“Out of sight, out of mind” doesn’t apply to what you flush down your toilet. While modern plumbing can handle a lot, it’s best not to test the capability of your system. Flushing anything besides human waste and toilet paper can result in clogged toilets and expensive plumbing repairs. Avoid these items in particular, as they can wreak havoc on your system. 

These 5 Items Cause Clogged Toilets & Other Problems

1. Hygiene Products

Tampons and cotton balls are designed to soak up moisture, which makes them terrible for plumbing systems. They swell as they take in water, and over time, multiple items may congeal together to form a waterlogged mass that prohibits other materials from passing through the pipes. These products should go in the trash, not the toilet.

2. Medicine

Medicine shouldn’t be kept after it expires. It may seem harmless to dump old pills into the toilet since they dissolve in water anyway. However, once they’re flushed, the chemicals inside will flow through the system and eventually pass into rivers, lakes, and groundwater where they can impact local ecosystems. A take-back program, rather than flushing, is the correct way to dispose of medicine.

3. Diapers

The temptation to flush diapers is understandable: they’re disposable and smelly, and you want to get rid of them right away. However, diapers are large and thick enough to create clogs, especially when they stick together with other substances in the sewage system.

4. “Flushable” Wipes

Despite their name, flushable wipes take longer to disintegrate than traditional toilet paper and create a higher potential for clogs. The same is true of extra-thick toilet paper: Anything that remains in your system without dissolving shouldn’t be flushed.

5. Cooking Grease

Even though grease takes a liquid form after you finish cooking, that doesn’t mean it’s safe to pour down the drain or the toilet. When it cools, it congeals into a solid that will effectively plug the pipes. Collect grease in a jar then throw it in the trash.

For assistance with plumbing-related issues in the area around Sutter Creek, CA, contact the professional plumbers at Amador Plumbing. For over 20 years, their team has assisted with everything from drain cleaning to clearing clogged toilets. As the largest plumbing company in their area, they are fully capable of handling any emergencies that beset your home. Learn more now by visiting them online or calling them at (209) 754-5444.