What do you do if toilet paper clogs the toilet? While manufacturers make toilet paper in a way that it dissolves easily in water, clogs are still possible. They may happen when a large amount of toilet paper accumulates in a tiny place, blocking the drain.

Here are some effective ways you can get rid of a toilet paper clog.

1. Using a plunger

A plunger is a universal weapon against all types of clogs. If a paper clog has occurred, grab quickly the plunger and jump into action. Place the plunger’s cup so that it fully covers the opening of your drain system.

Push it up and down to create a suction power and dislodge the drain. Remove the plunger and see whether the toilet bowl is empty or not. Also, flush to make sure deeper paper accumulations have also disappeared.

If some paper is still in place, consider making some extra plunger moves.

2. Using a toilet auger

If a plunger is not handy or if it proved inefficient in removing the paper clog, try a toilet auger. The auger has hooks at its end that aim at breaking down the toilet clog. Another advantage of this tool is that it’s long and can reach out far clogs down the drain pipe.

Insert the auger in the drain and move it downwards and upwards to disintegrate the paper. As long as the clog is in place, pushing the auger will require some force. Once the paper disappears, insertion will go much easier.

So, you will always know whether the toilet clog has gone or not.

While not all households have a toilet auger, it’s possible to make it out of a wire hanger. Straighten out the hanger and wrap a rug to its end to reduce the risk of scratching the drain pipe. Use the makeshift auger in the same way as you use a real auger.

While not having hooks and barbs to crush and cut the clog, the DIY auger can still prove quite effective. You can put a bit more force when inserting the device to help it push the stubborn paper down the drain.

3. Using hot water

A great amount of water may also force the paper clog to continue its way down the drain. However, a simple flush may not do the trick. The reason is the toilet tank contains cold water. You have to use hot water to remove the accumulations of tissue.

Hot water smooths out the paper much faster; hence the disintegration takes place also faster. Pour plain water into a bucket and heat it up. Take the water off the fire before it reaches the boiling point.

Of course, boiling water will break down stubborn tissue in seconds. Nonetheless, the risk of damaging the plumbing is high. That’s why it’s better to keep the water hot but not boiling.

Pour the water into the toilet bowl and see the result. If not all paper has disintegrated, heat up another bucket of water. It would be great if you use hot water in combination with a plunger or an auger. This would help you dislodge the toilet much faster.

How to prevent a toilet paper clog?

Removing a toilet paper clog is not hard, but it’s much better when such a clog never occurs. There are some things you can do to prevent it from happening. First of all, flush only small amounts of paper. When you flush balls of paper, only the upper portion will dissolve in water.

The bottom paper will stay dry and create a clog. Moreover, always make sure the toilet paper roll doesn’t stay close to the open toilet bowl. One can knock it into the bowl and it can end up in the drain for good.

You should also teach children to not throw paper in the toilet bowl for fun.

What To Do If Toilet Paper Clogs The Toilet? – Bottom line

To conclude, removing a toilet paper clog shouldn’t be a hard task if you have the needed tools on hand. A plunger should prove quite effective at dislodging the paper-stuffed drain. A great substitute for a plunger is a toilet auger.

Its long body and hooks at the end break up the paper build-up at ease. If these tools are not currently in your house, you can use hot water to disintegrate the toilet paper clog.