How to Plunge a Toilet

Two plungers are common in the toilet aisle: a basic cup plunger and a flange plunger with an extra rubber sleeve that folds out from the cup. Either one will clear a typical clog.

The flange version is designed to tuck into the toilet's drain hole for a better seal. People argue about which is better. In practice, both work fine if you use them right.

Look down into the bowl. The drain hole is the round opening at the bottom where the water goes. That's the only spot you care about.

Lower the plunger straight down so the rubber cup covers the hole. If your plunger has a flange, let it tuck inside. The cup should sit flat against the porcelain all the way around.

Push the handle straight down to compress the cup. It should feel stiff. That stiffness, both pushing in and pulling back, is your suction.

If the handle slides down with no resistance, the cup isn't sealed yet. Lift it, reposition over the drain, and try again. No seal means no force, and no force means no clog clears.

Once you have a seal, drive the handle down and pull it back up in fast, hard strokes. The pull is doing as much work as the push - both directions move water against the clog.

Keep the cup over the drain the whole time. Fifteen to twenty seconds of real effort is usually enough to break a clog free.

Pull the plunger up slowly and let it drip back into the bowl before lifting it clear. Watch the water level.

If it drains down, the clog is broken and you're done. If the bowl is still full, the clog is still in there. Don't flush yet - a flush on a stuck clog is how bathrooms flood.

Reseat the cup over the drain and run another fifteen to twenty second session. Most clogs clear on the first or second round. On a stubborn one you might need three or four.

The water often looks dirtier each time. That's a good sign - it means you're pulling debris up out of the trap, which is exactly what you want.

Once the bowl drains, give the toilet a test flush and watch the water. It should swirl down and refill normally without rising back up.

If it rises again or drains slowly, the clog isn't fully gone. Plunge another round, or move on to a toilet auger if the plunger has stopped making progress.