Many people make the mistake of treating their toilet like a trash can. While it may seem like anything that gets flushed down the toilet is gone forever, that just isn’t true. Any item flushed down your toilet will travel through your plumbing and potentially wreak havoc on your sewage system, causing clogs and other issues.
Toilets are not meant to be used as garbage disposals or a trash can that never needs to be emptied. Flushing the wrong items down the toilet can result in serious damage to your home’s plumbing and sewage, and end up costing you a great deal of money.
Unless you want to come home to a sewage emergency and end up googling “sewer replacement Oakland” or “top rated plumbers San Francisco”, you should always think twice before putting anything in your toilet. Here are 7 things you should never flush down the toilet.
Paper towels
While toilet paper is generally OK to flush down your toilet, because it is specially designed to break down and disintegrate in sewage systems, there are a number of common bathroom and household items that should never even come close to your toilet.
While many people think that paper towels are suitable for toilets, that isn’t the case. Unlike toilet paper, paper towels are not designed to break down in water. Paper towels are actually designed to absorb water, meaning they can cause a blockage in any plumbing system.
Used cooking oil or grease
It isn’t a good idea to pour cooking oil or grease down your sink drain, let alone your toilet. While oil and grease may be liquid after you’re done cooking, it turns solid after it cools off. It isn’t hard to imagine how that will go for your pipes and plumbing.
Not only will your plumbing system become clogged, it will start to smell rotten after a few days. If you aren’t sure how to dispose of your cooking waste properly, try a used cooking oil collection service in your area. These services dispose of your cooking waste in a safe and environmentally friendly manner.
Condoms
Contrary to popular belief, condoms are not designed to break down in water. In fact, most condoms aren’t even biodegradable. While they may seem relatively small and harmless, a single condom has the potential to cause serious issues for your plumbing. If you need to get rid of a used condom, just throw it in a trash bin.
Dental floss
One of the most common items people mistakenly flush down the toilet is dental floss. We’ve all probably done it at one point, but dental floss isn’t intended to be disposed of this way. Most dental floss is made of nylon, which can become entangled with other items such as hair in your pipes, creating balls of debris that clog your plumbing system.
Cigarette butts
If you’ve ever smoked, or lived with a smoker, you’ve probably seen a few cigarette butts flushed down the toilet. While these little butts may seem too insignificant to cause a clog, they can pile on top of each other and create a problem. Additionally, they can add toxic chemicals to your water supply.
Chewing gum
Remember your parents telling you not to swallow chewing gum because it will stay in your stomach for years? That may not be true, but the same idea applies to toilets and chewing gum. Gum doesn’t dissolve in water. Additionally, it can act as an adhesive and clog your pipe system.
Bleach
Even though bleach is commonly used to clean toilets, that doesn’t mean it should be flushed once you’re done cleaning. Bleach can corrode your pipes and potentially damage a large portion of your sewage system.