Do not flush
- Wipes, including those labelled flushable
- Paper towel and facial tissue
- Cotton buds and makeup rounds
- Dental floss
- Hair
- Grease
- Medication
- Cat litter
Why it matters
These items do not break down. They catch on line joints, roots and other debris, building clogs in your line and in the city sewer.
Better habits
- Keep a lidded bin in every bathroom.
- Return unused medication to a pharmacy take-back program.
- Teach children what goes in the toilet.
What we pull out of toilets
Our closet augers regularly bring back wipes, cotton buds, dental floss wrapped around hair, small toys and even phones. Removing the toilet to push an object out from below is a common outcome. Clear bathroom habits save you that visit.
If children are young, a toilet lid lock is a cheap guard against toys going down the drain.
Septic owners have even more reason to be careful. Wipes and floss do not settle or break down in a tank; they float in the scum layer and can be pushed into the outlet baffle and the leaching bed. Keeping the bowl for waste and paper only protects your pipes and that expensive field.
Related
See toilet unclogging, main sewer line clearing and grease.
Keep-handy checklist
- Turn the main shut-off a quarter each way once a year so it never seizes
- Hang a flanged plunger and a pail beside the basement floor drain
- Shine a light under each vanity and kitchen sink every spring and fall
- Pencil the install date on the water heater and the sump pump
Your questions, answered plainly
Are flushable wipes safe?
They often do not break down fast enough in pipes.