How to Unclog a Toilet with Baking Soda and Vinegar

As effective as plungers can sometimes be, they won’t solve all toilet clogs. The next best step can be phoning a trained service professional to take care of your toilet clog for you. However, there’s also one method worth trying before throwing in the towel: baking soda and vinegar. Does unclogging a toilet with baking soda and vinegar actually work?

While not everyone experiences luck, we can guide you through using baking soda and vinegar to unclog toilet blockages below. Your toilet may be back in action in no time!

How to Unclog a Toilet with Baking Soda and Vinegar in 5 Steps

If you’re eager to learn how to unclog a toilet with baking soda and vinegar, take these five fast and easy steps below:

1. Fill the toilet bowl halfway with water

Fill up a bucket or container with hot water. Take it to your toilet and tip it into the bowl until it’s around half full. The goal is to ensure the toilet has just enough water to kickstart a chemical reaction but not enough to cause the bowl to overflow.

2. Put baking soda in the toilet

To unclog a toilet with baking soda and vinegar, pour one cup of baking soda into the toilet bowl. Baking soda must go in before the vinegar, or the reaction will happen too quickly and may not clear your clog.

3. Pour in the vinegar

Now that your baking soda is in the toilet bowl, slowly pour distilled white vinegar into the bowl. Take your time to stop the reaction from causing overflow.

4. Wait 30 minutes

To unclog toilet bowls using baking soda and vinegar, you must be patient. Wait at least 30 minutes for the mixture to break down the clog.

5. Test the toilet

After waiting for 30 minutes, the clog should have broken down. If it has, you may notice that the water level in your toilet is lower. You may also notice bubbles coming up from the bottom of the toilet bowl. If you notice these signs, you can flush your toilet to see if you have experienced success!

However, be ready to close the water shut-off valve behind the toilet in case it starts to overflow! Contact a licensed and insured service professional for assistance if the clog remains.

Will Baking Soda and Vinegar Unclog a Toilet Better Than a Plunger?

While plungers are often touted as an effective way to unclog toilets, there’s a reason why people often search for things like ‘How to unclog a toilet with baking soda’ and ‘Can baking soda and vinegar unclog a toilet?’ People know that other solutions exist – and some may be better than a humble plunger.

Generally, baking soda and vinegar are better for clearing toilet clogs than a plunger. Plunging can increase pressure in your pipes to pull or push a clog out of its position. While sometimes effective, many clogs are resistant!

If you’re wondering, ‘Will baking soda and vinegar unclog a toilet?’ The answer is yes – sometimes. Vinegar and baking soda is a ‘pressure and friction’ method for breaking up clogs. As the foam expands, it forms pressure. That pressure is sometimes enough to push the clog down the pipe.

Pressure isn’t the only part of the process when trying to unclog toilets with baking soda. The ‘fizzing’ reaction of the baking soda combined with vinegar can also play a part. That fizzing may help to break down the clog into smaller particles, making them easier to flush!

You may also find that baking soda and vinegar is a helpful pipe-cleaning solution. The fizzing foam can sometimes help remove gunk from the insides of your pipes. Taking those five steps above every six months may prevent future clogs.

FAQs About Unclogging a Toilet with Baking Soda and Vinegar

Does Baking Soda and Vinegar Really Unclog a Toilet?

Many people experience success using baking soda and vinegar to unclog their toilets. The fizzing reaction and pressure can sometimes push clogs and break them down.

How Do You Unclog a Toilet When Nothing Works?

You may experience some success using baking soda and vinegar if nothing else has worked to clear a clog. However, you may need to contact a service professional if baking soda and vinegar don’t work.

How Long to Leave Baking Soda and Vinegar in the Toilet?

Add baking soda, followed by vinegar, and leave the mixture in your toilet for 30 minutes. This window of time may help the mixture break down stubborn clogs.

Call Mr. Rooter Plumbing for Stubborn Clogs

Whether you have a clog in your toilet, sink, or elsewhere, Mr. Rooter Plumbing is the team to call. We are your locally owned and operated service professionals for minor and major plumbing problems.

Have you failed to unclog your toilet bowl using baking soda and vinegar? Contact us to investigate your plumbing system and get your toilet back in action. Call us or schedule an appointment online.