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You’ll be surprised to know the items that you should always avoid flushing. The toilet is frequently used on a daily basis.
Flushing down some items can cause serious problems and expensive repairs. Thus, it’s important to know what you shouldn’t flush. Here’s what our Fast Plumbers in Sydney suggest you should avoid flushing:
Paper Towels and Wipes
Never get fooled by the labels you see on paper towels and sanitary wipes. For instance, sanitary wipes marked as “flushable” won’t disintegrate quickly in water like regular toilet paper.
Flushing such wipes may clog the toilet or the sewer line. Only flush water-soluble items. Paper towels and sanitary wipes are specially designed to collect fluids rather than dissolving in them. Thus, flushing them may lead to serious issues in your toilet or sewer liner.
Hair and Dental Floss
Tiny strands appear like they can easily flow through the sewer line alongside other waste. However, floss and hair strands are non-biodegradable.
Thus, they will tangle up easily and stick onto other items passing through the sewer line, forming large clogs. It can be quite costly to remove clogs from your sewer line.
Bandages, Cotton, and Tampons
There are some common items that people flush without knowing the harm they can cause. Tampons, bandages, and cotton swabs are commonly flushed without minding the consequences.
While tiny cotton swabs look harmless, they can build up with other waste in piping bends and create clogs. Bandages are non-biodegradable and bad for the sewage system and the general environment.
While some parts of tampons break down when soaked in water, you can’t tell how long it will take. Thus, put them in a waste bin rather than flushing them.
Food and Chewing Gum
Chewing gum doesn’t dissolve when soaked in water. It sticks onto anything. Thus, avoid flushing chewing gum. You should rather wrap it in a piece of paper and throw it in a waste bin. Also, avoid flushing leftover food.
Dispose any leftover food in a waste bin. Be conscious about what you throw into your toilet to avoid costly repairs. Repairing your toilet may cost some hundreds of dollars. Thus, think before flushing some items.
Grease and Oil
Besides food and chewing gum, also avoid disposing cooking oil and fats in your toilet. Although they look like fluids, they’ll cool down and form wax with other waste matter, thereby clogging the toilet drain or sewer line.
Cigarettes
Cigarettes belong to the ashtray or trash. Their filters cannot dissolve in water and will ultimately get stuck within the septic tank. Moreover, cigarettes can contaminate water with toxins such as carcinogens.
Pets and Fish
Animals, whether alive or dead, cannot disintegrate when soaked in water, contrary to what people think. Even the smallest animals may clog your sewer system. Bury them properly in your backyard rather than flushing them.
Kitty Litter
While flushing kitty litter seems logical, such waste matter is never good for the sewer system. It may contain sand and clay, which are absorbent. The waste matter also contains parasites and toxins that are toxic.
Medication
Most people assume that it’s safe to flush expired or unwanted medication in their toilets. However, flushing medicines is quite dangerous.
Drugs may contaminate water and harm or kill water species. You should instead look for a local medicine disposal program that’ll assist you in getting rid of medicines the right way.
Now that you know what you shouldn’t flush in your toilet, you’ll be more cautious about taking care of your toilet. Thus, you’ll reduce the number of times you call your plumber to unclog your toilet or sewer line.
Also read: How To Unclog A Toilet