DIY Drano for Toilets
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It worked! This all-natural DIY Drano for toilets really worked. Not just once, but it did the trick several different times on my completely clogged toilet. (Yes, we have really crappy toilets–no pun intended.)
Why I Love this Home Remedy for Unclogging Toilets
Let me tell you, I was one happy homeowner upon discovering this simple, cheap, and safe DIY Drano solution! That’s because a plumber visit costs at least $150 and Drano and Liquid Plumbr scare the snot out of me. Seriously, listen to the warnings from the Liquid Plumbr company itself about the dangers of its product:
“…Never use Liquid-Plumr with other drain-cleaning products. The bleach contained in Liquid-Plumr can react with other chemicals, such as ammonia, to create toxic vapors. Also, use of a plunger can be dangerous, as the product can damage skin, eyes and mucus membranes on contact…Handling lye in any form can cause chemical burns and skin damage, and ingesting it can result in permanent injury or death.”
Do I want a chemical compound like that in my house, near my babies, in our water system? No spanks.
The best part, besides the fact that this all-natural DIY Drano for toilets actually works, is that it only requires two CHEAP ingredients out of my kitchen cabinets and perhaps a pot of boiling water. I know you’re curious now.
My Test Results of This Home Remedy for Unclogging Toilets
Original Test Results from May 2013: The toilet was VERY clogged, as usual. I tossed in the DIY Drano and let it sit for a couple of hours. When I returned, the standing water was gone and the toilet flushed right away!
However, the first time I used this recipe, I had to let the concoction sit overnight in the toilet. After a good plunging, it began to work a little better. I used the DIY Drano one more time, and after a few hours, the toilet was completely unclogged.
Since my original test years ago, I’ve used this recipe countless times to unclog my toilets. You can see from all the comments that it’s worked for many other people, too!
Can You Use Drano in a Toilet?
One question I originally asked was “Will store-bought Drano unclog a toilet?” (This also happens to be why I ended up making my own homemade version!) It turns out that the manufacturer, SC Johnson, doesn’t recommend using Drano in a toilet. Not only will it act very slowly on tough clogs, if it all, but it will be dangerous if you decide to try to plunge it later. If you splash the Drano on you while plunging, it could harm your eyes or skin. So, please do not use the store-bought Drano in your toilets. Just use my safe, all-natural drano recipe that works!
All-Natural DIY Drano Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 cup baking soda
- 2 cups vinegar
- 1 gallon boiling water (optional)
Instructions:
1) Into a clogged toilet filled with standing water, dump 1 cup of baking soda. Let it sink to the bottom.
2) If the toilet doesn’t have much water, add 1 gallon of boiling water to really get things moving.
3) Next, add 2 cups of vinegar slowly, so it won’t fizz over onto your floor. Ickkk!
4) Let it sit for a couple of hours and see if the water has drained. If it has drained, then try flushing. If it has not drained, then do this…
What If My Toilet Is Still Clogged After Using the DIY Drano?
Do not fear! Just let it sit overnight and then plunge, if needed, before flushing. If that still doesn’t work, you may have add more of the solution, let it sit again, and plunge again.
Now, if it still doesn’t work after a few tries, then call a plumber. Years ago, one of my kids flushed a toothbrush unbeknownst to me and it was the issue. No amount of DIY Drano was going to fix that problem!
Is This DIY Drano Safe to Use in Sinks?
From my research, it sounds like this recipe is safe and effective to use in kitchen and bathroom sinks and drains, as well. One tip I read was to hold something over the opening of the drain so the fizz goes down it instead of back up and out. Obviously, I didn’t do this for my toilet!
May the toilet unclogging force be with you next time you give this DIY Drano a try!
Did not work
So crazy!! Worked instantly!! I’m going to do the rest of my drains just because. Thank you!!
Awesome! Glad to hear it was helpful!
Trying this now! wish me luck!
