Plumber: 12 things to never, ever flush down your toilet

Aug 4, 2021

2524

By Terry Leamon, My Maricopa Plumber

Toilets are a modern-day convenience meant to dispose of human waste, and nothing else. Flushing household products and other items can lead to clogged drains and expensive repairs. Sooner or later, you will find your toilet, house and even your yard backing up.

Items not safe for sewer drains yet often flushed down the toilet include:

1. Flushable wipes, despite the great marketing, are not flushable as they do not break down in the drains like your toilet paper.

2. Paper towels are made to absorb water, not dissolve in water like toilet paper does.

3. Tissue products, like paper towels, are absorbers, not dissolvers.

4. Cotton balls, rounds and cotton swabs do not break down in water and tend to build up in your lines resulting in blockages and bent or broken pipes.

5. Feminine products are made to absorb and swell, which will lead to sewer and septic system problems.

6. Dental floss builds up over time and gets caught up in and wrapped around other items going down sewer drains creating large clumps.

7. Hair, like floss, can stick to the inside of the pipes causing clogs and back-ups.

8. Band-Aids and their generic equivalents are made from non-biodegradable plastic and can pollute the water systems. The adhesive can also stick to other items resulting in larger clogs down the road.

9. Medications and hazardous material will contaminate the water system.

10. Cigarette butts introduce potentially harmful chemicals into the environment and don’t always go down when flushed.

11. Fats, oils and grease will build up in the lines — just like they do in your sink drains.

12. Kitty litter not only backs up and clogs your lines but can also cause harmful parasites in the drains and water lines.

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44400 W. Honeycutt Road, Suite 106