If none of these materials is available to you you can always elect water softener to soak rags or towels in hot water and wrap them around the frozen pipe. This will probably take longer than any of the methods previously mentioned.
When you get to the house stand if front of the toilet and locate the water shut off valve. Should be down below the toilet on the wall. Just turn it off (righty-tighty) completely and flush the toilet. All the water should have left the tank, well at least most of it. If there is remaining water line repair get it out with paper towels or a rag. The important thing is that no more water came in. If it did then your valve is not shut all the way or not working and you need additional help.
When trying to locate a plumber, be sure they have had proper training. There are three types of plumbers and they are classified by the amount of training they have. An apprentice plumber receives training through a local union. They follow an apprenticeship program for about three or four years. They learn through on-the-job training and some classroom structure. An apprentice plumber does get paid for on-the-job training.
Service magic only let's licensed and insured tradesmen advertise on the site so that would be a great place to start. I would recommend getting at least three different quotes from different companies. This way you have an exact price of how much your works are going to cost and you will know exactly what you are getting for your money. You will also get the very best price for that work. Most plumbers will often try and sell you work that maybe you don't need as they are trying to make a living.
Plumbers, like all other companies, are required to be on time and act professional. If they have called before hand to notify you then, this can be overlooked. However, if they turn up without apologising for being late, then they may not be the right plumber for you. Remember first water line repair impressions are everything. If they lack a good first impression then this may indicate that it is going to have an impression on their work. In most cases, you would have taken the time off work for the plumber, and what can be worse than waiting all day waiting for them to arrive?
To avoid this, make sure your toilets screws are always tight and repair any leaks right away. A new wax ring should also be installed any time the toilet is removed such as if you happen to be replacing an old toilet with a newer model that you liked such as a more modern KOHLER brand. Replacing your toilets wax ring is pretty simple to do and can pretty much be done in less than an hour by the average person.
Especially with older plumbing systems, a leaky pipe is like an alarm, signaling that other pipes may also be on the brink of failure. To get a grip on whether your plumbing system can last, a professional plumber may send a remote camera through your network. If any pipes are about to break, the camera will give you a heads up. If your entire plumbing system is outdated and weak, it may be best to simply replace the whole thing. Although this can be a costly enterprise, with a price tag of at least a couple of thousand dollars, the upside is that a new sewer line will reliably perform its duty for decades to come.