Hello World! Welcome Friends! Residential toilets are designed to create sanitary environments by allowing waste to flow away from homes. Waste is then processed in septic systems or municipal sewage treatment plants. When toilets are used to remove human waste, they do a good job and need little maintenance. However, they cannot dissolve and remove every type of material. Items that are not septic safe and do not break down in water can result in clogged pipes and expensive plumbing bills.
Millions of people believe it is safe to flush all materials described as disposable. Unfortunately, “disposable” is used to label everything from cat litter to paper towels, most of which are not flushable. According to professional plumbers, a good rule of thumb is to flush only things designated “septic-safe” and avoid the top 15 problem-causing items.
1) Kitty Litter Clogs Pipes
Disposing of kitty litter by flushing it may seem logical since it is waste. However, litter is made using sand and clay designed to bind moisture. The “clumping” varieties are especially effective at forming hard chunks that do not dissolve in water and cause plumbing problems that require expert repair. For example, many pet owners who arrange for Toilet Repair from United Plumbing find that their pipes are clogged with undissolved kitty litter.
2) Not All Paper Products Are Flushable
Flushing paper towels down the toilet can lead to problems. Although they are made of paper, manufacturers design towels to be strong and to resist dissolving in water. Their durability becomes a problem when they are flushed since they remain intact and can clog pipes. If paper towels must be used instead of toilet paper, plumbers recommend putting them in the trash.
3) Dispose of Wipes Correctly
Manufacturers of baby wipes often label them as flushable, so parents feel comfortable disposing of them in the toilet. However, professionals report that wipes are the source of many plumbing problems. Technicians also note that “adult wipes” create the same problem, although many are advertised as septic and toilet safe. Some wipes manufacturers are revising disposal guidelines because of the issue. The safest thing to do is throw used wipes in the trash.
Environmental experts report that wipes of all kinds are responsible for half of the world’s “fatbergs” or build-ups of fat in sewage systems. Since they do not dissolve in water, wipes have an extremely negative impact on all types of sewage treatment systems.
4) Harsh Cleaners May Create Problems
Per the Family Handyman website, using harsh substances like bleach in toilets is a problem. Bleach may interact with other cleaning agents and create toxic fumes. Many homeowners also use toilet scrub pads advertised as being biodegradable, thinking they are safe for the planet. In fact, the pads include harsh chemicals that must be removed by wastewater treatment facilities. Professionals recommend switching to a gentle, natural toilet cleaning agent like vinegar.
5) Cooking Grease Does Not Belong in Toilets
Whether out of convenience or lack of knowledge, millions of cooks regularly pour used cooking grease into toilets. Even those who know it can clog kitchen sinks sometimes think the commode is a better option. However, fat thickens as it cools and clogs up pipes no matter where they are. In a worst-case scenario, continuously flushing oil can lead to clogs that become severe problems for community waste treatment facilities.
Waste management experts recommend putting cooled grease in a disposable container, placing the container in a leak-proof plastic bag, and then tossing it in the garbage. Some cooks re-use grease to save money and minimize disposal problems.
6) Food Can Damage Plumbing
Although many homes have garbage disposals designed to process waste scraps safely, many people flush food down the toilet, and plumbers routinely find food trapped in toilet pipes. Residents typically think it will break down. The problem is that toilet pipes are too narrow to accommodate scraps. It is especially important to avoid flushing greasy food that blocks pipes and starchy fare that clumps together and creates blockages.
Homeowners are often surprised to find that putting food in the toilet is a problem because it usually becomes flushable human waste anyway. The problem is that undigested food builds up instead of flowing through pipes. While it is biodegradable, food can create a lot of damage before it breaks down.
7) Do Not Flush Disposable Diapers
Baby diapers may be labeled “disposable,” but they are not flushable. The tiniest newborn-sized diaper can clog a toilet. Plumbing technicians warn that flushed baby diapers are much too large for residential pipes and are designed to retain water, so they get larger instead of dissolving. Diapers can cause significant clogs that affect septic tanks or even community sewage systems.
