Eight Items You Should Never Flush!

The toilet in your home or business is good at what it does: removing waste from your building. This might make you think it’s okay to put other kinds of waste into your toilet, like trash, under the assumption that it’s all able to be swept away. However, this is not the case!

If you put the wrong kinds of things down your toilet, you run the risk of causing massive clogs, plumbing back-ups and even problems in the environment. To avoid needing plumbing repair in Las Vegas, NV, only flush human waste and toilet paper, and avoid these eight items at all costs:

• Tissue and paper towels: It’s easy to think that flushing facial tissues and paper towels down the toilet is okay, since both products are similar to toilet paper. However, these items are not manufactured to dissolve in water the same way toilet paper is, so they are more likely to clog your toilet.
• Feminine hygiene products: Products like sanitary napkins and tampons should never be flushed down the toilet, even though it might be tempting. These items will expand in water and can cause clogs deep within your pipes, requiring a plumber to remove.
• Cotton products: Avoid flushing any type of cotton product like cotton balls or Q-tips. Cotton won’t break down and can actually clump together, forming large, soggy chunks that can back up your plumbing system.
• Condoms: Latex condoms should never be flushed, and should always be thrown in the trash. Although they are small, they can fill with air or get lodged in your pipes, forcing you to call for plumbing repair in Las Vegas, NV.
• Cat litter: Some people believe that flushing cat waste and litter down the toilet is okay, since cat and human waste aren’t that different, but litter can wreak havoc in your plumbing system. Sand and clay, the two major ingredients in cat litter, are terrible for your plumbing; the litter won’t dissolve easily and can linger in your pipes, causing problems.
• Disposable diapers and baby wipes: Human waste is meant to be flushed away, but disposable diapers full of waste are not, and neither are baby wipes. Diapers can expand significantly while in water and are a common cause of pipe clogs. Similarly, baby wipes will not dissolve in the pipes and will instead lump together.
• Plastic: Small objects like bandages that are made from non-biodegradable plastic are bad for the environment and can cause clogs.
• Medicine: Small pills and medicine might seem harmless to flush away; they’ll dissolve and can’t clog anything, so they must be fine, right? Wrong. Even though pills won’t cause backups, they will dissolve chemicals into the groundwater, which can cause serious harm to the earth and wildlife. Throw pills away or bring them to your local medicine take-back program.

Did you accidentally flush something that caused a clog in your toilet? If so, call Orchard Plumbing! We’ve served residential and commercial customers with plumbing repair in Las Vegas, NV since 1999 and are available 24/7 to assist you with any plumbing, drain or sewer needs. Call today!