5 Steps To Unclogging Your Toilet

Oh no,  a clogged toilet. You know that sinking feeling when the flush your toilet and it  just doesn’t sound right. You turn to see that the water is just not going down – or worse  the water level is on an upward incline, like lava overflowing from a volcano.

Dealing with a clogged toilet is never pleasant, and it can be extremely annoying. However, it is usually not a job that requires the expertise of a plumber. Clogged toilets can often be fixed relatively easy with these 5 easy tips unclogging your toilet or less. Hopefully, less 

Here are the 5 Steps To Unclogging Your Toilet

1.        Your first step in unclogging your toilet is to put on some rubber gloves and put down some old newspaper or towels you are willing to part with on the floor. If it overflows, you’re not going to want what comes out all over your bath room floor.

2.        Next, get a bucket of cold water and pour it down the drain. You want the water to have some pressure behind it, so stand up and pour it from around chest level. Make sure not to pour too fast – if the water is not helping to push out the clog, then it will only sit in the bowl. Make sure you don’t pour it to over halfway up the bowl in case you have to use your plunger – it will only splash everywhere.

3.        If that doesn’t work, it is time to turn off the water supply and grab the plunger. The plunger needs to be underwater for the best results, so if there is not enough water in the bowl, add some so that the plunger is submerged. Make sure the plunger covers the hole in the bowl entirely. This will create a seal and allow air pressure to do the work. Then give it a few firm, fast pumps. Sometimes this will do the trick right away and the water will drain.

4.        If the plunger is not working, sometimes a combination plan is required. Get some hot water – but not boiling – and dump it into the bowl. Then, add a few squirts of dish washing detergent. Allow to sit and break up the blockage. Then plunge again. Sometimes by alternating these steps will break up a tough clog.

5.        Should these tips fall short, this last tip you have up your sleeve is a toilet auger. You need to be careful not to scratch your toilet bowl. Simply insert the end of the auger with the rubber or plastic guard into the trap. Then slowly turn the handle and feed the auger coil into the trap. You should feel the clog once the auger reaches it.

If All Fails 

Should all of this fail, then it is time to call your plumber to snake out your drain with power auger. And Please do not use Chemical drain cleaners. These cleaners use acid to break up a clog and can cause damage to your toilet, pipes and you or your plumber.

Almost every clogged toilet can be fixed at home without professional help, simply by following these 5 Easy Tips Unclogging Your Toilet.

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How to hire a reputable high rise window cleaning company

One day, one of my business associates met up with me after conducting a day of interviews with several high rise window companies and asked me this question:

"How do you know when the company is the right one before you hire them?"

My quick answer was “you don’t” Our company has had to let a few Window cleaning companies go because of ongoing neglect of safety for our clients, themselves and pedestrians on the street.

When you are looking at credentials and impressive jobs a high rise window cleaning company may have, the bid might be better than the company really is and I am  a firm believer that the interview needs to be a good judge of character; Know what overall safety and moral demands  we are looking for; Etc...

I think it helps to first ask yourself what you are looking for in a good window cleaning company. Yes, the window cleaning skills are important. Safety is important. But the right mindset to manage their employee’s in safety and technical skill. I like to see crew leaders and managers that are detail-oriented, constantly inspecting their crews work.

Another thing I ask myself is what type of person do I want representing my company? This has to do with their people skills, their attitude, their work ethic, their ability to be humble enough to recognize when they have made a mistake, when they need to ask a question, while having the determination to make it right.

 what I look for in a High rise window cleaning company

I want them to be hard workers, but not past the point of being safe. I want them to be open-minded, flexible, and able to make rational decisions that need to be made while on the side of the building. prioritize and re-prioritize depending upon changing situations. It is my opinion that leaders need to have good time management skills. I want to know that they feel comfortable enough to ask questions.

Even though a high rise window cleaning company, are sub-contractors, they need to reflect our company's professional image, while working on the property. Here are a few tips of what I look for before conducting an interview.

1.    Talk to several high rise window cleaning companies and narrow down your bids to those with comparable rates. Then, you need to determine whether they have an upstanding reputation or bad track record with customer service. An easy way to find this information is by checking with the better business bureau (BBB) and Angie’s list comes in handy as well, since most high rise window cleaners also handle residential clients and store front businesses.

2.    Get references from other managers with buildings comparable to yours. Consider using a service that pre-screen contractors in advance so you know your choices are reputable.

3.     Ask about travel time expenses, cost of supplies, ongoing training, OSHA inspections and any other "extras" you might find on your final bill. Often times, there are ways to reduce the price you pay.  For instance, you can lease your maintenance scaffold to the window cleaning company in order to insure safety and lower cost.

Questions you should ask during the interview:

The Interviewing Process

When I am interviewing an owner or project manager I ask a several questions the most important ones that come to mind are:

·        Dress code. This is important not only to our image but to our clients as well. If an window cleaner comes into the building and is dressed in shorts with holes in them and a grease stained t-shirt, this is a bad image to present not only their company as a whole but ours as well. I like have employees in uniform, even if they dress like spider-man.

·         Professional conduct among all employees is really hard to find. I have seen window cleaning employees make very nasty gestures while outside on the building. Even though they couldn’t see in we could see out.

·         Customer service is another issue all together. I like to ask what if questions just to see what they will do in different situations.

·         Company equipment. We generally like to lease our maintenance scaffold to the high rise window cleaning company. All the equipment is in place and inspected on a weekly basis, and is large enough to hold four people. So, if they lease the equipment I want to know from the contractor how they plan on leaving the equipment when they are done using it. This is when I check all licenses, insurance and certifications before making a decision.

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