This is an accordion-type plunger.

Preparing to plunge a toilet

Before you plunge:

• Save yourself some clean-up work by putting on rubber gloves and wrapping a rag or and old towel around the base of the toilet bowl.
• Make sure you have the right amount of water in the toilet. To help with suction, the inner cup of your plunger should be completely submerged. If the water level is too low, add some water to the bowl (not hot, or you risk cracking the porcelain). On the other hand, if there’s too much water in the bowl, it can cause excessive splashing. If this is the case, use a bucket to bail out some water.
• Locate the arm of the fill valve, which connects to the flapper in your toilet tank to prevent an overflow. Remove the cover on top of the tank and look for a round, (usually black) plastic stopper. This is the flapper, which controls the flow of water from the toilet tank into the bowl. If at any point the toilet bowl starts filling with too much water, be ready to lift the arm to stop it from overflowing.
• Note: If you don’t see a fill valve with an arm, you’ll have to use the shut-off valve behind the toilet to turn the water off.
• Be safe: Never pour chemicals into the toilet before your plunge! These chemicals could spray up onto your skin while you plunge.

How to unclog a toilet with a plunger

• Put the plunger into the toilet bowl with the inner cup aimed directly over drain hole (if it’s the accordion kind, make sure it’s fully extended). Since drain holes are usually at the very bottom of the bowl, the handle should be vertically straight, not at an angle. Try to get the best seal you can.
• Plunge down gently the first time, to release air trapped inside the plunger. If you push hard the first time, you may get splashed.
• Plunge up and down vigorously, trying not to break the suction seal, six to ten times. Repeat this a few times, until the water in the toilet bowl goes down.
• If and when you think you’ve dislodged the clog, try flushing the toilet. Be ready to pull up the flapper to prevent an overflow if the toilet is still clogged.

Failure

• If you fail, you will be forced to clean up the spill on the ground (containing urine and other fluids). Do not use your own towels to do this, and definitely don't wash those towels afterwards en masse.