Oh, an amateur!
The waiting only works for mild problems, which ultimately are not really problems if they self-resolve given a day or so. Then you step it up to adding boiling water. Hot water can make help if it's use in sufficient quantitie. Plunging or some other active method of mechanically moving the clog is necessary for serious obstructions.
The worst clog was when the kids flushed down a bunch of baby wipes. they don't dissolve. Broke one snake. Finally resolved by removing the toilet so I could access the drain side, then re-installed. The neighbors know there's a good clog going on when they drive by and see the toilet in the front yard! LOL. That was worse than when they made a "beach" in the bathroom sink by dumping a few bucket loads of sand in it. Had to remove the drain pipes on that one, too!
-rvb