What To Do If Your Toilet Overflows

2/16/2023 (Permalink)

If you have a toilet that's overflowing, it can be a scary and stressful experience. However, there are steps that you can take to stop the water and clean up the mess. Here's what to do if your toilet overflows.

Do Not Flush Again

If your toilet is overflowing, the last thing you should do is flush it again. It's best not to let anyone get near that water until the situation has been dealt with.

If there are any other people in your home who aren't aware of what's happened yet, make sure they know about it immediately so they don't walk into their bathrooms and find themselves ankle-deep in toilet water!

Turn Off the Water to the Toilet

The next step in dealing with a toilet overflow is to turn off the water supply at the shut-off valve. This will prevent further flooding and damage. The toilet's water shut-off valve is usually located at the bottom of or behind your toilet. If you cannot locate the shut-off valve, try shutting off the main water valve to your home.

Typically, you'll find your house's main shut-off valve in either:

• A basement
• A garage
• The laundry room

Make sure that you have turned off all water sources in your home before doing any cleaning or repairs.

Clean Up Water

Next, you need to clean up any excess water from the floor and remove any damaged items from your bathroom. Use a sponge, towel, or mop to soak up any remaining water on the floor and wipe down any surfaces that were splashed with water.

It is important to remove the water as quickly as possible in order to prevent more damage from occurring on your property.

Disinfect Surfaces

Next, wipe down any surfaces that came into contact with water disinfectant cleaner so that no harmful organisms are left behind when you're done cleaning up your mess.

Disinfection is important because it can prevent the spread of bacteria and viruses. Make sure you disinfect all surfaces in your bathroom, including the toilet seat and lid, flooring around the toilet, and any other items that may have come into contact with the water.

Unclog The Toilet

Lastly, you need to unclog the toilet. Try plunging the toilet first. Be sure not to use too much force—you don't want to push any blockage further down into your pipes. If this doesn't work, you can try using a toilet snake to unclog the toilet. If this doesn't work or if you don't have any plumbing tools on hand, you'll need to call a professional plumber to fix the problem.

If This Fails, Call the Professionals for Help

If these steps didn't help, call a professional. If the damage is too extensive for you to handle on your own, it's time to call in reinforcements.

Hopefully, this article has given you more insight into the steps to take if you ever experience an overflowing toilet. SERVPRO of Monroe, Randolph & Washington Counties is always on standby and ready to help if your home or business has suffered from water damage due to a toilet overflow.