What Not to Flush Down the Toilet: Wipes, Hair & More

HOW TOILETS GET CLOGGED

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  Before we get into our list, let’s cover off on why we can’t just flush everything. Your toilet is designed to handle small amounts of water-soluble materials that break down and disintegrate quickly. As a general rule, your toilet should be fine if you stick to the three Ps — Pee, Poop and (Toilet) Paper. Now let’s get on with our no-flush list!

• DIAPERS

  Sure, the stuff inside the diaper makes sense. But the whole diaper? Not a good choice. Place that in your diaper bin.

  

• OILS & FATS

  Arteries aren’t the only things that can get clogged. Oils & fats eventually clog our pipes, too. So instead of pouring them in the sink, strain and reuse them or store them in a container to dispose of.

  

• FEMININE PRODUCTS

  Can you flush tampons? No. Can you flush pads? No. If it’s designed to be super absorbent, it’s probably not great to put in the toilet.

  

• WIPES AND TOWELS

  Ironically, many wipes labeled “flushable” have been found to cause major clogs in cities around the world. Sure, they’re convenient, but they can wreak havoc in our pipes and sewers. Best to throw these, and paper towels, in the trash.

  

• MEDICINE

  Medicine can help us recover, but it creates ills for wildlife when it gets into our water supply in large amounts. Instead, try disposing of it safely in childproof containers, when trash day is near.

  

• HAIR

  You might be game for cutting your own hair, but flushing it down the drain is not a good look. Hair can act as a net, catching other waste as it goes down, potentially creating big blockages.

  

• PAINT

  Paint can be a pain when it’s poured down the drain, potentially harming the local water supply. Try to recycle paint instead at participating stores, or dropping off cans at hazardous waste facilities. That being said, washing off your brushes in the sink should be fine.

  

• RUBBER

  Items such as rubber gloves & condoms aren’t designed to break down. Putting them in the toilet means you’re risking a clog.

  

• TOYS

  They think it’s gone. You know it’s stuck. Try to teach kids to keep objects out of the toilet, and keep the cover closed whenever possible!

  

• MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF TOILET PAPER

  Toilet paper is good to flush — just not the whole roll at once. Not unlike most things in life, moderation is key.

  

• BABY WIPES

  We know, “flushable” is right there on the canister. Problem is, those wipes don’t break down like toilet paper, and they’ll have you crying like a baby when your toilet’s backed up and overflowing.

• COTTON SWABS

  Those tiny cotton-tipped swabs may seem harmless, but they don’t immediately dissolve in water, and that’s a problem. Plumbers know that when a couple of swabs form an X inside your pipe, toilet paper gets trapped, and things get ugly fast.

• COTTON BALLS

  While they might not be quite as bad as swabs, cotton balls still don’t dissolve in water, and can quickly join forces with other materials to clog up your pipes.

• DENTAL FLOSS

  Stringy dental floss can get tangled up in your pipes and snag flushable items like a fishing net. Floss has even been known to wrap around septic system components and burn out motors!

• GUM

  Nope, that twinge of guilt you feel when you spit a wad of chewing gum into the toilet is real. Gum never dissolves, and it’s notorious for adhering to other flushables to form clogs that are anything but fresh and minty.