pipes.
Pour two cups of bleach into the toilet (while wearing rubber gloves), then let it sit for no longer than 15 minutes. Make sure to air the bathroom while you’re doing this, as the smell can really build up. Don’t stay in the bathroom while the bleach is in the toilet.
When you come back, check that the clog has dissolved and flush.
Try a Commercial Cleaner
You can also try pouring a commercial drain cleaner down your toilet to break up the poop clog. Read the manufacturer’s instructions carefully, and don’t let the chemicals sit in your toilet longer than recommended.
Make sure to wash and disinfect your toilet after the clog has been dealt with.
Wrapping It Up
Whichever of these methods you decide to use, don’t forget to wear rubber gloves, stand as far back from the splashing as possible, and thoroughly wash and disinfect the toilet, its surrounding area and yourself once the toilet has been unclogged.