Many people treat toilets like trash bins and flush a lot of things which aren’t supposed to go in the toilet in the first place.
By flushing things which are not supposed to be flushed, you are not only damaging your plumbing and wastewater systems but you are also indirectly harming the environment.
Given below are some things you should avoid flushing down the toilet.
Baby Wipes
Baby wipes don’t break down in water so they can clog and damage your plumbing pipes including your septic system.
There is no such thing as a ‘flushable wipe’ even if the packaging says so. Flushable wipes are not the same as flushable toilet paper. They don’t break down in the presence of moisture like toilet paper and they already contain a lot of moisture.
Feminine Hygiene Products
Never flush products like pads and tampons down the toilet. They harm septic systems and even make their way through the pipes to treatment plants completely intact.
This is also very bad for the environment. You don’t want to end up blocking your sewer lines and plumbing pipes. It is said that more than 1 billion tampons are flushed every year leading to millions of dollars worth of repairs.
Cotton Products
Like baby wipes, cotton products like Q-tips and cotton pads don’t break down the way toilet paper does.
Cotton also snags easily and can gather in the pipe bends and cause blockage. So next time you finish using a Q-tip or pad, throw it in the trash instead of flushing it down the toilet.
Dental Floss
Dental floss is usually made of nylon or teflon. These materials are not biodegradable and will not break down properly.
Even small amounts of floss can clog and damage pump impellers by wrapping around it. It can even trap other debris and damage parts of your septic system.
Cat Litter
Cat litter might seem flushable but it is not like human waste. Your septic system is designed to process only human waste.
Cat litter contains toxic parasites which can cause serious health problems and wastewater systems don’t remove this parasite from water. When this contaminated water is discharged into the streams, it harms the environment and marine life. Furthermore, cat litter can clog your pipes and other plumbing systems.
Medicines
Medicines can pollute the water and cause serious damage to the environment.
Wastewater treatment systems are not designed to remove these chemicals from water so they end up in local streams and rivers. They also affect reproduction and growth in aquatic animals.
Cigarette Butts
Flushing cigarette butts not only leads to clogs but also adds toxic chemicals to the water.
They have non biodegradable parts like foam filters and plastic mouthpieces which can build up in the septic system and cause extensive damage. When cigarette butts soak in water, they contaminate water and harm marine life.
Harsh Chemical Cleaners
Many chemical cleaners contain harsh and toxic chemicals which go down the drain, into the sewer system and eventually end up in lakes and streams. This will alter the balance of the ecosystem and also contaminate drinking water.
Avoid flushing cleaners which contain harmful ingredients like hydrochloric acid, cetrimonium chloride and sodium hypochlorite.
Grease And Cooking Oils
Don’t flush grease down the toilet just because it is a liquid.
Once the hot grease cools down, it will harden and stick to the sides of the plumbing pipes and this can cause clogs and expensive blockages.
Hair
Many people are too comfortable with flushing hair down their toilets but don’t know the damage it does to their plumbing systems.
Like dental floss, hair can act like a net and trap other debris which gets caught in your pipes. This can create clogs.
Conclusion
Apart from toilet paper and human waste, everything else should go in the trash bin. By doing this, you will avoid creating problems for your plumbing systems and the environment.
