Your toilet is one of the most important pieces of technology in your home — it can make or break the experience that you have when at your house. No one wants to deal with a malfunctioning toilet, especially one that begins to overflow. Taking active steps to avoid any self-imposed accidents can go a long way in saving you time, money, and your sense of smell.
What Should I Flush
There are only two things that you should flush down your toilet – bodily waste and toilet paper. Natural waste that comes out of your body is safe to flush, and toilet paper is the only other safe item to dispose of as it is specially designed to be flushed and transported through sewer pipes.
What Should I Not Flush?
Pretty much most things that are not toilet paper or are natural waste products of your body should not be flushed. Some of the more egregious items that you should avoid flushing are:
- Baby wipes. These are a common cause of buildups, even the ones that are “flushable” do not fully disintegrate like toilet paper does.
- Diapers. Diapers are designed to absorb moisture, meaning that they definitely will clog up your pipes as they will expand in size once in contact with water.
- Cotton products, such as Q-tips and cotton swabs. Cotton products tend to clump together when wet and don’t dissolve the way toilet paper does.
- Pet waste. Try to avoid flushing waste from your cat or dog, especially cat litter. Litter will add additional particulates to the water that will make purifying it harder.
- Paper towels and tissues. Similar to diapers, these are also designed to absorb moisture and will cause blockages if enough of them are flushed
Flushing one or two of these items typically won’t cause a major issue, but it’s better to be safe than sorry to avoid a plumbing issue. To learn more about your toilet and how to properly take care of it, contact us.
