‘Below the rim of the bowl’: Expert reveals the real reason your toilet is suddenly low flushing—and how to fix it

The last thing anyone wants is a toilet with a weak flush. The Twin Traps TikTok account (@twinhomeexperts) shared a viral video with a tip that could save you the cost of a new toilet—and the solution is easier than you might think. Since its upload on Aug. 16, the video has racked up more than 406,000 views.

“One of the biggest causes of low flushing toilets is this right here,” the video starts, displaying a toilet with a weak flush.

When a toilet is flushed, water jets underneath the rim of the toilet bowl release water to force the bowl’s contents down the drain pipe. However, if the jets aren’t delivering enough water, that’s where the problem lies.

“Here’s the problem. It’s a mineral deposit, bacteria clogging, low-flushing issue,” the narrator says in the video. “But before you go out and spend money on a new toilet, check for this.” The camera reveals an unsightly view underneath the rim of the toilet.

“If your jets look like this, [it] is holding a lot of bacteria, mold, and most importantly, restricting flow to provide you that ultimate flush,” he explained.

The video wraps up with a promise for part two to show the best way to clean the toilet jets.

What supplies do you need?

The second video is the true piece de resistance, featuring the step-by-step guide to cleaning the toilet jets and restoring a powerful flush. Flow is restricted by bacteria, mold, and calcification trapped in the water jets, but a simple cleaning process can restore them. The first step is to gather the necessary supplies.

“Get yourself a cleaning brush like this, latex gloves, duct tape,” he said.

Lifting up a bottle of Gillette foam shaving cream, he says “This is an option, but I like using shaving cream because it’s foamy and it sticks and has the alcohol content.”

“If you have black mold, you’re gonna wanna use an antimicrobial Twins rapid mold, but in this case, we’re gonna use vinegar. [Also a] blow-off duster, paper towels, a funnel, and a wet-dry vac.”

How to clean the water jets

The video covers each step to fixing a weak-flushing toilet, starting with the cleaning process.

“The first step in the process, you’re going to apply the shaving cream underneath the jets. You’re going to allow this to really foam up, and stick. I would say about a good hour, let it sit,” the narrator explained.

After scrubbing the jets with a brush, flush the toilet once. Then, turn off the water supply and flush the toilet again to clear out any remaining water. As an optional step to ensure all remaining water and debris are removed from the toilet, he also uses a vacuum.

“The purpose of the vacuum is to get the remaining portion of the water out, but more importantly, any debris remaining below the jets. So you don’t have to go through this step. I would just maintain and clean underneath the rim of the toilet on a monthly basis, guys,” he clarified.

Next, after drying underneath the rim with a paper towel, the camera shows a significantly cleaner set of water jets. 

“Now it’s time to use the blow-off duster. Insert it inside the fill valve. By doing this, you’re gonna clear the waterway, leading the jets into the bowl. Inject inside the fill valve. This is confirmation that all of the jets are completely clear,” he said.

The final touch to making your toilet flush like new

The final step, which takes the longest, requires a roll of duct tape and a bottle of vinegar.

“Take the vinegar and you wanna apply it inside of the fill valve. A half a gallon. Once it’s applied, now what you’re gonna do is sit for two, to four, to five hours—it really depends how bad the toilet is. Once it’s done, turn the toilet back on, give it a flush, now you are good to go.”

In response to the Daily Dot’s request for comment on their viral video, the Twin Traps TikTok account wrote:

@twinhomeexperts How to fix a WEAK flushing toilet! #homeownertips #cleaninghacks #toiletclean ♬ Withoutme伴奏 - 阿吉野马

“The overall response is that people want to know how to clean the jets causing low, weak flushing so they don’t have to buy a new toilet.”

When asked if low-flushing toilets were a common issue they encountered, they added, “Yes, [low-flushing] toilets are a problem. [This] is why I recommend a [two-piece] toilet over a one-piece; it’s [less] likely to clog.”

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