10 Items To Never Flush Down The Toilet

Your average household toilet may handle a lot of natural waste and toilet paper but, it is not designed to flush anything else. The best way to get the most out of your toilet and avoid unnecessary costly plumbing is to keep all other waste away from your toilets. Here are some of the most common causes plumbers see when repairing a toilet.

1. Flushable Wipes

Contrary to what the name suggests, any form of wipes should never be flushed down your toilet drains. These products do not disintegrate as toilet paper does, which leads to large clogs of wipes in pipes which require professional attention if blocked.

2. Tampons and Sanitary Items

Cotton can become caught very easily within the pipe, especially if there are any cracks or root infiltration. Also, after a few flushes, buildup can occur as cotton does not break down very easily, likely leading to a clog.

3. Hair

Although hair is a naturally occurring thing that comes from our bodies, do not be led astray, as hair can wreak havoc on your pipes. Not only can hair clog drains, it can also trap other things, leading to unpleasant odours and slow drains.

4. Tissues and Paper Towels

While these items may seem similar to toilet paper, they are not. The materials used to make tissues, paper towels and similar products do not dissolve easily and are far more likely to clog your toilet.

5. Disposable Nappies

Yes, disposable nappies tend to get covered in waste but unfortunately, toilets were not made for any kind of disposable nappie. Trying to flush these nappies is an incredibly common cause of serious pipe clogs that always require professional blocked drain plumber.

6. Medication

Many people feel like they are doing the best thing when they flush their medication down the toilet as it is keeping them out of the wrong hands, but in actual fact it is dangerous. These drugs destroy bacteria, contaminate groundwater supplies and can have terrible effects on wildlife downstream.

7. Cigarette Butts

Cigarettes are full of incredibly toxic chemicals that just end up in the water supply when they are flushed. When flushed, these butts do not break down which can lead to serious clogs.

8. Dental Floss

Although dental floss may look small and harmless, it is not biodegradable and can easily get tangled and wrap itself around pipes, thus contributing to a clog.

9. Food

Any type of food is off limits, no matter how soft it may be. The same is true of any leftover pieces, shells, bones or grounds that you want to get rid of. These belong in the bin or compost and definitely not in your pipes.

10. Kitty Litter

Even though some kitty litter says that it is "flushable", please do not attempt to flush it. All kitty litter is bad for your toilet, it lingers in your pipes, refuses to dissolve easily and interacts poorly with your sewer water drainage.

It is easy to toss stuff in the toilet, flush, and forget. But this not only negatively impacts the environment, but it's also painfully expensive to fix. Save yourself money and stress and ONLY flush natural waste and toilet paper and do it for the environment.