Despite what we see on TV and in the movies, you can’t flush just anything down the toilet. That little hole in the bottom of the bowl leads to an “s”-shaped outlet similar to what you find under the bathroom sink. It’s in that “s” where objects get stuck, and the less flexible the object, the more likely it is to get stuck.
To unclog a toilet, assuming the offending clog is soft material such as excess paper, allow the toilet to sit for 10-15 minutes, allowing for some of the water to drain. It may drain very slowly, but with most soft clogs it will still drain. With some of the water now gone, attempt to clear the clog using a toilet plunger. Place the plunger directly over the outlet hole and press down slightly to create an air-tight seal. You want to make sure your working just the water and not air. Then push firmly down and pull back up again, repeating several times. This even back and forth motion should dislodge the clog.
If this fails after 5 minutes or so, pour in a few teaspoons of dish washing soap and a pot of hot water. Let sit for a minute then try the plunger again. The soap acts as a lubricant and the hot water maximizes its effect. If the first application isn’t successful, don’t add more soap. Let some of the extra water drain, then add another pot or two of hot water and plunge again.
For tougher clogs that don’t respond to the plunger, you may need a plumber’s snake. Insert the auger end of the snake into the outlet hole and begin to work the snake in until you feel some resistance. Begin turning the snake clockwise and pushing in at the same time. The auger will grab the material and hold it, so you’ll have to pull it out and then clean the snake. Sometimes it becomes necessary to remove the toilet and use the snake from the opposite end.
For hard and inflexible objects, such as the toilet paper spool, the plunger and snake will not work. That’s good because you don’t want to force the things through the toilet and into the rest of the plumbing system where they can cause bigger problems. With a hard object you’ll have to remove the toilet and work from the bottom end. Make sure to turn the water supply off and drain the tank. It makes your work easier if you can remove the tank as well, but that’s not necessary. With the toilet removed and in an upright position, slowly rotate it forward until it’s upside down. With any luck the object will drop out. If not, it’s probably stuck in the other end of the “s”. Rotate it backwards until the back of the toilet is on the floor, then use a wire coat hanger to hook the object and pull it out. If this fails, you may need to consider calling the plumber.
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