It’s usually the least suspected culprit, but toilet paper can clog the toilet, especially non-biodegradable toilet paper. Luckily, you can dissolve it with the right chemicals. So, what chemical will dissolve toilet paper?
Using household chemicals like dishwashing soap, bleach, vinegar, baking Soda, coke, or aspirin, you can dissolve toilet paper. Commercially, you can dissolve tissue paper using Drano, caustic soda, muriatic acid, or RID-X.
Note that some of these chemicals may be pretty effective, but they are toxic, corrosive, or both. So, it’s imperative to be extra cautious when handling them.
Others, however, especially household chemicals, offer you a cheaper way to unclog your toilet. They don’t involve much work, as it’s the case with manual techniques like the use of plunger and toilet snake.
Let’s discuss all these methods, including how you can apply them.
What Chemical Will Dissolve Toilet Paper and How Do You Use It?
Generally, you can use household chemicals or commercial drain cleaners. Let’s break down the options below:
Household Chemicals That Will Dissolve Toilet Paper
Some of the most effective household chemicals that dissolve toilet paper include:
1. Dishwashing Soap
Dishwashing soap is an effective lubricant, which softens toilet paper to enable it to slide down the drain. It works best with hot water as hot water improves the dissolution of toilet paper in the drain.
Direction
- Prepare a half-liter of dishwashing soap and pour it into the toilet bowl
- Follow it up with ½ gallon of hot water
- Wait for 30 minutes for the toilet paper to dissolve before flushing normally
2. Bleach
Bleach works by breaking down toilet paper into tiny particles which can pass easily down the toilet drain. The best part is that bleach is a good disinfectant, which kills germs around your toilet seat.
Note, however, that bleach can chock you, and so you should wear a mask when handling it. Bleach is also corrosive, and so you shouldn’t leave it in your toilet drain overnight as it could damage the pipes.
Direction
- Pour bleach down the toilet drain and let it act for about 15 minutes
- Flush the toilet to wash the bleach and toilet paper clog down the drain
3. Vinegar + Baking Soda
Vinegar (which has acidic properties) and baking soda (which has alkaline effects) make the perfect mixture to dissolve toilet paper. Their fizzing reaction is what you need to unclog the toilet.
Direction
- Reduce water from the toilet bowl by about 50%
- Add a cup of baking soda into the toilet bowl
- Follow it up with an equal part of vinegar (1 cup)
- Wait for the fizzing and allow it to continue
- Once the fizzing stops, run hot water into the bowl
- Flush the toilet normally
4. Coke/Coca-Cola or Pepsi
Your favorite soft drink, Coca-Cola or Pepsi, is no longer soft. Quite the contrary! Coke and Pepsi contain phosphoric acid, which has fantastic dissolution properties. Thus, you can use it to dissolve toilet paper.
Direction
- Buy 2 liters of coke soda or Pepsi and allow it to attain room temperature
- Pour it into the toilet drain and let it fizz for an hour at least
- Run hot water down the drain to flush the Soda and the toilet paper clog
- Flush the toilet normally
5. Aspirin
Aspirin has powerful ingredients that enable it to dissolve toilet paper quickly. Not only can aspirin dissolve toilet paper but also disposable towels and Kleenex.
Direction
- Put one or two aspirin tablets into the toilet drain and allow them to act for a few minutes
- Flush the toilet normally
Commercial Drain Cleaners that Will Dissolve Toilet Paper (Best Chemical to Dissolve Paper)
Commercially, you can get any of these drain cleaners to dissolve toilet paper:
6. Drano
Drano is a popular drain cleaner that you can use to get rid of toilet paper clog. In addition to paper clogs, Drano can dislodge grease, hair, and other stubborn clogs.
Usually, Drano contains microorganisms that break down the tissue paper and allow it to dissolve.
Note, nonetheless, that Drano can be harmful. So, you’ve to wear protective gear when dealing with the clog remover.
Overall, you cannot go wrong with Drano Max Gel Drain Clog Remover.
This drain cleaner can help you clean your toilet, sink, and every other drain. It’s PVC-safe and doesn’t damage your septic tank.
7. Caustic Soda
Caustic Soda can unclog your toilet in minutes. It’s essential, however, to gear up as caustic Soda is both toxic and corrosive. In that case, you should observe these safety tips:
- Wear an apron, gloves, face mask, and safety glasses
- Work in a well-ventilated area
- Don’t add water-to-caustic Soda directly. It should be the other way (caustic soda-to-water)
- Wipe off the spillages
Direction
- Add 1kg caustic soda into 4.5l water slowly
- Stir the mixture if need be
- Pour the mixture down the toilet and allow it to act for an hour
- Flush the toilet normally to wash the mixture down the drain
- Wipe down the toilet with regular cleaning products before flushing the toilet again
8. Muriatic Acid
Hydrochloric acid, commercially sold as muriatic acid, is effective in dissolving toilet paper. Its strong acidic dissolution effects allow you to dissolve toilet paper fast and get rid of the clogging.
