(Too Many!) Things You Should Never Be Flushing Down The Loo!

Many individuals are unaware that most things we use daily are harmful if introduced into our home or office plumbing systems. Over time, these things can wreak havoc on your home’s plumbing and septic tanks, from chemicals in our cleaning supplies to non-biodegradable items like paper towels and nappies.

There is a reason why garbage disposal units exist. They come to pick up and sort through the undesirables for better recycling and responsible landfilling, but nowhere will you hear of things being flushed down the toilet as anything but irresponsible.

Unfortunately, there is quite an overlap of uninformed users, small pipes, & low water pressure in water cisterns, so it comes down to us to implore you not to get yourself knee-deep in a sewage backup. Honestly, no one likes that, and it’s awful to deal with.

DO NOT FLUSH DOWN THE LOO!

Anything that does not fall in the number one, two, or the toilet paper category is not going down the flush, no matter how powerful you want to think your plumbing is.

• Used baby diapers
• Human or Animal Hair
• Cardboard & newspaper
• Sanitary Napkins & Tampons
• Food Leftovers
• Oil & Grease
• Expired Body Lotions
• Used coffee grounds
• Cling Firm
• Paper towels or wipes
• Socks or Underwear
• Vaseline or Petroleum Jelly

(Hey! Remember that aunt who told you that some acid wash is great for unclogging that blockage she had while trying to flush down last year’s fruit cake? NO ACIDS!)

How Does Flushing These Items Down a Toilet Affect Your Sewage?

These items, as previously stated, do not degrade in wastewater treatment facilities and can cause blockages. These blockages will build up in your pipes, causing sewage overflows into homes and streets and clogging pumps at wastewater plants where raw sewage is treated before being returned to local waterways.

Some ‘Flushies’ Deserve Special Mention

1. Diapers, Tampons & Napkins:

These hygiene products are laden with fluid absorbent gel particles famously used in plant-soil hydration for desert reclamation projects. These gels can absorb many times their weight in fluid, so imagine how they can also swell up and block your pipes!

2. High Fiber Paper Towels & Wipes:

Innocent at first, the fiber content of these wipes gets churned through the septic impellers and form a tangling mush that clogs waste water sieving sections like a film. Unless you desire some morbid form of septic papyrus messing with your filters, stop flushing paper towels and use the bin.

3. Lotions, Oils, & Everything Grease

Anything oily will never dissolve in water, & pouring liquid soap down the loo after chucking in last night’s greasy sandwich is hardily justified as a solution. Oils coagulate over deposits and are waxy enough to block your pipes much as a heart attack does. Use the food disposal or compost heap, please.

While a professional plumber like Aqua Dry Restoration Co. in Aurora, can handle all sorts of sewage and drain problems, you, as the user, must ensure that they operate smoothly. Either flush responsibly or call us before it gets worse!

We also deal in restoring crawlspace & flood-damaged or moldy homes, so call in for free quotes on our services at the first sign of water issues.

Once again, folks, flush safe!

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