I have a toilet clogged for like 3 days. every time I flushed it seemed to only get worse. with the stay at home orders i did not want anyone walking through my house so i went looking for DIY substitutes. Sa this and decided to try since i have all the stuff in my pantry.
Poured in the baking soda and the hot water a few minutes later. Waited like 5 minutes and then poured in the vinegar. Fingers crossed it works. will update as i progress
Hi there, i am
Not sure if I followed the right directions in option 2- no baking soda at al, right?
It’s 6×9 feet!
About a year ago I had such a bad backup in my studio that my landlord had to call a plumber to come in. Now with this shelter in place happening, I knew I didn’t want to have anyone try and come and fix my toilet. So I used your mixture and waited for about 3 hours. I noticed the water level had decreased immensely. After plunging, it was able to flush! Thank you so much for sharing!!
I’m trying this right now wish me luck 🤞🏼
Thank you for this tip. I wish I had read this before I spent $600 replacing my toilet. I used the same ingredients to clean my oven and it worked like magic.
Oh I’m sorry to hear that! Good tip about the oven!
We are trying this tonight! Sounds like a winning combination of ingredients, and I”m an old disabled SSGT USAF Vietnam Era Pharmacy Technician 1972-1982. ssgtannie
I hope it worked for you!
I’m going to try this and see how it works
I am sooooo grateful that I found your website. I put the DIY Drano yesterday and waited for two hours, then the toilet flush beautifully. The best part is it is cheap, environmental friendly and effective. A big thank you again 🙂
You’re welcome, Elaine. We joke that we’re saving the world, one clogged toilet at a time. 😉
Help! I try dishwashing detergent and heaps of it too with warm water. I’m sure the residue still there. Also try baking soda and vinegar but water does not seem to go down and gunky mess gone darker. I fear overflowing I don’t know what to do!
My experience was that when I left the exact recipe in this blog post over night, it often goes down on it’s own.
Thanks for ur quick reply, the toilet bowl water is very dark now , black now I think. How long should I let it sit ? Water doesn’t go down much. Is it still. Fizzling away after nearly 9 hrs? Or has the fizzle subside?
Mine flushed overnight when I left it. I’m sorry you didn’t have luck!
My husband put hot water in our toilet once and it busted.
Oh my gosh. Am I glad that I googled you!! Living beyond city limits, we have an independent sewage system. This morning we heard gurgling in the sink drains and the toilets wouldn’t flush. We knew we weren’t due to have our tank emptied but plunging wasn’t working. So I happened on this DIY site and we tried the soda and vinegar method. Voila! Thank you thank you thank you!
Great! I’m really happy this worked for you, Arlene.
I was quite skeptical but it really worked! So happy i didn’t have to call an expensive plumber. And even better, i didn’t need to pour harmful chemicals into my toilet system and into the environment. A true Win Win!
Great!!
I have to leave a comment here to let you know that It really helped me! It works! I tried twice though. Probably it’s not enough baking powder i put in the toilet the first time. But then I poured the rest of the baking powder in it and waited longer. And away it drained! Thank you so much!!
Great to hear that! Our DIY Drano to the rescue again. Who knew it would help so many people? Ha!
Wouldn’t it work better if you added the boiling water after you had put in the baking soda and vinegar. It just seems that would move it down to the clog rather than just sitting in the bowl.
I Keep White Vinegar in a Gallon Jug and Baking Soda Always On Hand! It Works! Bc I Never know When this old country house touirlet is going to Do It Again !!
Do you put it in the toilet or the tank part?
In the toilet part.
Omg! You are my HERO!!! That worked like a charm. I can’t thank you enough. I wish you were here and I would give you a huge hug. You have no idea how awful this was almost a week with no functioning toilet. Thank you a million times over. There is so much other stress this was almost the last straw. I’m bookmarking this.
Yeah!!! That makes me really happy to know it helped someone else out.
I just tried the baking soda, hot water, vinegar, trick for my toilet. Perfecto. Worked great. Thank you.