How to unclog your toilet with two household ingredients when your plunger is on the fritz

Being stuck in a situation where your toilet is clogged and there’s no plunger in sight can certainly seem like cause for panic. But if the clog just won’t budge, there’s one thing you can try to keep your space clean and overflow-free without calling a plumber: a mix of hot water and dish soap.

It seems too easy—and too good to be true!—but according to Apartment Therapy, the combo is a foolproof method for flushing away your worst clogged-up-toilet nightmares. First, pour a half cup of dish soap into the toilet bowl. Meanwhile, heat up a pot with a gallon of water on the stove until it’s super-hot, but not boiling (since boiling water could crack the porcelain toilet bowl).

Thanks to some dish soap and super-hot water, you’ll end up with a sparkly clean toilet and money in the bank.

Once the water is hot and ready, carefully pour it into the toilet bowl, and upon mixing with the dish soap, the cocktail should do some serious unclogging. It could take up to 15 minutes to work, but once you flush (turn the water valve off if you think it might spill over), everything will *fingers crossed!* drain away smoothly, leaving you with a sparkly, clean toilet and money in the bank. Plumber, who?

Here’s one 30-minute home-cleaning hack everyone should be following. Or, try out these other home hacks that will totally transform your Zen den.