Why does my toilet keep clogging and gurgling?
A toilet that keeps clogging or bubbling usually points to a deeper blockage in the main drain line rather than a simple bowl obstruction. This makes people too afraid to flush again for fear of an overflow, halting normal bathroom use until the underlying pipe issue is cleared.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- People have been saying this in most months since July 2026.
- This comes up 18.0× more often in r/Plumbing than across the site as a whole.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Plunging the toilet repeatedly2 people mentionedDid this help you?
- 2Call a professional plumber2 people mentionedDid this help you?
- 3Turning off the water supply valve to prevent overflowingDid this help you?
- 4Letting the bowl sit and drain on its ownDid this help you?
- 5Renting a toilet snakeDid this help you?
- 6Flushing multiple times to push the item to the streetDid this help you?
- 7Using a plumbing auger to retrieve the itemDid this help you?
- 8Using kitchen tongs to pull out the gunkDid this help you?
- 9Putting pre strainers on drains and cleaning them dailyDid this help you?
- 10Wearing a full-face respirator while snaking drainsDid this help you?
- 11Using a plumbing snake instead of household toolsDid this help you?
- 12Poke at the baffle with a stickDid this help you?
- 13Using a closet auger and extending it to the full six feetDid this help you?
- 14Adjusting or replacing the fill valveDid this help you?
- 15Plunging aggressively with water filling the plunger instead of airDid this help you?
- 16Scrubbing vigorously through the trapwayDid this help you?
- 17Using a mesh strainer or drain hair catcher like a SinkshroomDid this help you?
- 18Cleaning the drain and stopper regularly once a weekDid this help you?
- 19Snaking the drains to remove excess debrisDid this help you?
- 20Using a long bottle brush and hot water to scrub inside the pipeDid this help you?
- 21Taking off the tailpiece and pushing paper towels down with a screwdriverDid this help you?
- 22Using a plunger to clear itDid this help you?
- 23Snaking through the sink drain ahead of the toiletDid this help you?
- 24Flushing the upstairs toilet to pull the clog outDid this help you?
- 25Snaking the toilet to clear the immediate blockageDid this help you?
- 26Replacing the damaged basement floorDid this help you?
- 27Using chemical drain openers like Green GobblerDid this help you?
- 28Trying different types of plungers such as a beehive plungerDid this help you?
- 29Using a shower drain snakeDid this help you?
- 30Using a plunger monthly to clear blockagesDid this help you?
- 31Using zip drain cleanersDid this help you?
- 32Using disposable foil pans or old towels to catch water while attempting to pull the trapDid this help you?
- 33Buying and using a toilet augerDid this help you?
- 34Using a flange plunger with proper suction techniqueDid this help you?
- 35Hiring a professional plumberDid this help you?
- 36using the snake through the overflowDid this help you?
- 37taking apart the p-trapDid this help you?
- 38keeping at it with the snake while adding waterDid this help you?
- 39using an augerDid this help you?
- 40using a snake to clear the main lineDid this help you?
- 41using a shop vacuum to clean out the pipeDid this help you?
- 42trying to plunge the toiletDid this help you?
- 43using a toilet drain snake or auger to pull out the obstructionDid this help you?
- 44using temporary fixesDid this help you?
- 45inserting long metal tools into the cleanoutDid this help you?
- 46Plugging the bathtub to reduce water spillage when opening drain connectionsDid this help you?
- 47Attempting to clear blockages using a drain snake on flexible pipe sectionsDid this help you?
- 48Using the other toilet in the houseDid this help you?
- 49Attempting to bucket-flush with water from a heightDid this help you?
- 50Calling an emergency plumber or looking for a shop to cable it short termDid this help you?
- 51Using a toilet auger or closet augerDid this help you?
- 52Pouring boiling hot water and letting it sit with dish soapDid this help you?
- 53Using a shop vac with a wet rag sealDid this help you?
- 54Using a makeshift tool or long-handled tool to break up the blockageDid this help you?
- 55Using a plunger repeatedlyDid this help you?
- 56Attempting to use a toilet augerDid this help you?
