How to Use a Plunger

by Tom Morse March 22, 2021

While using a plunger isn't difficult, if not done properly, it can create a big mess in your bathroom due to overflow of the bowl. If you don't know how to use a plunger, you're not alone. It's not something anyone really teaches us when we're growing up. In fact some people haven't had to use a plunger until they have kids who often have a tendency to use more toilet paper than necessary!

Fortunately, with the proper plunger and plunging technique, it doesn't have to be such a hassle or end up in a wet, sloppy mess. In this article and accompanying videos, we teach you how to select the right plunger for the job, and how to properly use a plunger to unclog your toilet quickly and easily without making a mess in your bathroom.

UltraSanitary Plunger with black cup over clean toilet

Step 1: Plunger Selection

Take this step before you ever have a clogged toilet and make sure you have a toilet plunger and not a sink plunger. You might be able to release a clog with a sink plunger, but it probably won’t be easy and not without making a huge mess. Here’s how to tell the difference…

Sink plungers have a dome shaped cup with a handle attached opposite the opening. The opening has a wide lip around the perimeter that is designed to seal around the drain of a sink, bathtub or shower. These are commonly referred to as "sink plungers" and they aren't very effective at unclogging a toilet because they don't make a good seal with the drain.

Sink plunger with a wide lip to seal against sink, bathtub and shower drains

Figure 1: Sink plungers have a wide lip around the perimeter that seals to sink, shower and bathtub drains

Toilet plunger plungers are sometimes referred to as “flange plungers” because they have a flange that extends from the rubber cup (also known as the force cup). The flange is designed to slip into the drain of the toilet bowl and help create a seal while plunging. The flange can also be folded inside of the force cup, and the same plunger can be used to unclog sinks, bathtubs and showers.

UltraSanitary Plunger has a flange and black cup for use in toilets, sinks and bathtubs

Figure 2: Toilet plungers have a flange extending from the force cup, designed to fit into the drain of the toilet and create a seal

Step 2: Water Level

Before you start plunging, you want to make sure that you have enough water in the toilet bowl to push the debris down the drain once the clog is released. If the water level isn't over the top of the force cup (the rubber portion of the plunger), you need to add water to the toilet bowl. If the water is really low and barely filling the drain, you can simply flush the toilet again to fill the bowl. If there’s some water in the bowl, but not quite enough to cover the force cup, the best approach is to use a pitcher or bucket to add additional water so you don’t risk overflowing the toilet.

Toilet with water level too low to plunge

Figure 3: While this toilet isn't clogged (because nobody wants to see that), the water level isn't high enough to cover the force cup and more should be added.

Step 3: Unclog the Toilet

I’ve plunged hundreds of toilets while developing the UltraSanitary Dripless Plunger. I’ve used a variety of techniques and the following is the easiest, cleanest way to plunge and not make a huge mess…
One of most important things you can to do ensure an effective plunge is to eliminate the air in the force cup before you plunge.  If you do not do this, the first push of the handle will cause the air trapped in the force cup to create an uncontrollable wave in your toilet which will likely cause it to splash over the sides of the rim onto your floor as shown in Figure 4.  I refer to this as the DREADED BUBBLE!
You can reduce the size of the Dreaded Bubble and minimize the amount of air in the force cup by inserting the plunger in the water at an angle so that some water enters the force cup.  As seen in Figure 5, this reduces the size of the bubble but doesn't eliminate it, so there's still risk of overflow. 

Figure 4: If you don't get as much air as possible out of the force cup, a large bubble is going to cause a wave that splashes over the rim of the toilet.

Figure 5: Insert the plunger at an angle to allow some water into the force cup before trying to plunge. This reduces the size of the air bubble but doesn't eliminate it.

After inserting the force cup into the water, maneuver the plunger until the flange of the force cup slips into the drain of the bowl.  This helps to create a seal between the force cup and the drain.  I'm often asked how to unclog a toilet with poop in it.  The process is the same.  Often times there is debris in the drain, and the flange aides in creating the necessary seal.  That's why it's important to use a toilet (flange) plunger and not a sink plunger.
Firmly push the plunger handle to seal the force cup against toilet bowl, and then quickly force the handle downward towards the drain with enough force that it compresses the force cup. Slowly remove pressure from the handle so that the force cup pops back into its original shape. One forceful plunge is often enough to release the clog. If not, repeat the process one or more times until the clog is released.  It's important that you actually compress the force cup.  That forces water out of the cut and into the drain, and that pressure is what releases the clog.
I’ve seen others plunge a toilet frantically, like they were trying to quickly “churn butter” and that approach usually causes the water to splash and sometimes run over the side of the rim making a big mess of the toilet, the floor, and sometimes the user, which is why I prefer my technique.
I demonstrate all of this in a video titled How to Unclog a Toilet Without Making a Mess

If you have an UltraSanitary Dripless Plunger, the Dreaded Bubble is a thing of the past. Extending the Grunge Guard through the handle a couple of inches when loading creates a "pocket". When you lower the plunger into the toilet, water pushes against the air in the force cup and pushes it into the pocket. The air remains in the pocket throughout the plunging process. In Figure 6 you'll notice that there are no bubbles that cause the toilet to overflow onto the rim and floor as you find with conventional plungers. Figure 7 shows you how the UltraSanitary Dripless Plunger remains clean and dry so you don't have to rinse, clean or sanitize it when you're done. Simply load a new Grunge Guard and it's ready for the next use.

Figure 6: UltraSanitary with Grunge Guard eliminates the bubble completely, minimizing the risk of overflow onto the rim or floor

Figure 7: With UltraSanitary, not only does your toilet rim and floor stay clean and dry, but so does your plunger. And your hands are never near the water so there's no concern of getting them wet and dirty!

Step 4: How to Clean and Disinfect Your Plunger

There are a lot of articles on this topic and many are based on personal opinions or practices and not based on facts. However, simply rinsing your plunger off in "clean" toilet water, or under the bathtub or sink faucet is not sufficient to remove and/or kill all of the harmful viruses and bacteria. One of the most contagious (and difficult viruses to kill) is the Norovirus. According to the Cleveland Clinic, the average person will contract Norovirus 5 times in their life and can last for weeks on dry surfaces (read more about it HERE if interested). If you clean and disinfect your plunger to protect you and your family from Norovirus, you'll have done about as good of a job as you can. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services recommends (see details HERE):

1-2/3 cup of household bleach in 1 gallon of water as a disinfecting solution
allow solution to remain on the surface for 10-20 minutes before rinsing with water

You can either make this solution in a bucket or receptacle and allow the plunger to soak in it, or pour enough bleach in the toilet to create the necessary concentration. Most toilet bowls hold a couple of gallons of water, so you may need several cups of bleach depending on your particular toilet.

The UltraSanitary Dripless Plunger doesn't require rinsing, cleaning or disinfecting, and it doesn't make a mess in your bathroom, so it's quick and easy. Simply load a new Grunge Guard after use and you're ready to go for your next clog. Get yours today HERE and Take the Grunge Out of Your Plunge!

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