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What to Do if You Drop Something Down the Toilet

Published by Blue Corona

It’s the day of the big game. Your team made it to the final stage in SoFi Stadium. You’ve had the menu planned for weeks. You made the Costco run to buy the drinks. Your friends are gathered in your home to watch with eager anticipation and see how the game plays out.

During one of the few bathroom breaks you need (because who wants to miss the game or the commercials?), you keep tabs on everything through your phone when it suddenly slips out of your hand and directly into the toilet bowl.

It plays out in what feels like slow motion, but your reflexes just aren’t fast enough to make the play and recover the fumbled phone.

So…what’s next?

How to Recover the Fumbled Phone

There are two different ways this can play out. Either you drop your phone before getting any business done, or you drop your phone after. The first scenario is most ideal. If this is what has happened to you, you’ll want to remove your phone from the water as quickly as possible and set it on a surface to dry. We recommend placing the phone in uncooked rice and leaving it for 24 hours for even better results. The rice will soak up the water from your device and leave it working as good as new.

If you, unfortunately, dropped your phone after completing your business, there are a few more steps to follow.

Either grab a bag you can fit your hand into or a pair of tongs that you don’t mind immediately throwing out and retrieve the phone. Next, rinse it off. This step might seem counterintuitive since we want to avoid getting our devices wet, but you’ll want to get as much debris and bacteria off as possible. Once it’s thoroughly rinsed, take a Lysol wipe or some other cleaning agent and wipe your phone thoroughly to kill all bacteria on the device. Once you’re confident the device is clean, follow the same rice steps as above.

How to Recover Something Smaller

What could be worse than dropping your phone in the toilet during the big game? Try dropping your wedding ring. If this happens to you, we recommend contacting a plumber right away., However, if you want to try the DIY process, follow these tips:

  1. Turn off the toilet water supply. This will prevent toilet overflow and flooding.

  2. Remove the remaining water from the bowl. Grab a cup and start moving water from the bowl into a bucket or bathtub.

  3. Untighten the toilet’s base screws. You’ll likely also need to cut away some putty around the base.

  4. Remove the toilet from the ground. This will give you access to the waste opening, the wax ring, and the other hidden parts of the toilet. Your ring could have slipped anywhere in here and gotten lodged, so look carefully!

If these steps don’t work for you, it’s time to call in the pros. Don’t miss a second of the game or snacks stressing yourself out. Instead, give our team a call.

At Wilbur’s Air Conditioning, Heating & Plumbing, we take pride in being your trusted plumbing and HVAC experts throughout Birmingham, Trussville, and beyond. To schedule a service, give us a call at 205-655-2396 or contact us online today!

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