The Things We Flush

The plumbing inside your home is a delicate system. It only works as well as you take care of it, and since it’s just some plumbing - it’s often easy to forget what proper care looks like. Take the toilet for example. You use it every day, right? That toilet is connected to piping, drainage, sewer or septic tanks depending on the waste management system. It’s a long process, and it’s important to know what you’re sending down the line.

Contrary to common understanding, there are numerous items that are thought to be appropriate to flush that are actually bad for your toilet. We see it in movies, on TV, and read about it in books. We flushed our first guppy after a moment of silence for their passing, and tossed a used tissue in the bowl, neither of which belonged there! This list is brief, but covers the most common items we’ve unfortunately found inside the pipes. 

• Paper towels & Tissues. The only paper that should go down your toilet is toilet paper. Paper towels and tissues are both a paper substance, but they are not created to break down the same way as toilet paper. 
• Wipes. These especially, are a much thicker material than toilet paper and are not compostable. It does not matter if you have all natural wipes, baby wipes or cosmetic wipes, they do not belong in the toilet. Wipes are one of the leading causes of major blockages in urban sewage systems, so please, for everyone’s sake - do not flush wipes!Tampons and cotton swabs. These two items are considered to have paper like qualities, but they still can’t be flushed down the toilet.
• Tampons can cause sudden obstructions inside piping, and cotton does not break down well. Neither tampons or cotton balls belong inside the toilet, and do best thrown in the trash.
• Condoms. These are not biodegradable, and do not belong in our waterways. If you need to dispose of a condom, throw it in the trash and not down the toilet!
• Medication of any kind. This one is purely on account of the medication polluting the wastewater. They do not belong in our water, and if you do not need them dispose of them responsibly. 
• Cooking oil. This one should not surprise you. Cooking oil belongs in the trash, it should not go down the sink drain, or shower drain, or down the toilet! The oil may be hot going down, once it’s inside your cold plumbing it will cool and solidify, creating a massive clog inside your pipes!

​If you’re flushing any of these items down your toilet, please think twice. The only things that should be flushed down the toilet are human waste, and toilet paper. Not only are you polluting your local water systems, but you’re actually damaging your own plumbing! Consider the environment, and your wallet the next time you flush. We know that people make mistakes, so if you’ve accidentally flushed something down the toilet and created a clog we are here to help. 

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