- 57Unscrewing the cleanout plug and using a household handheld plumbing snake or a 50-foot powered floor drain augerDid this help you?
- 58Removing the ball check valve to snake through the drain directlyDid this help you?
- 59Calling a professional drain cleaning serviceDid this help you?
- 60Flushing frequently between multiple bathroom usesDid this help you?
- 61Hydrojetting the drainDid this help you?
- 62Putting on kitchen gloves and manually pulling the debris out by hand.Did this help you?
- 63Using a shop vac to suck the debris out.Did this help you?
- 64Turning off the toilet valve and flushing to minimize water before reaching in.Did this help you?
- 65Dumping a gallon of white vinegar in the bowl overnight to dissolve limescale.Did this help you?
- 66Pouring dish soap and hot water into the bowlDid this help you?
- 67Using a standard toilet plungerDid this help you?
- 68Buying a toilet auger or snake from a hardware storeDid this help you?
- 69Pouring a full bucket of water into the bowl to force flowDid this help you?
- 70Fill a bucket with water and pour it manually into the bowl so you can control the flow and stop if the water keeps rising.Did this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I put pre strainers on drains and clean them daily.”source ↗
“Two nights ago I attempted the simple process of changing my toilet seat and it failed. The rubber nuts in the mounting holes got pushed right through and fell somewhere into the back of the toilet.”source ↗
“This morning, I flushed and a pile of what looks like hard debris was just sat at the bottom of the bowl. Looks like maybe ceramic or concrete shards but I’ve got no clue. It barely flushes away.”source ↗
“I wear a full-face respirator when I snake out the girls shower drain. I swear I can still smell it though the 3M respirator”source ↗
“Gloved up and pulled a bunch of it out, the pieces were thin and crumbly when I pressed on them…”source ↗
“This flexible piece looks like the easiest to remove and run a snake. There is a clog, so I know its going to dump water all over me, but it looks like it would just be shower water instead of sewage if I went lower.”source ↗
“Our toilet got clogged and I asked my roommate to go to the hardware store and get help on what we can use for a clogged toilet because a plunger was not working.”source ↗
“Do we have to just hire a plumber now? It's been 24 hours already”source ↗
“Toilet is currently plugged up from one of my "creations" and the bowl is draining super slow. Plunging has not helped, hot water and dish soap has not helped, can't get a snake in to help clear it. Can't afford to hire a professional right now, what do I do?”source ↗
“It was clogged before hand, so we used an auger which didn’t seem to do anything this time around. Now when you flush the water seems to come into the tank slowly and drain out of the toilet bowl quickly.”source ↗
“I have had a clog in my toilet for the last two weeks. When I flush the bowl fills up and will drain slowly over the course of a couple hours.”source ↗
“I bought a plastic plunger, I think it's called a beehive(?) I can't seem to get any traction or power behind it.”source ↗
“I've already cleared out any paper and muck that I can reach, so wherever the blockage is, it's further down the pipe.”source ↗
“If I try to start to flush (only daring a small flush), it just starts to rise in the bowl, then eventually goes back down, so water IS passing through the blockage, but just isn't shifting it.”source ↗
“I can try getting some bicarb of soda to put down, along with some vinegar, but I don't know if I'm just wasting my time with that, and I now need to get a plumber with a snake/auger to poke it out.”source ↗
“Our shower was slowing up last week and I pulled out one that was like the size of a bratwurst.”source ↗
“My bathroom sink clogs regularly and has since I very first moved in (as in issue preceded me).”source ↗
“I have to use it probably at least once a month and I don’t let a lot of water run down at a given time.”source ↗
“I’ve tried to pull the stopper out to clean but no amount of turning or pulling does anything.”source ↗
“I was dumping out a big bucket of water in the toilet that I forgot also had some flower stems in it. It was enough water that everything got flushed down. Now a few hours later, the toilet flushes but the water level goes up and then really empties out. I've tried plunging to no avail. What kind of clog am I looking at and am I about to be in trouble with the building super? 🫣”source ↗
“Unfortunately we have experienced the toilet clogging a couple of days or even a day after we use a plunger.”source ↗
