Can You Unclog a Toilet with Baking Soda and Vinegar? | Winters® Home Services

We can all agree that clogged toilets can be major inconveniences, especially when we can’t locate our plunger. If you find yourself in this predicament, there just may be two things in your kitchen as we speak that may work just as well, and they’ll only cost you pennies.

We’re not talking about costly, harsh chemical drain cleaners. Rather, we’re referring to baking soda and vinegar. Not only are they edible, but they can be used as natural and effective cleaners, and they can be safely used on the skin.

When you combine baking and soda, they produce a chemical reaction. Think back to your days studying science in elementary school. Do you remember the “volcano effect” that occurs when they’re mixed together? When baking soda and vinegar are mixed, they mimic a volcano eruption. Sure, it’s fun to watch them fizz when they’re combined, but this mixture has uses too – it can actually break apart stubborn clogs.

Can You Clear Your Clogged Toilet with Baking Soda & Vinegar?

Have you heard about people unclogging sinks with baking soda and vinegar? Combined, baking soda and vinegar can sometimes clear a clogged sink, but in many cases, they can also take care of a toilet clog. However, to avoid a small eruption all over the bathroom floor, you’ll want to measure them very carefully.

If you do not have a plunger handy, but you do have baking soda and vinegar, the first thing you’ll want to do is assess the severity of the clog.

How Much Baking Soda and Vinegar Do You Use to Unclog a Toilet?

You will need equal parts of each. If the clog is minor, you’ll want to use the entire amount of baking soda and vinegar at one time; you won’t be pouring them down in stages. On the other hand, if it’s a more stubborn clog, you’ll use smaller amounts in increments. Why do you do it in increments? Because you don’t want the fizzing action to be so out of control that you get a big mess.

How to Unclog Your Toilet With Baking Soda & Vinegar

• If the clog is minor, pour all of the baking soda measured into the toilet bowl. If the clog is severe, pour up to one-half a cup of baking soda in the toilet. Remember to use equal parts of vinegar and baking soda. So, for every one cup of baking soda you use, use one cup of vinegar.
• Pour the baking soda first, then pour an equal amount of vinegar. As they combine, you’ll start to see them fizzing. The fizzing will build up right away, but it should subside just as quickly. Leave the mixture alone for a few minutes so they can do their job.
• After you’ve poured the baking soda and vinegar in the toilet, pour a pot or kettle of hot water down the toilet. Take a look and see if the clog has been released. If it has released, it will make a suction sound and it will drain normally.
• Flush the toilet once or twice to make sure it’s working correctly.

Next: How to Prevent Clogged Drains

If the toilet will not unclog, even if you use the baking soda and vinegar mixture, or a plunger, contact Winters® Home Services  or call 617-221-5899 to schedule a service call with a professional Cambridge plumber who can take care of the clogged toilet for you.