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To Flush or Not to Flush – Tips for a Happy Toilet

February 19, 2016

What can you flush down a toilet?  It seems like a question with a very simple answer, and yet countless plumbers can tell you that people sometimes flush very interesting things – syringes, electronics packaging, squirrels…no joke!  Even though these are all things that have really been flushed, there are a number of items you may not have considered dangerous to flush.  Let’s have a closer look.

To Flush

Realistically, the list of things that should never be flushed is much longer than the list of flushable items.  So, let’s start with the easy topic.  What can you flush down a toilet?  Keep in mind, this advice pertains to North American toilets – in many countries around the world sewage systems are either very old or less advanced and it is not advisable to flush anything but human waste.  Things aren’t so different in North America where you can flush human waste and toilet paper.  And that’s it.  You really shouldn’t flush anything but those things that come out of your body and toilet paper.

Not to Flush

So really, what not to flush isn’t really complicated.  Is it urine?  Is it feces?  Is it toilet paper?  If you answered no to any of these questions, DON’T FLUSH!  Nevertheless, let’s have a closer look and try to understand a bit of the “why” behind reasons not to flush.

First, let’s start with other paper products.  Tissue, paper towel, or any form of paper other than toilet paper should never be flushed.  Toilet paper is designed to break down when it’s wet; this is not true for tissue paper or paper towel.  In fact, these kinds of paper will absorb moisture, hold their form, and ultimately can cause blockages to your pipes or the community sewage system.

Also, never flush anything of a pharmaceutical (or black market) drug nature.  Many people believe flushing drugs is a safe method of disposal, but wastewater treatment facilities may not be equipped to remove the chemicals often found in drugs.  If they’re not removed, they’ll eventually end up in lakes, rivers, or even groundwater systems.

There are a wide range of other items that should never be flushed:

• Drugs! Once again, never flush drugs of any kind.
• Fats, oils, and grease as they can block sewer systems when they cool.
• Garbage, sand, metals, wood, plastic, animal remains, fish, cat litter (even if it’s “flushable”), feminine hygiene products, napkins, diapers, or glass.
• Corrosive cleaners or substances.
• Flammable or explosive substances.
• Automotive liquids including but not limited to anti-freeze or brake fluid.
• Paint or solvents.
• Fertilizer.
• Medical equipment.

This is just a sample list of the items you should never flush down your toilet.  So, just to be clear, there are only 3 items that you can flush down your toilet – urine, feces, and toilet paper.