10 Things You Never Want To Flush Down The Toilet
Did you know there are certain things you should never flush down the toilet? Doing so can create unwanted plumbing expenses and aggravation. Plus, flushing down these harmful things can further damage the environment and our water supply.
The plumbing industry in the USA has a market cap of approximately 106 billion dollars. One of the top ten reasons we need a plumber’s services is slow or clogged drains. To avoid unnecessary expense, there are certain things you should never flush down the toilet.
Why We Should Care About What We Flush Down The Toilet
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Of course, whether you own your home or not, there are certain things we should never flush down the toilet. Our careless actions harm our homes and planet alike.
Additionally, our plumbing pipes are typically about four inches in diameter and not as large as we might think. However, they can’t handle many things we flush down the toilet. What’s even grosser is an overflowing toilet. We sprint to grab that toilet bowl plunger, and often we end up calling a plumber.
Speaking of toilet plungers, did you know this Toilet Plunger and Bowl Brush Combo Set is our favorite? We have one in every bathroom in our home. OK, so why should we can we flush down the toilet? We don’t want the headache and expense of calling a plumber, but there’s more to it than that reason.
Recently, a good friend destroyed her septic system because someone in her home flushed diapers down the toilet. While that seems hard to fathom, it’s true. They had to replace the system, and the cost was unimaginable, aside from the inconvenience.
The damage to our environment and water supply is unsurmountable and continues to wreak havoc. After all, we all care for our planet and our environment, but we continue to flush down the toilet things we shouldn’t.
Let’s deeply dive into ten things we should never flush down the toilet and why.
1 – Baby Diapers And Sanitary Wipes
Avoid flushing baby diapers and wipes down the toilet. These products are not water-soluble and don’t break down after flushing.
Nowadays, everyone loves using adult sanitary wipes for hygiene and, rightfully, to make us feel fresh and clean. Many brands claim you can flush them, but you shouldn’t. Flushing these products can destroy your septic and continue to destroy the environment.
Instead, we recommend using Pristine Toilet Paper Spray. This product made its debut on Shark Tank, and everyone loves it! You can Spray Pristine 3-5 times onto folded toilet paper to create an instant wet wipe! Plus, it’s flushable and free of harsh chemicals.
Alternatively, you can use these Stall Mates: flushable individually wrapped wipes. Now that companies know about the dangers of flushing wipes, they invented flushable, septic, and sewer-safe wipes. Wipes like these are also great for travel and safe to flush down your toilet!
2 – You Should Never Flush Down The Toilet Any Food
As you know, we use toilets to dispose of food we have already digested, not the other way around. As we chew, our stomach acid breaks down food, and the bacteria in our stomachs do a fine job of completing the process.
Food that has not gone through the complicated process doesn’t break down when flushed and can take a long time to break down. Food can clog pipes and wreak havoc on your septic. Doing so can also clog your sewer line and back raw sewage into your home.
3 – Bleach And Harmful Chemicals
As we use bleach to clean our bathrooms, it might seem counterintuitive to say not to flush down the toilet with bleach products. However, strong and corrosive bleaches can damage pipes, and bleach and other harmful chemicals can also be too harsh for a septic system.
It would be best if you also were wary of putting any harmful or potent liquids down your toilet, such as alcohol. You’ll find out that if you pour leftover alcohol in the toilet, it will just cause some insects or bacteria to grow. Why don’t you put that alcohol to better use? You’ll learn more about the many benefits of alcohol if you do some additional research as well.
4 – Never Flush Hair Down The Toilet
As you know, hairballs can wreak havoc after cleaning your bathroom drains and cause massive backups. Therefore, it’s imperative not to throw hair down the toilet. Hair doesn’t dissolve; if it did, we would go bald after bathing or swimming. It makes sense to never dispose of hair and flush it down the toilet.
Instead, after cleaning hair from your drains, put it in the trash. This will prevent clogs and the need for plumbing services.
5 – Tampons And Sanitary Pads
Anyone with kids can share stories about things flushed down toilets and the following expenses. The same holds true for tampons and sanitary pads. Sanitary products absorb water like magnets and can create a clog as soon as you flush.
6 – Cooking Oils
As odd as it might seem, people do flush oil down their toilets. After cooking, we end up with excess cooking oil. Some don’t want to wash it down the kitchen drain, but some do flush it down the toilet. Oil and grease will solidify when they cool and can become rock-hard, causing clogs and even breaking pipes as they solidify.
Instead, when you have your cooking oil ready, dump it in the garbage on top of some paper towels. Or, after your oil cools down, place it in a recyclable container, and when ready, you can safely throw it away.
You can also use a Cooking Oil Storage Can Container to store and strain your cooking oil. This will help you manage your oil and have it ready to throw away when you’re done.
7 – Plastics Or Rubber Products
In the past, we didn’t think about flushing items like condoms, dental floss, band-aids, and gum down the drain. Moreover, these items don’t break down and will cause clogs. Try never to flush anything down the bowl that looks like it might not break down and cause trouble.
Always place a lovely wastepaper basket in your bathrooms and remind everyone to use it when disposing. Placing a wastepaper basket will also remind people not to flush things down the bowl. Get one with a lid that is far more hygienic.
This Huaqinglian Plastic Gap Slim Oval Rectangle Wastepaper Basket has a slim design and fits perfectly next to your toilet bowl. It features two inner barrels, one for dry garbage and one for wet waste. Plus, it’s very ECO-friendly.
8 – Medicine And Other Hazardous Substances
Some medicines do not break down fast or adequately enough in water alone, which can cause blockages and clogging, especially if you dump an entire bottle down at once.
However, the core reason not to flush medication down the toilet is that these potent substances can pass through the sanitation process and into the drinking water supply.
This means we can experience exposure in small doses of any medications flushed. Furthermore, studies from the FDA show us how to dispose of medications properly. If you must flush, comply with the guidelines beforehand.
Additional studies found that medications flushed down the toilet can eventually get into lakes and streams, harming fish, other wildlife, and the environment. Always take proper care when disposing of any medications, especially when children live in the home.
You can also consider using the Pill Terminator Safe Pill Disposal Container. This disposal container helps you get rid of expired prescription medicines. Plus, it’s child-safe and an environmentally safe pill disposal method.
9 – Cotton Rounds And Makeup Wipes
Everyone loves makeup wipes, but unlike sanitary wipes, you should never flush them down the toilet. The same goes for cotton rounds. Even though these products seem small and soft enough to flush, they aren’t and will clog your toilet.
10 – Cigarette Butts
Ask anyone who flushed a cigarette butt about how resistantly they refuse to flush down the bowl. But with some persistence, these butts can and do flush. Doing so can create damage to our water system and harm wildlife as well.
For example, when done with your butts, place them inside a wet paper towel and put them in the garbage. Using a wet paper towel ensures you won’t set the house on fire, either.
Flush Down The Toilet Carefully
We hope you glean some useful information about what not to flush down your bowel today. Always keep our environment in mind when disposing of anything in your home. After all, in addition to our health, we want our planet to be healthy as well.
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