Five Ways to Unclog a Toilet Without a Plunger

As soon as the toilet clogs, head to the kitchen for some dish soap. The slippery soap should help lubricate the clogged pipe and let lodged debris slide down more easily. Be generous — pour a half-cup to a cup into the toilet and let it settle.

If dish soap alone doesn't do the trick, try adding hot water to move things along. Fill a bucket with hot bath water (boiling water could crack a porcelain toilet) and pour it into the toilet from waist level. The force could dislodge whatever is causing the clog.

A more severe blockage could require manually moving the item. Unravel a wire coat hanger until it's straight, push one end into the clogged area, and prod the debris until it becomes free and flows down the drain.

This trick gets a little messy. Remove as much water from the bowl as possible, fill a large plastic bottle with warm water, place your thumb over the top, and fit the bottle's top end into the toilet's outlet (wear rubber gloves). Remove your thumb and crush the bottle so the water shoots down the pipe — the added pressure could dislodge the clog.

As soon as you can, get to the hardware store for a new plunger — but not all plungers are equal. A wide-mouthed, flat-rimmed plunger is designed for flat surfaces like a sink or tub drain. For a toilet, look for one with a narrower flange extending from the bottom of the cup, designed to fit inside the drain and form a tight seal.