Does Bleach & Vinegar Dissolve Toilet Paper? (Read This) 2024

A clogged toilet is a very annoying mishap, but it’s more common than you may think.

And if by any chance your toilet bowl gets filled up with tissue paper, you may wonder what you can use to dissolve the paper and unclog the toilet.

The substances that dissolve toilet paper are chemicals that contain acid, and bleach has very low acidity, so bleach will not dissolve toilet paper. Vinegar, on the other hand, does dissolve toilet paper. Mixing vinegar, baking soda, and hot water will work very well in dissolving toilet paper.

Table of Contents

Will Vinegar Dissolve Toilet Paper?

Does Bleach & Vinegar Dissolve Toilet Paper

Vinegar works rather well at dissolving toilet paper; it contains many acids, a chemical component that dissolves toilet paper excellently.

A clogged toilet can be very inconvenient, and when you put too much toilet paper in the bowl, you will want to use a home remedy to solve the problem.

Usually, if you clog your toilet with toilet paper, vinegar will not be the first thing that comes to your mind to use. But, it is very effective.

Toilet paper will break down when mixed with water, but when you use too much toilet paper for whatever reason, you must resort to other methods.

So, when toilet paper clogs your sewer line, you’ll have to resort to methods other than water to unclog it.

You can use several methods to dissolve toilet paper, and vinegar is a DIY method that is quite effective.

You can mix vinegar with hot water and baking soda for the best results. The interaction between vinegar and baking soda will dissolve the toilet paper.

However, you can use vinegar alone and still get the desired results. But do not mix vinegar and bleach inside the toilet bowl.

If you mix bleach and vinegar, it’ll produce chlorine gas which is not good for your health.

If you want to use vinegar to dissolve toilet paper, follow the process below: mix vinegar, baking soda, and hot water for the best results.

Pour a cup of baking soda into the toilet bowl.

Next, pour a cup of vinegar into the toilet.

Finally, pour at least 4 cups of hot water into the toilet bowl.

Wait for some time while the toilet paper dissolves. Until then, do not flush the toilet.

Remember that there will be a reaction between baking soda and vinegar. So, there will be foam and fizz.

The foam is not harmful, and it will not do any damage to the floors of your bathroom.

Also, the foam will increase the water level in the bathroom, but once the toilet paper dissolves, the water level will normalize.

Does Bleach Dissolve Toilet Paper?

Bleach does not dissolve toilet paper. If you want toilet paper to dissolve quickly, you must expose it to extremely acidic compounds.

And since the acidic content of bleach is very low, it will not have much effect in dissolving toilet paper, or any paper for that matter.

Normally, toilet paper should dissolve in water over time. But, if a lot of paper clogs the toilet, you’ll need something that can make the toilet paper dissolve a lot faster.

The only way bleach will work on toilet paper is to break down some parts of the paper. But, it will not dissolve the toilet paper.

Also, if you use bleach constantly and in large quantities, it can cause damage to your septic tank.

So, while bleach will not dissolve the toilet paper, you should be very careful if you decide to use it. You will need to use hand gloves and protective clothing with chlorine bleach.

But, hydrogen peroxide is much less toxic, so it’s safer to use. But also much less effective.

Using bleach to dissolve toilet paper may end up causing you more harm than good. Bleach does not Dissolve toilet paper.

Instead, it tears it into smaller pieces. These pieces will then clog the plumbing and the pipes.

That is how bleach affects septic tanks, plumbing, and sewage pipes. There can be some upsides to using bleach on your toilet, but bleach also has some harmful effects.

The table below will illustrate the benefits and side effects of using bleach and similar chemicals in the toilet.

What Else Can I Use To Dissolve Toilet Paper?

Good old water dissolves toilet paper when the paper is only a few sheets thick. But, if it is an entire roll of toilet paper, you may need to take more extreme measures than water to dissolve the sewer line.

Toilet clogs happen very often, and excess toilet paper is usually responsible for the clog.

So, if you ever find yourself with a clogged toilet full of toilet paper, you can always try using a plunger or a snake.

But if you can’t use either for some reason, there are a few things you can use to unclog your toilet.

#1. Dish Soap

Dish soap also dissolves toilet paper. If you have some dish soap at home, you can use that to dissolve toilet paper and unclog your toilet.

All you need to do is squeeze a quantity of dish soap into the toilet. About ¼ cup should do, but you can use more depending on the quantity of toilet paper.

After you pour the dish soap, wait for at least 10 minutes, pour hot water into the toilet, and wait for another 5 minutes.

Flush the toilet afterward to determine if the clog moves. If not, you’ll have to try again or try something else.

#2. Epsom Salt

Epsom salt dissolves toilet paper effectively because it breaks through waste and dissolves very quickly.

Lots of people have a packet of Epsom salts in a cabinet somewhere. And if your toilet gets clogged, it’s time to whip it out.

All you need to do is pour a cup of Epsom salts into the toilet bowl, follow up with hot water and wait for about half an hour.

Be sure to use hot and not boiling water. Afterward, flush the toilet, and you should be good.

#3. Toilet Plunger

A toilet Plunger is a must-have in every bathroom. You never know when you need to push things like clogged toilet paper out of the toilet drain.

And that’s why the plunger is there. So, you want to place the plunger above the drain. And start plunging. That should push the toilet paper out of the drain.

When you push, you make space allowing the toilet paper to move further down the drain.

#4. Chemical Additives

A chemical additive will also get the job done. Several products on the market dissolve the paper and easily unclog clogged drain pipes.

Also, chemical additives are very easy to use. Also, apart from tissue paper, they eliminate other things that clog septic systems.

The usage is quite simple. All you need to do is pour the specified additive quantity into the toilet and wait for some time.

Chemical additives usually work very quickly, so the toilet paper will take minutes. Another good thing about chemical additives is that they do not have any adverse effects.

You can use them more than once and in regular quantities without damaging the septic tank. Also, you don’t have to use hot water, which could damage your porcelain bowl.

How Long Does It Take For Toilet Paper To Dissolve?

Toilet paper will dissolve on its own when you pour water on it. Usually, toilet paper should completely dissolve in about 20 minutes after you pour water on it.

The reason why toilet paper dissolves quickly is so that it doesn’t back up and clog the pipes and septic system.

However, the time it takes for the toilet paper to dissolve also depends on the paper you use.

Regular toilet paper shouldn’t take more than 20 minutes to dissolve completely. If yours takes longer, it could be that your toilet paper isn’t made entirely with recycled materials.

Toilet paper made using recycled materials dissolves much faster than paper made with raw wood.

Secondly, the thicker your toilet paper, it takes time to dissolve. Unsurprisingly, one-ply toilet paper dissolves faster than double-ply and so on.

And one-ply toilet paper flushes faster, which is much better for your septic system and pipes.

Also, toilet paper that is completely biodegradable and doesn’t use perfumes or chemicals dissolves much faster.

So, if you want to do what’s best for your septic tanks and the ecosystem, you can use biodegradable toilet paper.

Conclusion

Bleach does dissolve toilet paper. All it does is tear it into slightly smaller buts that will still clog your drain.

Vinegar, on the other hand, dissolves toilet paper quite effectively. Mixing hot water, vinegar, and baking soda will dissolve toilet paper and unclog your drain.