A blocked toilet feels like an emergency, but the right sequence usually fixes it with household items. Wear rubber gloves, lay old towels or newspaper on the floor, and keep the room ventilated. Work through the methods in order, and do not mix chemical products.
1. Stop flushing and check the water level
If the bowl is rising, resist flushing again. Lift the cistern lid and press the float or flapper closed to stop more water entering. If the bowl is close to overflowing, close the small isolation tap on the wall behind the toilet, turning it clockwise.
2. Use a flange plunger
A flange plunger has an extra rubber collar that seats into the toilet outlet, unlike the flat cup type used on sinks. Make sure the bowl has enough water to cover the rubber, seat the plunger firmly, push down gently first to expel air, then plunge with steady strokes. Pull back sharply at the end of each series. Several rounds are normal.
3. Warm water and dish detergent
Add a generous squirt of dish detergent into the bowl and let it sit, then pour warm water from waist height. Use warm, not boiling, water, since boiling water can crack porcelain. The detergent lubricates a soft blockage so it can slide on through.
4. Bicarbonate of soda and vinegar
This gentle reaction can help with light blockages, though it is not powerful. Add bicarbonate of soda, then vinegar, wait for the fizzing, and follow with warm water. Never use it after a commercial drain cleaner, and never combine different products.
5. Use a toilet auger
A toilet auger, sometimes called a closet auger, is a short flexible cable with a protective sleeve that threads through the bend. Feed it in gently, turn the handle to engage the blockage, and either break it up or hook it. It is designed to avoid scratching the porcelain. A wire coat hanger is not a substitute, because it scratches the bowl and can lodge in the trap.
6. Remove a visible object
If a child's toy or other item is the cause, wearing long rubber gloves, you may be able to retrieve it by hand. Do this only when the item is plainly visible, and wash thoroughly afterwards. If you cannot feel or see it, stop.
7. Check whether it is the toilet at all
Run a basin or the shower. If other fixtures gurgle, drain slowly or back up, the blockage is likely further down the line and not in the toilet itself. A wet patch in the yard or a flooded overflow gully points the same way. Use the blocked drain checker to organise what you are seeing.
8. Know when to call a licensed plumber
Stop and get help if the toilet blocks repeatedly, if more than one fixture is affected, if you suspect a dropped item you cannot reach, if water or sewage rises elsewhere, or if the plunger and auger make no difference. A plumber can use a camera and proper drain equipment. See blocked drains in Sydney for what that involves and how to choose a plumber for what to check first.
Stop using all water in the house, keep children and pets away, and read the emergency guide. Wear gloves, do not use the washing machine or shower, and wash your hands thoroughly after any contact.
How to avoid a repeat
Flush only toilet paper. Wipes marketed as flushable, nappy liners, cotton buds and paper towel do not break down in the way toilet paper does. Keep a bin in the bathroom, and explain this to visitors and children. If your toilet blocks often, an old pan, a low-flow flush or a partly blocked drain may be the reason, and replacing it might be worthwhile; see what affects the charge to replace a toilet.