We all know that as one of the most important fixtures in your home, your toilet needs to be in tip-top shape at all times. However, when an item is flushed that your toilet plumbing is not meant to handle, toilet clogs can easily form.
Most of the time, toilet clogs can be easily fixed with a plunger or plumbing snake. Unfortunately, however, toilet plumbing repair isn’t always as straightforward as we would hope. As every Portland plumber quickly discovers, inappropriate items often make their way down the drain, where they can build up or become lodged and lead to a bigger problem.
Portland Plumber Tips: What Not to Flush Down the Toilet
To avoid a visit from your Portland plumber, don’t flush any of these down your toilet:
1. Personal Hygiene, Hair and Makeup Products
Whether they’re flushed on purpose or dropped by accident, makeup and hygiene products such as cotton balls or swabs, facial tissues, shampoo bottles, cosmetics, makeup sponges and disposable diapers have been the culprits in some colossal toilet clogs. These items have a tendency to catch on rough surfaces inside your toilet plumbing, causing major problems. Prevent accidents by keeping the lid down when you get ready in the morning.
2. Cleaning Cloths and Paper Towels
Even though they may seem similar to toilet paper, paper towels and cloths are manufactured differently because they were never meant be disposed of through your toilet plumbing. Toilet paper is made to break down quickly once it is flushed, which is why it is the only paper item that should ever go into your toilet.
3. Hair
Of all the rooms in our home, the bathroom is the main gathering place for the hair we shed. When you’re brushing your hair in the morning, it’s all too easy to clean off your brush and toss the hair into the toilet. That’s why hair, especially large clumps of it, is one of the most common causes of toilet clogs. An easy solution to this problem is to toss your hair into the wastebasket instead.
4. Fats, Oils and Grease
Fats, oils and grease can also cause major toilet clogs, especially if they are regularly disposed of in the toilet. Serious buildups can occur over time, leading to large and expensive problems with your overall sewer system.
And remember, if you ever notice any unwelcome rodent visitors in your pipes, remember that 3 Mountains Plumbing can fix that issue too! For all jobs related to toilet repair, call the 3 Mountains experts and have your problems fixed today!
