How To Get A Toy Out of The Toilet? Best way!
It’s the middle of summer, and you’re enjoying a relaxing day at home when you hear your child screaming from the bathroom. You run in to find them standing next to the toilet with a toy in their hand and a look of horror on their face. They dropped their favorite toy down the toilet!
Don’t worry – we’re here to help. Children often flush toys or other small objects without realizing that they can cause a major blockage.
In this blog post, we will discuss how to get a toy out of the toilet without causing any damage.
Table of Contents
How Is It A Serious Issue?
Children’s toys are one of the most common items dropped in the toilet. In fact, a child’s toy is one of the two things that are flushed down the toilet and cause sanitation problems (the other is hygiene products).
More than 7 million dollars is spent each year to unclog toilets or repair damaged sewer lines caused by flushing toys down toilets.
In addition, flushing a toy down the toilet can also introduce harmful bacteria into the water supply.
If your child toy ends up in the toilet, you can do a few things to clean it and prevent it from happening again.
Tools/materials You Need To Get a Toy Out Of The Toilet
- First, you’ll need unused clothes.
- You will also need a pair of gloves to protect your hands from bacteria.
- You might need one of the following tools to grab the toy and pull it out of the toilet: a pair of pliers, a clothes hanger, a toilet plunger, a toilet auger, or a liquid drain clog remover. Don’t get all of them now. Start with the easiest steps and then try the more complicated ones.
- Finally, you’ll need a disinfectant to clean the toy once it’s been retrieved.
With these supplies on hand, you’ll be able to get your child’s toy out of the toilet with minimal fuss. Let’s start!
Easy Steps To Take A Toy Out Of The Drain
Step 1
When a child’s toy is dropped in the toilet, the first step is to remove the toy from the water.
In the case of smaller toys, they can be scooped out with a cup or spoon.
If the toy is too large to remove with a cup or spoon, it can be fished out with a pair of tongs.
You can also try using a toilet brush to see if you can reach the toy that way.
If the brush isn’t long enough, you can also try using a clothes hanger. Just straighten out the wire coat hanger and hook it onto the toy.
Step 2
The next step is to disinfect the toy by soaking it in a solution of bleach or dish soap and hot water for at least five minutes.
After the toy has been soaked, it can be rinsed with clean water and allowed to air dry.
If it’s a wooden toy, please read also: How To Clean Wooden Toys? Effortless & Natural Way!
Step 3
Once the toy is clean and dry, it can be returned to your child.
How To Get A Toy Out Of The Toilet Using A Plunger?
We consider the toilet auger the best option as the easiest way and most useful one in most cases.
With a plunger, you can get that toy out in no time. Just make sure to follow these steps:
Step 1
you can use two different types of plunger (see below). Both are good for unclogging the toilet.
In case you don’t have one at home, you can find the perfect plunger with both options on amazon:
Step 2
Put on rubber gloves and take off the toilet’s lid. The cleaning gloves are important, you don’t want to touch anything gross!
Step 3
Then, place the plunger over the hole in the toilet bowl, creating a seal. It’s a very important step, keep trying and make sure you’re creating a better seal.
If the plunger has an extended piece, put the extended piece inside the drain hole.
Step 4
Step 5 is the messy part. It will cause the water to splash, so be prepared for it, take off the bath carpet, and wear clothes you don’t care about.
Step 5
Now, push down the plunger in and out for 15-20 seconds. You will feel some resistance, but no worries, it’s supposed to be this way, fight back and put pressure aggressively!
Step 6
Take off the plunger after you make sure you drip it off as much as possible, so you won’t be getting everything everywhere.
Step 7
Next, see if the toy has come loose. If it hasn’t, you have to repeat step 5.
You will notice that the water now is dirtier as we pull everything up from the water canal (inside the toilet), so the “second” splashing part is even less pleasant than before, but don’t mind it too much, be determined and keep pushing the plunger a few more times as described in step 5.
Step 8
Finally, once the toy is loose, flush the toilet to get rid of any evidence!
How To Get A Toy Out Of The Toilet Using A Toilet Auger?
The next option is using a toilet auger known as a toilet snake or a plumber’s snake. A tool that plumbers use to unclog the plumbing system from stuck foreign objects.
Step 1
Most likely, you don’t have a toilet auger at home. You can buy one on amazon or at the local hardware store.
Step 2
Open up the toilet tank. Then go ahead and flush it.
Step 3
Put the toilet auger inside the toilet hole and lean it back (towards you).
Step 4
Make sure that leaning back the auger doesn’t damage anything in the bathroom.
Step 5
Turn the handle till it’s getting caught on the stuck toy.
Step 6
Do not force it too much, as you don’t want it to twist your auger up the snake.
Step 7
Let off a little bit of pressure and push it up with the stuck toy. If it doesn’t come up with the toy, repeat it a few more times till it’s done!
Liquid Drain Clog Remover
The stuck toy can create significant toilet clogs. A toilet drain opener is not the ideal solution, but sometimes there is no choice.
Choose a clogged toilet remover made of natural materials rather than chemical drain cleaners.
This is one of the best options! Its formula Is non-corrosive to pipes and does not contain bleach or sodium hydroxide. It uses powerful biodegradable surfactants that are environmentally friendly. It’s odorless and won’t create fumes.
Call a Professional Plumber
If the toy is still stuck in the toilet, you may need to call a local plumber to help remove the toy from the toilet.
Tips To Prevent Future Accidents
First, make sure that everyone in your household knows not to flush anything other than toilet paper. You should also put up a sign in the bathroom as a reminder.
Second, keep a trash can next to the toilet so that people have a place to dispose of any waste material.
Finally, periodically check the toilet for any objects that may have been flushed by mistake.
The Bottom Line
Accidents happen, but that doesn’t mean that you have to call a local plumber every time something goes down the drain.
With a little bit of know-how, you can remove most objects from your toilet without any professional help and save money! Just remember to use gloves and take precautions to avoid coming into contact with any bacteria.
And if all the options fail, you can always call a plumber to help you out.
We hope you never have to use these tips, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry!
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