People from kids to grandparents try to flush all sorts of things down the toilet instead of disposing of them in some other way. Unfortunately, toilets are specifically designed to work within certain parameters. For some examples, lots and lots of toilet paper, paper towels, Q-tips, baby wipes, condoms, and even tampons should not be flushed down the toilet.  Due to their shape and volume of some of these items they are liable to become stuck in the toilet.

The removal of something stuck in the toilet is not particularly difficult but as a clog usually happens at an inopportune moment it can be somewhat unpalatable to fix.

1. In any event, the first step is to try to identify the reason for the clog. You need to figure out what the “something” is if you don’t already know.  If it is determined to be something that will eventually degrade like paper or tampons, then it is acceptable to use a plunger or an drain auger to clear the drain line.
2. If, however, the item is found to be something solid like a piece of jewelry, false teeth, a rubber ball or a small plastic toy, it will be necessary to uninstall the actual toilet and physically remove the blockage.
3. However, removing the toilet doesn’t always locate the clog or for that matter retrieve your item. The problem is that your ‘something” can be lodged right inside the toilet itself. If this is the case we recommend trying to use a vac vacuum to suck the object out of the toilet. Again, this procedure is not particularly difficult but the time, energy and expense may be better spent on hiring a professional plumber to deal with a messy situation.

Just a Final FYI– There is one final point to note when trying to clear something stuck in the toilet. It is best to avoid using corrosive chemicals as they do not normally reach the clog, can burn you and can damage certain types of pipes and seals such as the O-ring that seals the toilet to the floor.