Thinks That Belong in the Trash
There are a few items that should never be thrown in the toilet. Just because they appear small, does not mean they are not causing problems further down the pipes.
1. Never throw used condoms down the toilet. They are made of latex and are indestructible in septic tanks. Once they get trapped in the pipe, all other particles will become attracted to it, increasing the clog.
2. Bathroom wipes have become the must have bathroom accessory lately. Marketed as moist toilet paper, they can easily back up a sewer system.
3. Those Q-Tips and cotton balls might appear like something that couldn't cause an issue in the pipes, but the truth is they get soggy in the pipes and actually increase in size. They get trapped in the tight bends of the pipe and can lead to severe blockages.
Time to Use the Kitchen Garbage
Just because you bring certain items into the bathroom, it is important they go back in the kitchen trash when you are done with them.
4. Your prescription medication may have expired, but tossing them in the toilet is not the best way to keep them out of the wrong hands. They can easily get trapped in the pipes and destroy bacteria and increase the size of the blockage.
5. One of the worse things you can throw in a toilet is paper towels They are designed to be super absorbent, meaning they expand tremendously when saturated with water. Flushing paper towels will assuredly cause a clog in the toilet.
6. Grease and fats that are leftover from cooking should never be flushed in the toilet. Even though it appears to be a liquid now, once it cools it will harden to a wax like substance, sticking to the inside of the pipes and lessening the flow of water.
Use Any Garbage But the Toilet
Even though you are in the bathroom, the toilet should never be considered a trash can.
7. If you smoke in your home, put those cigarette butts in the trash and not in the toilet. The filters can stick to debris in the pipes and accumulate quickly, causing a clog rapidly.
8. If a member of the family has been injured and they are removing a band-aid, put it in the trash and not the toilet. They are non-biodegradable and will only attract other debris if they get stuck in the pipes.
9. Dental floss might appear to be nothing more than a string, but it is not biodegradable and will wrap around components of the pipes. These tiny clogs become major ones in a short amount of time.
10. People with cats might think pouring the used cat litter in the toilet is not an issue. The truth is that product is made from sand and clay, two materials you do not want on the inside of your sewer pipes.
Call Samco Plumbing at (863) 509-1718 right now if your toilet is clogged. Our experienced technicians will service your Lakeland home in no time!