Don’t Flush These Things Down the Toilet! | Boston Plumber

Toilets are definitely one of the best inventions of all time. The problem is, they’re also frequently misused and abused, mainly because a lot of people don’t understand that they’re not trashcans. Of course, they seem like they’re the cleanest most efficient trashcans known to man, but they’re anything but. They are only meant for two things: 1) human waste and toilet paper, that’s it. But millions of people don’t see it that way.

Toilets are totally awesome, but we have to learn that they are not for flushing down cotton balls, Q-tips, diaper wipes, cat litter, and anything else that we love to use them for. Why? Because, their pipes are delicate and prone to clogging when misused.

If we flush down tissue, trash, goldfish, toothbrushes, or even “flushable wipes,” what can happen is the object can get stuck in the pipe and over time, human waste and toilet paper can get stuck on the object, creating a blockage and ultimately…a clogged toilet, which can overflow and be quite unpleasant for whoever discovers the mess.

What NOT to flush down the toilet:

• Cotton balls
• Q-tips
• Cat litter or cat food
• Trash
• Tissue
• Clothing
• Toothbrushes
• Diaper wipes
• Diapers (yes, people have done this)
• Feminine hygiene products
• Goldfish
• Toys
• Rings (commonly discarded after a breakup)
• Photographs (often flushed after a breakup)
• Small liquor bottles (commonly found in the pipes of commercial properties)

Essentially, the only things to flush down the toilet are human waste and toilet paper and nothing else. Even when it says “flushable” on the package, it can still clog the toilet because it doesn’t break down as well as toilet paper.

To learn more, check out, “Think twice about flushing these everyday items down a toilet,” from the Today Show. If you have a clogged toilet, contact us today to schedule a service call with a Boston plumber!