The Best Toilet Paper For A Healthy Septic Tank With Less Clogs

Septic tanks are in more than a fifth of all American homes, and in many rural areas, they're the only option. Unlike sewer systems, a septic system requires more careful upkeep and leaves you directly responsible for your waste's impact on the natural environment. Something as seemingly harmless as using the wrong toilet paper can eventually result in polluted land and waterways, not to mention clogs and costly septic tank repairs. The best toilet paper for a septic tank dissolves quickly and is free of chemicals that may disrupt the tank's healthy bacteria, like recycled toilet paper, which has less chemicals.

You can't flush just anything down the drain when you have a septic tank. With a sewer system, you may still have to deal with clogs, but ultimately your waste goes elsewhere to be treated and processed. A septic system keeps your waste on-site from beginning to end, flowing from your drain into the septic tank and then out to the drain field. The waste must break down naturally, and it's a bad idea to disrupt that flow. Over time, the system won't be able to work as effectively, and the consequences could get expensive. Septic-safe toilet paper is one easy tool to prevent this.

The wrong toilet paper damages your septic tank by not dissolving quickly enough. This means too much solid material accumulates on the bottom of the tank as sludge, which disrupts the balance of the tank and prevents the healthy bacteria from doing their job breaking down your waste. Over time, all those solids can also result in clogs or even overflow onto your property. Too much solid matter also means you need your septic tank pumped more frequently, and waste that's not treated effectively can contaminate the environment.

The main key to septic-safe toilet paper is simple: it needs to dissolve quickly. All toilet paper will break down eventually, but some toilet paper brands are so thick that they take much longer to dissolve in water, which isn't ideal for a septic tank. Look for one- to two-ply toilet paper instead — some of them are surprisingly strong, absorbent, and comfortable. You can also use toilet paper that is labeled as biodegradable since it contains smaller fibers that break down more quickly. The other important consideration is chemicals. Some common household chemicals can also disrupt the bacteria in the septic tank that process waste. To be safe, avoid toilet paper that contains bleach or chlorine. You can also check alternative toilet paper made from bamboo, cotton, sugar cane, or other plants.

There are a couple of easy ways to find a toilet paper brand that's safe for a septic tank. First, look for the label "septic-safe" on the package. Or look for toilet paper that is marketed for RVs, boats, or portable toilets, as these brands are also designed to dissolve quickly. Not sure if your favorite toilet brand is septic-safe? Your other option is to test the toilet paper yourself. Soak a few sheets of toilet paper in a jar filled with water, and shake the container for 10 seconds. If the paper has dissolved, you can feel confident that it will also break down readily in your septic tank.

One example of a septic-safe toilet paper is Scott 1,000 Sheets Per Roll from Walmart, which is one-ply, affordable, and sold pretty much everywhere. Scott also carries a Rapid-Dissolving Toilet Paper that is designed for RVs and boats, also found at Walmart. For a recyclable option, Seventh Generation Toilet Paper from Amazon is free of chlorine bleach, and since it's two-ply it's strong and not scratchy. Lastly, another comfortable and popular toilet paper to consider is Cottonelle Ultra Clean from Amazon — it's soft but still just one-ply, making it septic-safe.