Paper Towels

This may be a tempting one because you think that they may be similar to toilet paper. But no, paper towels are designed to be super absorbent and they do not decompose like TP. They have potential to clog your pipes quickly, so they are not meant to go in the bowl.

Food

Certain foods may be tempting to dispose of down the toilet, like expired milk, sauce, or grease. Think about what grease and fat do to arteries; they get clogged over time. The same thing happens to your pipes if you flush fat or grease. They will cool and harden, thus sticking to the walls of the pipes and making their opening smaller.

Disposable Wipes

These are even more misleading than paper towels because they are actually advertised as “flushable”. In fact they are anything but. The advertising claims that they are safe for sewers and septic tanks, but they are way too thick for flushing. Not to mention that the chemicals used in the wipes are likely to cause pollution to our water system.

Feminine Hygiene Products

Tampons and pads are probably the number one offender for a clogged toilet. It is understandable why ladies would like to flush these products, but don’t forget their intended purpose. Feminine hygiene products are designed not only to absorb but expand as well. The expansion of the products make them unsafe for passage through pipes and into the sewer. The same goes for cotton balls and swabs.

Hair

Everyone knows that the toilet is meant to dispose of human waste, but just because hair comes from your body does not mean it is flush safe. Hair will collect and create giant balls as it makes its way down the drain. And that causes, you guessed it. Clogs. Hairballs trap odors and will create large blockages in the plumbing.