“Tonight I tried a Bauer Toilet Auger and for some reason I can't get it to really go into the entrance of the toilet.”source ↗
“I just get resistance when I push the auger in and try to spin the bulb. I can't tell but I'd think I'm hitting the bend of the trap and it's not going further.”source ↗
“I flushed a washcloth down the toilet”source ↗
“Soooo I accidentally flushed a lint free, thin, washcloth, down the toilet as I was cleaning my bathroom, then when I saw it going down, I panicked, amd flushed the toilet AGAIN.”source ↗
“Am I absolutely cooked? Im horrified.”source ↗
“Last night, while the shower was running, we had water coming into the basement from where a flexible tube enters a PVC pipe and runs to our primary drain”source ↗
“Similar situation recently, plunger I had wasn't sealing or moving much water. Got a beehive plunger, and fixed in first try.”source ↗
“my toilet once backed up after a bad curry and i just sat there staring at it like please god not today”source ↗
“Well, if I do even a brief flush, all that happens is the toilet bowl starts to fill with water, along with the gunk inside, so nothing is going down at all.”source ↗
“Or am I overthinking this, and a full flush will actually do what I want it to do, or will the entire bathroom floor be covered in gunk, and then I'm even more worse off than I am at the moment.”source ↗
“My toliet started to fill up because it's clogged. I plunged it, it went down, and I pulled the handle down and it filled up again.”source ↗
“I'm afraid it could be a severe clog because my bathroom sink has been draining slowly.”source ↗
“Im scared to flush more!”source ↗
“Im scared because Google said DONT flush, get an auger and try to get it out.”source ↗
“I kind of got scared off by reading things about people breaking the baffle or getting a plumber's snake stuck in it. Figured repair guys would have better equipment (and insurance if they break something).”source ↗
“I don’t know if my 2 year old put something down there or if my husbands turds killed it. I will try a different motion.”source ↗
“I got sick and tired of snaking the drains all the time.”source ↗
“I’ve had problems with this toilet clogging more and more frequently.”source ↗
“I am pretty sure it keeps clogging at the T sometimes a plunger clears it sometimes I can clear it by snaking through the sink drawer n ahead of the toilet, and sometimes I can clear it by flushing the upstairs toilet, which I think pulls the clog out.”source ↗
“It’s dripping downstairs and I plan to take the toilet off and replace it and the seal wondering if I should do anything more while replacing the toilet.”source ↗
“I guess it is not clogging, it won't flow because there is no venting.”source ↗
“Apparently the water was continuously overflowing, not just an initial overflow. It seemingly continued to do so all day. I came home last night to a flooded basement.”source ↗
“Trying to investigate the cause now after the fact is a little frustrating.”source ↗
“It's second floor. It's the only one backed up. It does drain slowly but it takes hours”source ↗
“If I do it myself, is there a huge risk of the drano splashing around and burning me? Or since it's been there long that probably it's already diluted”source ↗
“My tub is not training. I tried using a drum auger. The snake stops like it's hitting a blockage but it won't clear it.”source ↗
“I went through that in the tub and like I said, I got to he blockage and it won't remove it. Should ijust keep at it until it breaks loose?”source ↗
“I just recently moved into a new house and about 2 weeks in we started having some issues with 1 of the toilets.”source ↗
“The landlord has been dragging his feet on getting a plumber out here because I don’t have the tools to fix it myself. Now both of them are refusing to flushing.”source ↗
“This pipe has been constantly getting blocked by clogs and nothing helps except temporarily.”source ↗
“The clog seems to be inside the wall at the end of the vertical pump before switching horizontally.”source ↗
“i tried inserting long metal tools in it and carefully miss with it but the clog is stubborn”source ↗
“Yes, my wife and I have been having trouble with developing clogs right in this area.”source ↗
“Toilet is also clogged”source ↗
“Does anyone have any advice on how to unblock a really stubborn toilet? It’s in our loft conversion and the pipe put in by our builders 7 years ago is basically horizontal and now bowing.”source ↗
“The bowing pipe is the real problem, no amount of plunging will fix a sag that traps water and waste.”source ↗