What Can’t You Flush?
The toilet is one of the most important parts of any home, so it’s in your best interest to take good care of it.
There are a lot of misconceptions about what you can and can’t flush down the toilet, but there’s a simple way to remember: if you have to ask about it, it’s probably not a good idea to flush.
Common Items
Here are just some of the common items people flush, resulting in blocked drains and hefty plumbing bills.
- Tissues
Can you flush tissues? You might think that you can flush tissues down the toilet because they seem similar to toilet paper, but this is a bad idea. Tissues and toilet paper are made for different purposes. The way tissues are designed allows them to absorb liquid, which means they won’t break down the same way toilet paper does.
It is never a good idea to flush tissues. You should always put them in a rubbish bin instead.
Baby Wipes
Similar to kitty litter, many brands of wipes claim to be flushable, but flushing baby wipes is never a good idea. Always throw these in the trash instead. Baby wipes don’t disintegrate like toilet paper, commonly leading to clogs.
- Menstrual Products
Menstrual products (tampons, pads, etc.) are specifically designed to be absorbent, which means they actually expand when you flush them. This is one of the more common causes of blockages found by plumbers.
Many people like to keep a waste paper basket or small pedal bin near their toilet for this reason.
- Kitty Litter and Waste
Even if you use a brand of kitty litter that claims to be flushable, it’s best not to dispose of it in the toilet. Kitty litter is generally heavy and hard to move along the drains. It’s best put in the bin instead.
As for cat waste, this is also a bad idea to dispose of in the toilet. Kitty litter is designed to remove moisture from the waste, making it harder to flush as well.
- Paper Towel
Paper towel, like tissues, are designed to absorb liquid, making it much harder to break down. Putting paper towel in your toilet is likely to cause blockages and damage to your drains, so avoid it at all costs.
Be Careful What You Flush
Flushing anything other than toilet paper can lead to significant plumbing issues, not just for your toilet, but for your entire house. If you’re having drain issues around the house, it could be because you flushed something you shouldn’t have.
Whether you own your home or find yourself renting, you’ll be paying for the repair costs. It’s in your best interest to flush responsibly.
What to Do If You Flushed Something You Shouldn’t Have
If you have a toilet blockage and need some advice, you can call the friendly Drainpro team on 1300 620 273. We’re here to help if something has gone wrong.
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we are very happy with a job well done by Nick! With a fixed price, i knew exactly what it was going to cost me before he arrived. He assessed the problem quickly then dropped a camera in the drain and explained everything to us as he worked! We could see with our own eyes that the drains were free of roots and squeeky clean by the time he had finished! Thank you Nick for a job well done!
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Wouldn't call anyone else! Spoke with Jim on the phone, he was easy to talk to, honest and knew what he was talking about. Nick was here on time and did his work with pride and care. He explained everything as the work was done and had my problem solved in no time at all. He was even able to check out some other issues and help to fix them as well. I have no doubt that if any problems came up during the work, Drainpro would have the tools and experience to get the job done right the first time for a fair price!
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I highly recommend Drainpro. A week ago Jim from Drainpro attended to my drain blockage issue. He took the time to diagnose the problem (due to tree roots), fixed the problem and gave me great advice on how to manage my drains instead of lining it or digging it out and replacing which are very time consuming, costly and not to mention not suitable recommendation for my drains which are still in a reasonably good condition. He took the time also to call and logged a job with my water authority to ensure that they come out to also clear the council drain of roots which is the main cause of the blockage. All this done at a very reasonable price. I have used other plumbers before but Jim from Drainpro is by far the best I have encountered. Jim is very passionate about his work, he is prompt, professional and friendly. I will definitely use him again for my drains issue in the future. Keep up the good work!
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Discussed problem with Jim on phone. Very rapid service. The blocked drain proved to be quite difficult. Nick was more than equal to the task and remained cheerful throughout. The result is excellent. I can happily recommend Drain Pro.
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Nick performed an excellent job on our blocked sewer line. He was very friendly and courteous! The flat rate may seem pricey compared to other plumbers, but after seeing Nick at work and how thorough he was I think it was a fair price. Traddies like Nick are very rare these days! Thank you!
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