But like every other acid, muriatic acid is toxic, and you should therefore avoid coming into direct contact with it. So, ensure you wear a mask, safety goggles, gloves, and an apron.
Direction
- Add one part of the acid to 10 parts of the water
- Pour the mixture into the toilet drain and allow it to act
- Slowly pour baking soda (1 pound) to neutralize the acid and allow it to sit=t for a few minutes
- Flush the toilet to drive the clog down the drain
9. RID-X
RID-X is a commercial septic treatment that you can also use to dissolve toilet paper, among other sources of clog. The chemical is not just effective but fast too.
Direction
- Add RID-X to the toilet and allow it to sit for 15 minutes
- Flush the toilet normally
Overall, consider RID-X Septic Treatment. This powder cleaner allows you to treat your septic tank and get rid of paper, human waste, grease, among other clogs.
It contains natural enzymes and bacteria that are gentle on your drain. Overall, this Drano is both good for preventing septic back-ups and septic maintenance.
The Non-Chemical Alternatives
Remember, you can always get rid of toilet clog non-chemically, and here are your options:
- Hot water flushing – You can flush hot water down the drain to dissolve the toilet paper.
- Plunger – Your toilet plunger can help you get rid of minor toilet paper clogs.
- Toilet snake – It enables you to dislodge toilet clogs that are deep-lying in the drain. It’s also effective against other clogs.
- Hooked wire hanger – You can make your toilet snake by straightening a wire hanger and bending one end to form a hook. You’ll then need to insert the hook end into the drain to dislodge the toilet paper.
How To Dissolve Toilet Paper In Septic Tank
Generally, you don’t have to worry about tissue paper clogging your septic tank if you use septic-safe biodegradable toilet paper. So, the important note is to use the best dissolving toilet paper.
The other important note is that you should avoid flushing large amounts of toilet paper as they can block the toilet and may take time to dissolve.
But to ensure that you speed up the rate of bacteria paper degradation in the septic tank, you should use live bacteria Safety Tank Treatment Packets .
How To Dissolve Paper Towels In Pipes
You can dissolve paper towels with strong commercial cleaners like Muriatic acid, Drano, and RID-X. The paper towels, however, have to be disposable.
Overall, you’ll need to apply the cleaner, allow it to act before flushing the toilet normally.
How To Dissolve Toilet Paper In A Sewer Line
Generally, you can dissolve toilet paper in a sewer line using any of these techniques:
- Applying commercial drain cleaners like Drano or RID-X
- Flushing dishwasher and boiling water down the drain
- Using a plunger, toilet snake, or toilet auger
People Also Ask
1. But How Do You Make Toilet Paper Dissolve Faster?
You can make toilet paper dissolve faster by first using biodegradable and septic-safe toilet paper. Secondly, you can hasten the dissolution by avoiding flushing toilet paper in large amounts.
More importantly, you can dissolve toilet paper fast by treating the septic tank often.
2. So, How Do You Dissolve Toilet Paper In A Clogged Toilet?
Using a powerful chemical like caustic Soda, Drano, RID-X, muriatic acid, or bleach, you can dissolve toilet paper in a clogged toilet. You need to pour the chemical, allow it to act for a few minutes, and then run hot water down the drain.
3. How Long Does It Take For Toilet Tissue To Dissolve?
Most powerful chemicals and drain cleaners dissolve toilet paper in 15-30 minutes. Others, however, may take up to a day.
4. Does Bleach Dissolve Toilet Paper?
Bleach contains powerful enzymes that can quickly dissolve toilet paper. However, it’s essential that you don’t inhale the fumes when working with bleach, as it can be choking.
5. Does Aspirin Dissolve Toilet Paper?
Aspirin can dissolve minor toilet clogs. You need to put a tablet or two into the drain and allow it to act before running down hot water to get rid of the clog.
6. Does Caustic Soda Dissolve Toilet Paper?
Caustic Soda can dissolve toilet paper within a short time. You need to pour it into the toilet, allow it to act, and then flush it down the toilet. While at, ensure you wear protective gear as caustic Soda is corrosive.
7. Will Vinegar Dissolve Toilet Paper?
Vinegar doesn’t dissolve toilet paper by itself. You have to use it with a mild alkaline like baking Soda. You’ve to pour the two down the drain in equal measures before running hot water.
8. Does Coke Dissolve Toilet Paper?
Coke contains phosphoric acid, which can dissolve toilet paper. You, however, have to pour coke and allow it to act for some time before flushing to get rid of the paper clog.
What Chemical Will Dissolve Toilet Paper? Closing Remarks!
As a summary, you can dissolve toilet paper using any of these chemicals:
- Dishwashing soap
- Bleach
- Vinegar and baking Soda
- Coke
- Aspirin
- Drano
- Caustic Soda
- Muriatic Acid
- Rid-X
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