If you have used professional plumbing services in London more than once over the past couple of months, you may be dealing with an old drainage system which will take you a lot of money to repair or to replace. But do not panic because your stubborn plumbing problems may also come as a result of… your own actions. Believe it or not but the list of things you should never flush down your toilet is incredibly long as it includes items and materials that can:
- Make your draining system smell;
- Clog your pipes;
- Harm the environment;
It can be said that the only things that should end up in your toilet are Number 1 and Number 2. Anything else should better go either in the bin or to a recycling facility. However, we will now take a quick look at the things you should never ever flush down your toilet as they are also the ones that can have the most terrible consequences on your drainage system, health and the local eco-system.
Certain hygiene products
Diapers, tampons and pads are a no-no when it comes to flushing things down the toilet. The materials from which these products were made cause them to expand beyond recognition when they get in contact with fluids. Imagine if that happens in your pipes! Your toilet may easily get blocked in a matter of hours.
Pictured: Toilet paper
Non-biodegradable items
Condoms, floss and things made from plastic materials (even those that are as small as a proprietary band) are also not welcomed in the toilet. They can not only clog your drainage system, but they can also pollute the environment. That is because they are made of materials that do not decompose naturally or will take ages to do so. And here’s a fun fact – the contents of most sewage systems end up in our rivers and oceans. So, when those contents also include non-biodegradable items, your local flora and fauna will take a huge blow.
Hair
We know what you are thinking: “What harm can my hair cause to my toilet?” Well, a single hair will be quite powerless in sabotaging your drainage pipes. However, if you happen to have a habit to flash human or pet hair in your toilet, your pipes will certainly get clogged at one point because hair has the amazing ability to become entangled.
Potentially poisonous things
For a reason similar to the one why you should never throw away non-biodegradable items in your toilet, you should also avoid doing that with medication and other things that can poison our rivers or endanger the local flora and fauna.
Dead animals
Organise your goldfish or your hamster a proper funeral that does not involve a trip down the sewage. If the cause of your pet’s death was a disease, you risk transferring it to the wildlife in your area.
Flushable toilet paper
No, even flushable toilet paper, wipes or paper towels are things you should refrain from chucking down your toilet. With time, they can cause a lot of damage to your pipes because some of them do not fully disintegrate when you throw them away.
Think before you flush – this simple philosophy will reduce your plumbing maintenance costs and it will even help you protect the environment.
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