Basically, if you have to ask the question “can I flush this down the toilet”, you should assume that the answer is a resounding “NO”! The only things that should ever go down your toilet are bodily waste, water, and toilet tissue. Anything else is a no-go.

What Kinds of Things Should Stay Out of the Toilet?

You’d be surprised at the kinds of things that people try to flush down the toilet. Some of the more common materials our drain cleaning professionals have found clogging toilets include:

• Tampons and feminine hygiene products
• Paper towels
• Hair
• Fingernails
• Fat and grease
• Baby wipes

Why Can’t I Flush Anything Besides Waste and Toilet Paper?

Toilets and the sewer/septic systems that they are attached to are only designed to handle toilet paper and human waste. Even other paper products are not designed to break down as completely as toilet paper when exposed to water, and can, therefore, cause serious clogs and issues. In addition to the narrow pipes that the broken down waste and toilet paper need to be able to traverse, these materials will have to sit in the sewer or septic system to break down further. Materials other than waste and toilet paper are just simply not designed to be stored in this way.

Flushing things that don’t belong in a toilet can cause serious problems with your drainage system. Basically, when you flush things that can’t be flushed you can create significant clogs throughout your entire sewer system. Flushing non-flushable things can also damage septic tanks and/or your main sewer line as well.

The Bottom Line of What Goes in the Toilet

The bottom line? Only put waste and specifically designed toilet tissue paper into your toilet. Period. Even things that say they are “flushable” on their packaging shouldn’t be flushed.

If you have flushed things down your toilet that shouldn’t be flushed, then please contact our team of drain cleaning professionals ASAP.