Jay Markanich's Blog

Salutations and agreeable greetings folks!

Wrench here!  Let me introduce myself.

I have passed through a life of experiences.  And, as you know, life experience is a cruel, but effective teacher!  And have I been taught!

And if you're asking, "Wrench, did your mother give you that name?"

The answer is yes.  I'm told she named me that in the hospital bed right after I was born!  But I'm not sure why ... something about it being a wrenching experience I think.

Today's tip might be similar in some ways.

It's time to Wrangle With Wrench!

So, what is the tip today?

What to do about a clogged toilet?

It's the morning after a real celebration meal, or just your normal day after sidling up to the feed bag.

And you go in to powder your nose and you wrench out a little more than the toilet can handle.

You go to plunge the toilet and it doesn't seem to wrangle with the clog.  You blew out a bunch!  A big bazooka!  It's a regular Frank Zappa Krappapalooza!  (... did you see the portrait photo above??)

Hey, it happens to all of us!

And to some of us every day ... but, gee, let's not go there.  A rose, um, i mean, a clog by any other name smells just as sweet.  So to speak. 

So, what do you do about it?

You can spend big bucks and call the plumber!  Or go to the hardware store, spend fewer bucks, and buy a plumbing snake!  Or maybe, just maybe, you can wrangle with it the easy way.

Hey, Wrench, what's the easy way?

Say, what's that in the kitchen cabinet?

Dishwashing soap!

Dishwashing soap breaks up grease and makes things really slippery!

It greases the skids!

Just pour a cup of your favorite dishwashing soap into the toilet and let it sit.

Go back after half an hour and flush the toilet.

Only flush it once - you don't want an overflow!

And the clog should slip slide away!

If that doesn't work, pour in one more cup and wait another half hour. 

But I bet you'll find the clog goes away first try!  It works for me every time!  And let me tell you, that's some accomplishment!

And it's way cheaper than calling a plumber!  Or even buying a plumbing snake!

Oh, one more thing.  Be sure to lift the lid before you pour in the soap.  Remember what I said about life experience?

So, check in again for home tips with Wrangle With Wrench!

And when it comes to doing things around the house, remember what Mr. Jefferson said -

NEVER PUT OFF FOR TOMORROW WHAT YOU CAN DO TODAY.