Over the holidays you don’t want to have to be dealing with the hassle and embarrassment of a blocked toilet or shower drain. Here are ways you can get rid of any bathroom drain clogs, without any plumbing tools, so that no plumbing emergencies spoil the festivities of the season.

How to Unclog a Toilet Without a Plunger

While a plunger is the go-to option for unblocking a toilet, you can unblock it by using some hot water.

As with any DIY plumbing task, you should first switch off the water supply to the toilet. To do this, turn off the valve on the underside of the toilet, or close the flapper in the toilet tank. To close the flapper in the tank, remove the toilet tank cover and disconnect the chain that tugs the flap open when you press down on the flush handle.

When you are ready, fill a large cup, bowl or trash can with hot water. This method works because the hot water breaks down the extra toilet paper and other waste that is clogging the toilet. If the hot water isn’t working, add soap to the hot water to assist it in breaking down the waste.

How to Naturally Unclog Your Bathroom Sink or Shower Drain

Clogs in your bathroom shower and sink drains are usually caused by a buildup of hair or soap scum around the top of the drain To take care of this clog, remove the stopper from the sink and remove any hair or other debris with a wire hook that you can fashion out of a wire clothes hanger. This will work for both your shower drain and bathroom sink, unless they have a pivot rod, which looks like a ball on a horizontal rod.

When dealing with a pivot rod, you’ll need to remove the rod before you can pull the stopper out. The pivot rod is connected to the wall, through the back of the sink, to the sink stopper and is held in place by a pivot rod nut. To remove the rod, loosen the pivot rod nut and then pull out the rod. Once the rod is removed, slide the sink stopper out and clean out the drain.

If the above DIY methods do not unclog your bathroom drains, there may be a more serious issue with the internal workings of your plumbing system. You will need to call a professional to carry out an inspection. It is ill advised to put off any plumbing issues, as they will only get worse, and cost you more to fix in the long run.

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