How to Unclog a Toilet Using Dawn

Published: Dec 5, 2009
Updated: Nov 20, 2021
1 minute read

It takes less than an hour, requires no caustic drain cleaners or hardware such as a drain snake and no unusual physical strength is needed.

Things You Will Need

  • ½ cup Dawn dishwashing detergent
  • ½ gallon hot water
  • Plunger
  1. Remove all the excess water possible from the clogged toilet.

  2. Pour in the dishwashing detergent.

  3. Boil about a half-gallon of water. Pour it into the toilet.

  4. Allow to sit for at least 15 minutes.

  5. Plunge the clogged toilet several times until the clog is dislodged and the toilet flushes. If it does not dislodge within about 10 plunges, boil more water and pour in another half-gallon, wait 15 more minutes and try again. You may have to do this three or four times for stubborn clogs.

The Drip Cap

  • Everyone dreads the frustration of a clogged toilet.
  • However, there is a simple method you can use to unclog a toilet drain using regular Dawn liquid dishwashing detergent.
  • Pour in the dishwashing detergent.
Karren Doll Tolliver

Karren Doll Tolliver holds a Bachelor of English from Mississippi University for Women and a CELTA teaching certificate from Akcent Language School in Prague. Also a photographer, she records adventures by camera, combining photos with…

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