The Importance of Proper Toilet Paper & Your Plumbing - Mr. Plumber - Raleigh

The Importance of Proper Toilet Paper & Your Plumbing

Toilet paper

Did you know that toilet paper was developed in the United States 150 years ago? On average, American uses about 50 pounds a year.

Toilet paper is designed to be quickly degraded into fibers so it can flush down. And while your toilet might be a high-quality, high-powered toilet to flush away the day, there are still some things you need to avoid flushing down the toilet:

  • Disposable diapers
  • Cotton balls/swabs
  • Feminine hygiene products
  • Condoms
  • Bandages, bandage wraps, Band-Aids
  • Pet waste
  • Unused medication
  • Cleaning wipes (baby, disinfecting, etc.)
  • Poisons and hazardous waste
  • Dead animals

 

Try the “Flushability Test”

  1. Fill two bowls with water
  2. Place toilet paper in one, and then place the object in question in another.
  3. Swish both items in the water, then wait an hour.
  4. Swish again.
  5. After that first hour, the toilet paper should have disintegrated. Most likely, the other item is still fully intact.
  6. If the item is still intact, it needs to be thrown away—you could risk a blockage in your pipes.

 

Avoid toilet clogs:

  • Place a waste basket in the bathroom for items that cannot be flushed
  • Keep the toilet lid closed to reduce the likelihood of items accidentally dropping in

 
If your toilet does clog and you’re in the Raleigh, NC area, call the expert plumbers at Weather Master’s Mr. Plumber.

Now the only thing to worry about is how you hang your toilet paper—over or under?

Scroll to Top