Think Twice Before Flushing Tissues Down The Toilet

There could be many reasons why your toilet may keep clogging — everything from mechanical malfunctions to external factors can cause your toilet to repeatedly back up and overflow. While several of these factors are outside of your control (for example, you can't control the tree roots growing outside of your sewer line), there are a few things that you might be doing that are causing extreme toilet issues. Flushing tissues down the toilet, while it may seem innocent enough, can actually lead to significant blockages and plumbing problems, so you should always think twice about flushing them.

Facial tissues don't disintegrate like regular toilet tissue, thanks to its special coating that toilet paper doesn't have. This coating helps the tissue keep its shape and not absorb liquid as quickly. If you happen to flush several tissues at once, you'll cause a blockage in your sewer pipes, since it can take up to a week or more to fully disintegrate in water. Many people look to using tissues in lieu of toilet paper — perhaps they have just run out of their last roll and need an emergency solution, or maybe they find tissues softer and more comfortable. Regardless of the reason, tissues should never be flushed down the toilet, but they're not the only thing you should keep out of the toilet.

There's a surprising amount of other household items that you should think twice about before flushing — even though it might seem convenient at the time, this simple act of flushing the wrong thing is one of the biggest mistakes everyone makes with their toilet. For example, flushing too much toilet paper can cause a blockage in your plumbing pipes, since a large amount is difficult for water to break down right away. To combat this, make sure to only use what you need, flushing after every use, and, in certain circumstances, flushing a couple of times to ensure everything goes down smoothly.

You might have heard of flushable wipes as an alternative to baby wipes. However, even though the package says "flushable", these (and other wipes) should not be flushed. These don't break down like toilet paper does — in fact, these wipes don't disintegrate at all. While you might find that one or two of these wipes will flush down your toilet just fine, they can cause significant damage to wastewater treatment equipment and sewer lines beyond your home. Although you may not use it to wipe, we must also advice against flushing dental floss down the toilet, as it's a bathroom staple you should avoid flushing down the toilet at all costs. Flushing floss on a regular basis can create a "net", wrapping it around your septic pipes. Mix floss with something that doesn't dissolve, like tissue, and you'll have an impenetrable mess.