Yahoo Answers is shutting down on May 4th, 2021 (Eastern Time) and the Yahoo Answers website is now in read-only mode. There will be no changes to other Yahoo properties or services, or your Yahoo account. You can find more information about the Yahoo Answers shutdown and how to download your data on this help page.
Trending News
will bleach unclog my paper towel clogged toilet?
So i put a little bit too many paper towels down the toilet, will bleach dissolve the paper towels? By the way the towels are stuck inside the toilet, all i can see is drained toilet bowl
9 Answers
- c_kayak_funLv 77 years agoFavorite Answer
Bleach is not a solvent. You need an acid or alkali like sulphuric acid or lye to break down organic materials like paper. Drain cleaners that you can buy in the hardware or grocery store might help but you have to be careful not to mix chemicals, especially with bleach. Bleach mixed with drain cleaners and other chemicals can create toxic fumes that can sicken or even kill you.
But first try pouring water into the bowl and leaving it to sit for a while. Most paper towels witll soften into mush eventually if they are left to stand in water. You can also use a plunger or a snake to break up the mass and help it pass. I hope it wasn't you who did something as stupid as putting paper towels down there -- make the dumbie who made the mess help you fix it.
if worse comes to worst, you might have to disconnect the toilet from the water (there should be a valve on the floor or wall behind the base that you turn off) and then remove the toilet from the wax seal that connects it to the floor in order to push the towels out through the bottom. This will be drastic and messy and may require that you hire a plumber if you lack the tools and confidence to do it yourself. And from now on, NOTHING goes into your toilet except stuff that comes out of you (either end) or standard toilet paper -- no food, no Kleenex, no paper towels, no trash, no personal hygiene supplies, no drugs (legal or otherwise). Toilets, and the treatment facilities that their contents eventually ends up at, are only designed to handle certain materials.
- 7 years ago
No, bleach is not an acid. it won't dissolve the paper towels. You may have to get it snaked out. In the future, NEVER put paper towels down the toilet.
Source(s): Gork - Anonymous5 years ago
For the future maybe you should throw the paper towels in a trash bag and seal it and then throw it out immediately, or have a trash bin for just the waste from your dog. As for the toilet I guess just keep plunging and try to start plunging while you're flushing, maybe have someone help you. Try to cover the entire hole in the toilet with the plunger too. If that doesn't work I guess call a plumber, sometimes there's no getting around it.
- Nuff SedLv 77 years ago
Bleach does not dissolve paper. You need to pull the paper out using a snake or other auger. Bleach is a disinfectant, not a magic clog remover.
- coraannLv 77 years ago
You never put paper towels down the toilet. Do not flush it until you unclog it.
Best to call a plumber.
Source(s): Knowledge. - DDI#25Lv 67 years ago
get a plunger PAPER TOWELS do not break down like toilet paper and no tissue paper either