Manufacturers recommend rolling up diapers into balls and then securing them with their adhesive strips. Place diapers in a plastic bag and toss everything into the trash.
8) Avoid Flushing Feminine Hygiene Products
Feminine hygiene products are the cause of many residential and commercial plumbing issues. That is why most public restrooms include signs that ask women to dispose of products in specially provided containers instead of flushing them. Personal products are created for absorption and will expand when wet. Per, they do not dissolve in toilet water. It is best to dispose of them by wrapping items in toilet paper and then putting them in the garbage.
9) Hair Creates Long-Term Problems
Human hair is one of the most common substances found in clogged pipes. Hair in drains and pipes forms a net that can create obstructions. It never dissolves and often catches on projections in plumbing. That leads to huge clumps that can be impossible to remove without a professional plumber’s snake. The best thing to do with loose hair and tangles is to put them in the trash.
10) Chewing Gum Does Not Break Down
Many people have a habit of throwing chewing gum in the toilet, thinking it will be washed away. The reality is that gum will not dissolve in water. Its stickiness causes the gum to adhere to pipe walls and jam up the flow of water. Chewed gum belongs in the wastebasket.
11) Cigarettes Should Not Be Flushed
Millions of people use their toilets as substitute ashtrays. They routinely flush cigarettes, thinking the paper and tobacco will safely dissolve. The fact is that they may cause clogs and are filled with toxic substances that eventually end up in the eco-system. It is also a colossal waste of water to flush the toilet for a single cigarette.
12) Flushing Medications Is Harmful
Tossing unwanted medication into the commode might seem sensible since drugs are designed to dissolve. However, toilet water does not break them down the way the digestive tract will. Also, medications contaminate the water supply and can damage the environment.
Scientists are finding evidence of medical contamination in aquatic wildlife—a problem caused when processed wastewater is returned to rivers and streams. A U.K. study revealed that environmental specialists have identified high levels of estrogen in some water supplies. The issue occurs when people flush birth control pills. Studies have linked estrogen in water supplies to higher rates of testicular cancer in men.
13) Dental Floss Is Not Flushable
Flushing dental floss down the toilet can create a net that efficiently catches and holds all sorts of debris. It can eventually cause obstructions that a professional needs to remove. Floss may also wrap around parts of septic systems and could burn out the system’s pump motor.
14) Flushed Condoms Lead to Problems
Condoms are not designed to dissolve in water. Despite this fact, people flush them down the commode every day. Because condoms do not break down, they can clog septic tanks and toilets. Since treated wastewater often empties into natural water supplies, many rivers and streams now contain hundreds of floating condoms that will remain there for a long time. Scientists estimate that, like latex balloons, condoms can take four to six months to begin to decompose, and some last even longer.
Another reason not to flush condoms is that many are made of plastic, and no type of plastic should be flushed down the toilet. Aside from the fact that plastic creates havoc with plumbing systems, it can affect oceans. Residential wastewater contaminated with plastic can end up in the sea, and environmentalists report that oceans now contain millions of pounds of plastic debris that is deadly to marine life.
15) Keep Q-Tips and Cotton Pads Out of the Toilet
Avoid putting cotton of any kind into toilets. Q Tips, cotton pads, and cotton balls are some of the most commonly used personal hygiene products and also some of the most widely flushed down toilets. Unfortunately, they do not break down as toilet paper does. Instead, products form clumps that block pipes and may lead to expensive repairs.
Many people use their toilets as convenient disposal units for a variety of household products without realizing the harm they are doing. According to plumbers, only human waste and septic-safe toilet paper should be flushed. Although many products are labeled biodegradable or flushable, most will clog plumbing and could harm septic tanks or community waste treatment systems. Items like plastics, medications, cigarettes, and cleaners can also contaminate water supplies and cause long-term environmental damage.
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