Whether your house is hooked up to the city sewer line or an individual septic system on your property, there are some household items you should never send down your drains, as they can cause clogs, back ups and other piping issues. If a clog cannot be taken care of easily with a plunger, the problem is likely deeper within the lines, thus requiring professional services. Save yourself from needing a plumber in Modesto, CA by not flushing the following five things down your toilet:
- Facial tissue: Although facial tissue used for blowing your nose appears light enough to go down the toilet, the truth is that most brands tend to open up like little parachutes when submerged in large amounts of water. Place several sheets in the toilet at the same time and they may come together to create a clog somewhere in the pipes.
- Paper towels: Paper towels should never find their way to the toilet. They are too bulky, and will expand in an attempt to soak up the water, which is what paper towels are designed to do when you wipe up spills and dry moist hands and surfaces. “They’re thick and absorbent” is what the paper towel commercials say. So remember this the next time you think about flushing a sheet or two—just don’t do it!
- Feminine products: It goes without saying that maxi pads cannot be flushed. Then there are tampons. Most tampon brands are marketed as flushable, but some plumbing systems are not strong enough to deal with them. It is highly suggested that homes and businesses on septic systems not flush tampons at all. This may incite cringing expressions from women everywhere, but it’s better to dispose of tampons in the garbage than be responsible for a sewage backup.
- Disinfectant wipes: These are those pre-packaged moist cleaning wipes that are convenient for cleaning up kitchen and bathroom messes. Pull one wipe from the container for immediate use—no paper towel needed or spraying a surface down with a separate cleaning solution! While it may seem like that one cleaning wipe is harmless to flush, it can, in fact, block a toilet’s flow. These are also terrible for septic tanks, since the material is difficult to break down.
- Paper or plastic: Paper products, including post-it notes, old documents, receipts and magazine pages, should make their way to the recycling bin, not the toilet. Toilets are not designed to suck down paper, especially crinkled and balled-up sheets. Paper sheets are too thick and not flexible enough to work their way through all those pipes. Plastic is another type of material that shouldn’t be flushed. From pieces of packaging to disposable sandwich bags, plastic is simply not something you want lingering around in and clogging up your plumbing.
Have a major clog or other plumbing issues? Instead of getting up to your elbows in who knows what, make the call to a professional plumber in Modesto, CA, such as the all-around septic and standard plumbing experts at Alvarado Pumping Septic Service.