Has your toilet ever become clogged, and you have no idea what to do? It’s happened to all of us! Rather than embarrassing yourself by inviting the plumber over to see the mess that won’t flush, try the six techniques listed below and see if you can fix things on your own first:

1. The Tapping Trick: A Quick Save

   Once you flush the toilet and start to notice the water rising and toilet beginning to clog, now is your time to act! Begin to forcefully tap the back or side of the bowl. As unbelievable as this sounds, it works when you are dealing with a minor clog.

2. The Pressure Washer Tactic

   Adding more pressure could solve the clog completely. Pouring one or two gallons of cold water straight into the hole can act as a jet, blasting the clog into pieces. You must be careful with this tactic though, because you don’t want to get splashed with the heavy load of water!

3. The Baking Soda vs. Vinegar Strategy

   Before trying the pressure washer tactic, try this one first because this technique works best when the chemical reactions is not diluted. Simply add one cup of both baking soda and vinegar to the toilet bowl, let it sit, and hope for the best!

4. The Dish Soap & Hot Water Method

   Using your typical dish soap, pour ¼ cup of that into the bowl. Let the soap spread and soften up the blockage, then pour some hot water in. You must follow the direction exactly, or else this method may not work. Also, do not use boiling water, as this can crack your toilet causing a way larger and more expensive mess.

5. Using a Plunger, The Right Way

   Many do not know the correct way to use a plunger, so start with this technique then go from there if the problem is too big for the plunger. By pumping up and down at a consistent pace, you are making the clog even worse. Instead, push the plunger down slowly and pop it back up quickly.

6. The Last Resort: A Snake Auger

   If you have tried the five other steps listed above and your toilet is still clogged, you can purchase a small snake auger. This tool is used to thread down the pipe, rotating, which should drill through any blockages. This tactic has the highest success rate, so hopefully it resolves the issue!