How to Retrieve Something Flushed Down Toilet

If you have small children or toddlers in your home, you will have this problem at least once in your life: your child flushes a toy car or your car keys down the toilet. Even if you don’t have children, you might accidentally drop something into the toilet and flush it. With our busy lives, it can happen in the blink of an eye. Our plumbers have retrieved a number of toys including Buzz, Woody, and the Lightning McQueen car. No matter what your reaction to the problem, you now have two issues.

• The object is lost down the toilet bowl.
• The toilet is now clogged.

Some of the most common items flushed down the toilet are cloth diaper wipes, rags, glasses, car keys, bars of soap, e-cigarettes, vaping devices, cell phones, action figures. and toys. Locally, we have even seen Nashville Predator pucks intentionally flushed after a losing game. Cell phones are one of the most popular items of value to fall in the toilet. Unless they have a waterproof cover on them, they are rarely salvageable. Do try retrieving them quickly if they have not been flushed, turning off, removing battery, and placing in a bowl of dry rice to dry them out. If they have been flushed, it is a lost cause, unless of course, they were in a waterproof case or pouch. It is usually toddlers who actually flush them. We have had customers call us about their eye or sunglasses going down as well as spoons, sponges, forks, I phones, Androids, chargers, pocket knives, and toilet roll holders.

How to Retrieve Objects Flushed Down the Toilet

If you want to retrieve the object that got flushed down, place the plunger in the bottom of the toilet and gently push until the air is completely out of the bowl of the plunger. Then, jerk the plunger up with a quick motion. The causes the vacuum to suck the water back into the toilet where you can reach it. (It goes without saying that you should be wearing gloves.) Repeat the gentle down, quick pull action until you see the object. Sometimes items are lodged in and stuck. In these cases, you may have to repeat several times.

If you do not care to retrieve the object (say, excess toilet paper, sponges, or waste), you would reverse the motion. Seat the plunger in the bottom of the toilet and push down quickly. Gently pull up and repeat until the clog is cleared.

Finally, have a serious talk with your children about how toys do not enjoy being flushed. Similarly, the fish and aquatic creatures do not enjoy having plastic, metal, or glass being flushed into the water supply. The only things that should be flushed down the toilet are excretions and flushable toilet paper. Let our plumbers take care of your flushed objects and have more time to play and teach your toddlers. We have snakes and other tools that allow us to get to the item quickly and efficiently.

Fix It All Plumbing is committed to providing you with premium plumbing services at fair rates in the Nashville area. Our plumbers are glad to help you with any plumbing questions or issues.

Call or text us at (615) 568-5051

Your Nashville Plumber,

Kevin Sipes