Toilet Overflowing With Poop: Do This Now
- Stop the tank from refilling. Lift the tank lid and push the rubber flapper at the bottom down to close it, or lift the float so the fill valve shuts off.
- Close the supply valve on the wall behind the toilet. Turn it clockwise until it stops.
- Do not flush again, and do not run sinks, showers, the dishwasher or the washer.
- Keep everyone out of the bathroom, especially children and pets.
- Put on rubber gloves and boots before you go near it, and open a window if you can.
- Take photos of the toilet and the floor for your insurer.
Toilet and Tub Backing Up at the Same Time
If the shower or tub fills with dirty water when you flush, or several drains gurgle and back up together, the problem is not the toilet. The main sewer line is blocked, and wastewater from the whole house is coming up at the lowest drains. In older Cape Coral homes this is often a corroded cast iron drain line, wipes or grease in the line, or roots.
- Stop using all water in the house right away
- Do not plunge or use drain chemicals; they will not clear a main line and can splash sewage
- Call a plumber to clear or camera the main line
- Call us to clean up what came out
Should I Plunge It?
Only if it is a single toilet, nothing else in the house is backing up, and the water has stopped rising. Use a flange plunger with slow, firm strokes, and do not add chemicals. If it does not clear after a few tries, or other drains start acting up, stop and call a plumber.
Can I Clean It Up Myself?
A small overflow that stayed on bathroom tile and is cleaned within an hour or two can be handled carefully:
- Wear rubber gloves, boots and old clothes
- Pick up solids and soak up water with paper towels, and bag them
- Clean the floor with detergent, then a household disinfectant used as the label directs
- Wash the gloves, mop and your hands thoroughly; wash clothes on hot
Call a professional if the sewage reached carpet, baseboards, drywall or a vanity, spread out of the bathroom, came up from a floor or shower drain, or sat for more than a day.
Don't Do This
- Don't keep flushing to see if it clears
- Don't mix bleach with other cleaners
- Don't use a household vacuum or a shop vac you want to keep
- Don't let kids or pets walk through the bathroom
What Sewage Cleanup Usually Costs
Sewage is Category 3 water, the most expensive kind to clean: nationally about $7 to $7.50 or more per square foot. A small bathroom overflow caught quickly costs far less than one that soaked into the bedroom carpet.
Toilet Overflow Questions
My toilet is overflowing with poop. What do I do?
Push the tank flapper down or lift the float, close the valve behind the toilet, stop using water, keep everyone out and wear gloves. Call (239) 356-5803 if it spread beyond the bathroom tile.
Why are my toilet and tub backing up at the same time?
The main sewer line is blocked, so wastewater comes up at the lowest drains. Stop using water, call a plumber to clear the main line and call us for cleanup.
Can I clean up a toilet overflow myself?
Only a small one that stayed on tile and is cleaned quickly, with gloves and disinfectant. If it reached carpet, walls or cabinets, call a professional.
Sewage on the Floor?
Call (239) 356-5803. We answer 24/7 for toilet overflow and sewage cleanup across Cape Coral, plus North Fort Myers and Fort Myers. Here is what professional sewage removal and disinfection involves.