Things You Should Never Flush Down The Toilet
Read Time:1 Minute, 29 Second
(Julio Cortez)
You know those baby wipes you like? The kind that say “flushable?” Well they’re not, at least according to the wastewater gurus of America.
Wastewater officials across the country are trying to spread the message that you can’t just flush anything down the toilet, and they’re taking particular aim at wipes. Vancouver, Wash., has a campaign called “Smart Bunnies” that shows a bespectacled rabbit sitting on a toilet and the tag line: “Smart bunnies flush only toilet tissue … All wipes and other products will clog the pipes!” According to campaign materials, “Many new products, such as wipes, claim to be flushable. However, that doesn’t mean they’re treatable in our wastewater system.” Among items it says don’t belong in the toilet: cleaning rags, reinforced paper towels, baby diapers and wipes, feminine hygiene products, and medical bandages, tubing, and pads.
A public awareness campaign by the Orange County Sanitation District in California called “What 2 Flush” emphasizes that the toilet is meant only for the three Ps—pee, poop, and toilet paper. It even says facial tissues are too sturdy to be flushed. Among the more unusual items it says people commonly flush that risk causing clogs: cat litter, condoms, and dental floss. A study by the Portland Water District in Maine in 2011 analyzed what was causing clogs in their sewer pipes and came up with this analysis:
- 42% paper products, including paper towels
- 24% baby wipes
- 17% hygiene products, including feminine pads and tampons
- 8% “flushable” wipes
- Remainder, other items: including household wipes, cosmetic pads, and medical materials.
Happy
0 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
0 %
0
0
Toilet are meant to be used for three Ps just as you mentioned above and other things which can be flushed other than these three Ps are that can be dissolved or don’t choke the whole sanitary system. These small mistakes of flushing unnecessary thing can cost a good amount in a plumber’s bill. So it’s better to avoid these mistakes.
And I’d just eaten my dinner.. thanks for that 😉
Mayeb they should get reusable cloths to wipe if that is what they are using them for. Hey, works for cleaning babies why not adults and you can put them through the wash with bleach. Either that or invest in a bidet. We got a bidet and it is the best thing ever.
As someone who has lived aboard sailboats and has traveled extensively on them, I can state the “Three P” rule definitely applies there.
Even with a macerator and far out to sea, something just don’t go where you go. By law, no plastics, no petroleum products and no glass unless ground to less than 1″ in size. No aluminum cans, etc.
These rules are frequently ignored, even by large cruise ships. I once sailed in the wake of a Carnival cruise ship and saw balloons, light bulbs, polypropylene rope, and other trash in the ocean when trailing behind it.