4 Things You Should Never Flush Down the Toilet

Your toilet is a not as hearty as you might think. In order to maintain superior plumbing performance throughout your home, it is important to always be mindful of what you flush down the toilet. Human waste and toilet paper are truly the only things that you should be flushing down your toilet. Flushing things like Q-tips and hair from your hairbrush can cause clogs and backups over time.

Here are four things you should never flush down the toilet:

Feminine hygiene products

Feminine products soak up moisture while causing expansion, which is the very reason tampons, applicators or sanitary pads should never be flushed down the toilet. Overtime, flushing feminine hygiene products will make it difficult for these items to pass through the sewer pipeline, as well as your water treatment plant.

Dental floss

Dental floss may seem harmless, but over time, flushing dental floss can cause a backup while getting stuck in the middle of your pipeline, catching on tree roots or on an offset section of a pipe. Floss is also not biodegradable, which means it will end up in a landfill and can be harmful to both humans and our environment.

'Flushable' wipes

Contrary to what the packaging reads, you should never flush wipes down the toilet. Wipes can get caught on pipes and cause blockages and backups. Flushable wipes are also not biodegradable as many are made of plastic. Always remember to toss face wipes in the wastebasket – not your toilet bowl.

Kitty litter

Kitty litter is another product that should never be flushed down the toilet. Not only are you flushing fecal matter and urine, but also clay and sand, which should never be flushed. Cat waste can carry toxins and parasites, which means you are flushing bacteria through your local water system. For questions or concerns about your home’s plumbing and what not to flush, call your local Roto-Rooter for answers to all of your plumbing questions.