There is a wide array of products on today’s commercial market, all of which are advertised as safe to flush down the toilet. From personal wet wipes to feminine care items, many products tout their “flush-ability” as a selling point. Despite claims to the contrary printed on the packaging and labels, there are some things you should never flush if you want to protect your sewer and septic systems.
- Cotton Swabs – These tiny objects may seem like they’d be relatively harmless to flush, but the truth is that they don’t break down in water the way most people think. Instead, they tend to collect in bends of the pipes leading away from your toilet, eventually causing sewer line blockages and backflow.
- Personal Wipes – Akin to baby wipes but marketed towards adults, personal wipes are an increasingly popular product. Most brands are advertised as completely safe to flush, but they’re creating a widespread problem in sewer and septic systems across the country. They don’t break down in the same way toilet paper does, leading to major blockages and trouble.
- Medication – You may think you’re making the safe choice by dumping unused prescription medication down the toilet, thereby keeping it out of the reach of kids and pets. Still, prescription medications can contaminate groundwater. If your home is on a septic system, some medications can cause trouble by killing the beneficial bacteria that keep your system in balance.
- Dental Floss – The waxed string you use to keep your teeth in tip-top shape can actually be quite harmful to sewer and septic systems, because most brands are not biodegradable. Instead, floss tends to become tangled with small clogs and blockages, making them larger and more likely to become problematic.
Posted on behalf of Shawn Bynum, Bynum Plumbing
