My Toilet Is Clogged With Deodorizer

If you ever press down on the flush handle of a toilet only to be met with a listless flush or a strange gurgling sound, you most likely have a clog in the system somewhere. These clogs can come from toilet paper or even deodorizers. These fresheners hang from both the inside of the tank and the bowl and are normally held in place by plastic clips. If the clips fail, it will release the deodorizer which can become stuck in your toilet.

One of the places where deodorizer can become clogged in your toilet is inside the tank. Here the object can become wedged inside the flush valve assembly or caught up in the chain, causing the toilet to malfunction. This situation can be easily remedied by removing the lid of the toilet tank. The flapper is located at the base of the toilet tank. Pull the deodorizer out of the flush valve opening or untangle it from the chain.

Some type of toilet deodorizers, such as those that hang from the side of the bowl, can sometimes fall into the toilet bowl, causing a clog. The easiest way to remove these types of clogs is simply to reach inside the bowl and remove the blockage with your hand. Protect your hands with a pair of rubber gloves, as, no matter how clean you think your bowl is, there are harmful germs all over the inside surfaces.

For more difficult clogs, you'll need to use a tool called a toilet or closet auger. These are handheld devices that look a little bit like a top attached to a metal whip. The metal part is fed into the toilet bowl, and you use the crank on the end of the top-looking part of the auger to start the drilling action inside the sewer pipe that can power through tough clogs.

Sometimes an object can slip through the flush valve opening and become trapped inside the top of the bowl. Because the only exits through the bowl are the small holes placed around the top -- these are also the outlets that cause the swirling actions -- bigger items will stay in the opening at the top. To remove this clog, you'll have to shut off the water supply and detach the tank from the back of the toilet. You can then reach inside the bowl opening with your hand -- this part of the toilet only uses clean water -- or a pair of tongs.