If plumbing clogs are unusually common in your household, there might be something wrong with your pipes…or it could be something you’re flushing. In most cases, households flush and drain items that can create stubborn clogs or sewer backups. Here are five things you should never flush down your toilet or wash down the drain, from the experts at Absolute Plumbing & Drain.

“Disposable” Products

Baby wipes, wet wipes, disposable cat litter, and other “flushable” items aren’t as pipe-friendly as you might think. They are often difficult or impossible for your toilet to process, resulting in buildups and backups. Keep disposable products other than toilet paper out of your commode to help prevent clogs.

Hair

Hair is the number one thing we find clogging drains on service calls. Prevent hair from going down your drains in bathtubs and showers by using a drain filter that you can remove and empty. Never flush hair trimmings from haircuts down the drain or toilet.

Grease

Don’t pour cooking grease or oils down your drain, even if you have a garbage disposal. Fats, grease, and oils from cooking or food scraps can harden as it cools within your drain, causing major pipe clogs and sanitary sewer overflows (raw sewage backing up into your house or lawn). Instead, wait for grease to cool and dump it in the trash.

Cotton Products

Cotton is not a pipe-friendly material. Cotton will not dissolve in water like toilet paper. Instead, it will maintain its form and clog your pipes. Never flush or drain cotton swabs, cotton balls, or feminine hygiene products. Only flush paper that dissolves easily in water.

Fruit and Vegetable Rinds

Your garbage disposal isn’t perfect – it can’t easily break down fruit and vegetable rinds and peels. Putting these items down the drain is asking for a clog. If you can’t eat it, don’t put it down the drain.

For plumbing clog removal in Concord, CA, contact us at Absolute Plumbing & Drain.