The Common Beauty Tool That Can Destroy Your Pipes If Flushed Down The Toilet

Toilets are arguably the most important functional part of any bathroom. You rarely think about whether your toilet is working until it's not working, and then you've got a major issue on your hands. Sometimes, they can break because they're toilets from an unreliable brand, but sometimes, it's because you're flushing down things toilets aren't supposed to handle. There's one common cotton culprit you might not have considered (try saying that three times fast): cotton rounds.

Cotton rounds, cotton balls, cotton pads, and cotton swabs are all similar products in different shapes. As it turns out, none of those shapes are good for your plumbing. The big issue is what they're made of. Toilet paper breaks down in your pipes, but cotton products don't, leading to potential blockages. To make matters worse, cotton is absorbent, so as water flows through the pipes, the products will expand to fill them. Since the standard diameter for toilet pipes is around 3 inches, blockages can build up fairly quickly.

Look, mistakes happen. Sometimes, things get flushed by accident, including cotton products. If it's too late to take this advice and the backup is already forming, what can you do?

If the blockage isn't bad enough yet to have actually affected your toilet's function, you can try to break up the partial clog by turning off the water, using a plunger, turning the water back on, and flushing. You can also use a toilet auger to break up more stubborn clumps of cotton, but make sure you're using a toilet auger rather than a drain snake, as those come with guards that prevent you from damaging your toilet's porcelain.

If you've gotten to a point where the toilet is fully clogged and overflowing, it's officially time to call in a professional plumber. The average drain cleaning cost is estimated to be between $150 to $350, though exact prices vary depending on the severity of the issue, the number of clogs, and how much time it takes to clear them. And once there's a clog, don't wait until it gets worse; repairing or replacing your entire sewer line can cost thousands of dollars. These issues might sound scary, but luckily, they're easily avoidable as long as you don't flush items you're not supposed to, like cotton products, in the first place. Stick to flushing toilet paper only, and you can keep your toilet in tip-top shape!