Flushing everyday products down the toilet can cause pipe issues that result in costly plumbing system damage. While you might be able to use your toilet to get rid of everyday products for a while, you’ll eventually end up with significant plumbing issues. Toilets should only be used to dispose of human waste and toilet paper. Still, many individuals use their toilets to dispose of various items without even thinking.
Everything from wasted food to cat litter contributes to clogged toilets. Here are few things you should never flush down the toilet if you want to avoid plumbing problems.
10 Items You Should Never Flush Down Your Toilet
The following items should never be flushed down your toilet:
1. Flushable Wipes
Flushable wipes or baby wipes should not be thrown in the toilet, despite what the packaging says. Since these wipes don’t break down easily, they can quickly block your drains.
2. Cotton Pads or Other Cotton Products
Cotton balls, cotton pads, and Q-Tips shouldn’t be flushed down the toilet because they don’t break down like toilet paper. Instead, they form together in your pipes. This accumulation may lead to clogs, as well as fractured or damaged pipes.
3. Paper Towels
Paper towels and facial tissues should not be used as toilet paper. These paper products are more likely to clog your pipes. Paper towels are made to retain water rather than disintegrate like toilet paper.
4. Makeup Wipes
As with paper towels and cotton products, makeup wipes do not dissolve in water. Therefore, these wipes can create a significant problem for your home or business when thrown down the toilet.
5. Contact Lenses
Disposable contact lenses also don’t break down when flushed down the toilet. So not only can they get stuck on oil and soap scum and add to pipe blockages, but they can also contaminate your water source.
6. Dental Floss
Dental floss, usually made of nylon or Teflon, does not dissolve quickly in water. If flushed, it can accumulate over time, forming giant clumps that clog sewers and pipes.
7. Hair
When you flush hair down the toilet, it forms a net that gets trapped in your pipes, similar to dental floss. Hair also doesn’t disintegrate, putting your system in greater danger of clogging. Therefore, avoid flushing big clumps of hair down the toilet.
8. Cigarette Butts
Cigarette butts contain harmful compounds that can be harmful to the environment when flushed down the toilet. Place cigarettes in the garbage after they’ve been safely extinguished.
9. Cat Litter
Unlike human waste, cat litter should never be flushed down the toilet. Flushing cat litter down the toilet can introduce parasites into your water system and build up to block your pipes. Instead, cat litter should always be bagged and thrown away.
10. Medication
Expired or unused medicine should never be flushed down the toilet since it can pollute water resources. If you want to get rid of medications, pour them into a bag and toss them away. Local agencies also schedule annual medication disposal drives.
Contact Antelope Valley Plumbing for Your Drain Cleaning Needs
If you have a clogged drain from flushing indisposable products, you need a reliable Palmdale drain cleaning service. Contact Antelope Valley Plumbing today to schedule an appointment.