Do you know what not to flush down the toilet? Many people unknowingly flush items that can cause serious plumbing and environmental issues. In this blog, we will discuss five items you should never flush down the toilet.
Is it Bad to Flush Hair Down the Toilet?
Yes, it is bad to flush hair down the toilet. Hair expands when wet and can easily accumulate in drains. It sticks to the side of metal pipes and does not break down easily.
What About Dental Floss?
Never flush dental floss. Dental floss consists of Teflon or nylon. These materials don’t break down easily in water and can mix with other items in the sewer system to make big balls that can clog pumps and drains. Hair and dental floss can create a net that catches other trash and can burn out your septic system’s motor.
Cooking Oil, Fats, and Grease
Never flush cooking oil, grease, or fats down the toilet. When they cool, they can harden and stick to the inside of your pipes, causing clogs that can be expensive to fix. Fat also hardens, creating massive blockages in your pipes.
Aside from blocking your drains, oil, fats, and grease will create a film that leads to bad smells, slow drainage, and other problems. Rather than these things, let it cool down and harden. Then, you can dispose of this hardened substance in the garbage.
Paper Towels, Tissues, and Excessive Toilet Paper
Toilet paper can break down in water once flushed, but paper towels and tissues do not degrade as toilet paper does. Instead of breaking down, they soak up liquid and expand, often becoming too thick and bulky to pass through your toilet’s pipes. However, flushing toilet paper can still lead to issues, especially if you flush too much of the wrong kind.
What Is the Worst Toilet Paper for Plumbing?
While toilet paper is safe to flush, flushing too much can lead to issues – particularly if you flush a lot of the wrong kind. Toilet paper that is scented, colored, quilted, or triple-ply is often too strong to break down easily.
Wipes
“Flushable” wipes are some of the worst things you can introduce into your plumbing system. Wet wipes, baby wipes, and other “flushable” wipes cannot dissolve or break down, clogging the sewer line. Sometimes these wipes can combine with greases in the toilet to form fatbergs – the worst cases of sewer clogs.
Bleach and Medications
Flushing bleach and medications down the toilet can have a disastrous impact on the environment. Bleach is corrosive and can eat away at pipes, septic systems, and other parts of your home’s plumbing. Bleach can also mix with other chemicals in your plumbing, producing toxic fumes that can leak into your home.
When you flush medicines down the toilet, they can contaminate the wastewater, which can end up in rivers and harm the environment. Dispose of your medications safely by taking them to a disposal site.
Call Arnold & Sons for Expert Drain Cleaning
You should not let clogs and other plumbing issues ruin your home. Contact Arnold & Sons Plumbing, Sewer and Drain Services today for reliable plumbing repairs and installation services in the Peoria, IL, area. Our experienced team of plumbers can help you and your family install, maintain, and repair your home’s plumbing system.
