What Not to Flush Down a Toilet

Toilet Problems

If your toilet paper supply has or does run low, it’s important to know what can and can’t be flushed. Toilets can easily block and a blocked toilet at your home or business is not only an inconvenience, but can quickly become a smelly and unpleasant experience if it begins to overflow. Blockages in our wastewater system can be extremely difficult to repair and if these blockages aren’t cleared in treatment plants, they can end up in our waterways.  

You may be surprised to learn just a few items that should not be flushed down a toilet include:

  • Flushable Wipes
  • Baby Wipes
  • Serviettes
  • Paper Towel

Flushable Wipes

When you think of what can cause a toilet to block, the first object to come to mind wouldn’t be a product labelled ‘flushable’. The past few years has seen a rise in the number of pipes being blocked and plumbing issues caused by wipes being flushed down toilets. The best way to dispose of wipes is in the bin. Yes! Even if they are labelled ‘flushable’

Baby Wipes

Baby wipes are often branded or assumed to be ‘flushable’ thinking they will dissolve in water. Plumbers disagree. One or two baby wipes flushed down the toilet may not cause an issue, but as baby wipes continue to be flushed, they build up causing a nasty  blockage. 

Serviettes

Serviettes

Serviettes are other common culprits of a blocked toilet. Whether serviettes are made from cloth or paper, they don’t break down the same way toilet paper does. The result, clumps of serviettes form in pipes and lead to plumbing issues.

Paper Towel

Paper towel and toilet paper are both made of paper, so why should paper towel not be flushed? Paper towel isn’t made to dissolve quickly and easily in water like toilet paper is. You will notice paper towel is thicker and made to absorb water without breaking down.

Mainline Plumbing and Cheap Hot are your local plumbing professionals and available for plumbing emergencies 24/7

If you have a blocked toilet at your home or business and need it inspected and repaired, Mainline Plumbing and Cheap Hot Water and Gas are your local experts.

Call us today to discover why we are known as the ‘trusted name in the plumbing industry’ in Bunbury on 9791 1608 or Busselton/Dunsborough on 9759 1317.