Don’t Flush This Down Your Toilet

If there’s one thing most people can agree on, its that spending time and money fixing your plumbing can be a headache. Whichever route you take, DIY repair or paying out for a contractor, the end result is the same; you dedicate a lot of time and money to the project. Unfortunately, plumbing issues are a hazard of owning a home. However, many plumbing issues are caused by avoidable circumstances.

One of the biggest causes of plumbing issues is flushing items or products down the toilet that should never be done so. In fact, the basic rule of thumb is that the only things that should be flushed down a toilet are human waste and toilet paper. However, many people flush many other items. What some of the common items that people flush that they shouldn’t? And why are they so bad?

Wet Wipes

This is the item on the list that sometimes trips people up. Wet wipes appear fairly similar to toilet paper in consistency. However, this is far from the truth. Wet wipes are very sturdily built. When the wet wipe is flushed, it almost never breaks down.

You may be able to successful flush a wet wipe without problem. However, it is possible that the wipe may get caught in your pipe, and eventually cause a blockage. Additionally, if the wipe makes it through the system, it could cause problems at the treatment facility.  

Feminine Hygiene Products

These are one of the biggest causes of plumbing issues. The fact of the matter is that they are not meant to go down the toilet. The rapid expansion of these products can easily clog up your pipes. Even if they manage to pass through your system, these products can wreak havoc on the machines at a treatment facility, as they are not meant to be processed there.  

Medicine

Medicine, prescription or otherwise, should never be flushed down the toilet. There are proper ways to dispose of medicine, and many pharmacies will do it for you. Pills disintegrate into the water when they are flushed. Treatment facilities can’t test for every type of medicine, so some of these drugs are not taken from the water, and are thus put back into the ecosystem.

Food

Food, grease, or any other food byproduct should not go down the toilet. Just like your sink, the toilet is not designed to handle that sort of thing. This will cause buildup in your pipes if you do so.

Plumbing issues are a part of owning a home. However, proper care and ensuring that you are only flushing what your toilet is designed for can help reduce these problems.