Do you ever think about what goes down your toilet after you flush? Aside from the regular human waste, what else goes down the drain on your property?
Monitoring the products being put down your pipes is a good idea, as you can easily damage sewer pipes and cause blockages.
Washing anything down your sewer systems may seem more straightforward, but you are doing more harm than you realise.
The best rule to follow is only to flush toilet paper and human waste. And even though pipes are durable and made to withstand high pressure, certain household items will cause problems for your drains in the long term.
Disposable wipes are a product that is unsafe to put down your drainage system.
The only’ flushable products’ are toilet paper, water and human waste.
Should you flush wet wipes down the toilet?
The short answer is no. Items like wet wipes and paper towels should not be flushed down the toilet. Flushable toilet wipes, wet wipes and other disposable wipes are designed to hold water. They’re non-flushable, despite their label.
Be careful with companies and manufacturers labelling their products as’ flushable’. Be aware of false labels and misleading branding for certain household products.
Some industries use certain wording or branding to appeal to people, but their claims may not always be accurate.
Non-flushable wipes have the strength to allow them to stay intact for some time. On the other hand, toilet paper is biodegradable and specifically designed to break down effectively once wet.
Toilet paper can quickly disintegrate, whereas wipes for babies and other so-called "flushable baby wipes" are made from thicker material, synthetic fibres and take much longer to break apart.
The problem with wiping down wastewater systems is the risk of clogs. Flushing wipes often will eventually clog up the raw sewer system. They might get stuck to the pipework and join, obstructing the line.
Eventually, the drainage system must be cleared using a high-pressure jet blaster. This can be costly, and only a professional drain plumber can do this.
Baby wipes are great for cleaning babies, and disinfecting wipes are perfect for surfaces around your home. These are built thick and strong.
You can easily throw it in the garbage bin when you are finished. Anything labelled’ flushable’ or biodegradable flushable wipes is a problem for your sewer or toilet drain.
You should only use the safest material for the environment and your home’s plumbing. Toilet paper, water and human waste are genuinely safe to flush.
What should go down your sink?
Non-flushable objects and materials should be disposed of in a suitable garbage unit. This will help prevent blockages and stop harmful chemicals from entering our wastewater system. This doesn’t just stop at your toilet system.
The same rule goes for your kitchen and bathroom drain. Certain cooking products like vegetable oil are very thick in consistency, and once it cools down, they might harden and attach to pipe walls. Small food products can escape down your sink.
You will be left with a foul odour from rotting food inside the pipework of your kitchen.
Hair and soapy products like shampoo in your bathroom can build up and wash down the sink. Hair and soap in the shower drain are significant causes of bathroom drain blockages.
Clearing a clogged sink takes time and can affect other areas of your home and plumbing.
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What can you do for your toilets and drains
Do not flush ’ flushable wipes’ down your toilet drain. It would be best if you stuck to flushing water and toilet paper. Wipes cannot break down like standard toilet paper.
They are made to hold water very well, making it a problem for pipelines and the environment.
In your kitchen, search for a good drain strainer. You can find these in your nearest hardware store. They can catch stray food items before being washed down the sink. When you are finished cooking, pour the leftover oil into a garbage bag and dispose of it in the bin.
Make the better choice for your property and keep non-flushable objects like wet wipes out of the drains.
