• plunger
  
• optional dish soap
  
• rubber gloves
  
• optional wire hanger
  
• optional bucket
  
• newspaper

Flush only once. If it's not flushing the first time, don't flush again. This will cause more water to be pumped into the toilet bowl.Let the water drain for a while even slowly to lessen the water then pump slowly.

Put on a pair of rubber gloves. Toilets are naturally unsanitary places to work, but wearing a pair of rubber cleaning gloves will protect you from the germs within.

Protect the floor. What's worse than a clogg? An overflowing toilet. Prevent or stop overflowing quickly to avoid a horrible mess and damage to your house. Place newspapers on the floor. Several layers of newspaper around the toilet will help protect your floor.

Try pouring a bucket of cold water into the toilet. Pour quickly, but not so fast that it roils up over the top. Don't pour over the bottom of the rim in case you have to plunge again.

Make sure the water supply to the toilet is off. It should be located right behind the toilet, it looks like a regular faucet knob. Do not shut off the supply for the house, since this will prevent others from using water.

Find a plunger. (Note: If a known obstruction, such as a child's toy, is in the drain, skip to step 8.) It is important to use a large heavy-duty rubber plunger, either the ball-shaped type or one with a fold-out rubber extension on the bottom which forms a seal. Do not use the small cheap suction-cup type of plunger - these will often not work with toilets. Remember, the larger the plunger the more force you can apply down into the clogged drain. Of course the plunger should have a shape which ensures that the water you force out of it when you push down does not shoot back up into the toilet bowl instead of pushing into the drain. If you can try to get an integrated pump plunger as this will use a jet of water rather air to dislodge the blockage and is therefore likely to be less messy. As the jet is more "focused" it is also more powerful. One or two pumps with this type of plunger is usually sufficient for your average blockage.

Insert plunger into the bowl and press down tightly but slowly the first time making sure you're covering the hole completely. The plunger should be immerse on water to be effective. It is important to be pushing and pulling with water not air. Add water to the bowl if necessary. Sharply pull up on the plunger to create suction in the drain, them push in to create pressure. It is the suction then pressure rocking back and forth in that way the clog is being constantly disturbed in both directions that will gradually cause it to be loosened. Beware! Pull first to back up the obstruction then push. Just pushing the plunger in only often results in just "packing" the clog in.

Untie the coat hanger. Twist the top ends of the coat hanger apart until they are no longer connected. Stick one end of the wire into the drain. Once the wire is in the drain, twist it, push it, and move it in a circular motion to clear the drain. This will generally work if there is an obstruction in the first few inches of the drain.

Use a plumbing snake. A snake (also sometimes called a "flexible cleaning tool" or "auger") is a flexible coil of wire that can "snake" through the curves of a drain and get deeper than a wire can. Insert one end of the snake into the drain and push down, feeding the snake further into the drain until you feel an obstruction. Twist and push the snake through the obstruction until the water begins to drain.

Flush the toilet. When the water seems to drain OK, flush the toilet to make sure it's working properly and to flush any remaining debris into the sewers

Snake in reverse. It may become necessary to remove the toilet and run the snake through in the opposite direction. This is especially true with hard obstructions that may have been flushed by a curious child. If you suspect that there is a hard obstruction, DO NOT USE A CHEMICAL SOLUTION as is outlined in following steps. If a hard

Use a chemical drain cleaner. If nothing else works, you can try a drain-cleaning chemical. These chemicals are harsh on the environment, so try to avoid using them if possible. Make sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions and to use only chemicals that are specifically listed for toilets.