Since tissues retain their shape longer, they can cause all sorts of problems if you flush them down the toilet. Tissues can get stuck in various areas of your home's sewer system. If you flush multiple tissues simultaneously, you could accidentally create a clog that can be difficult to remove.
Although paper towels, napkins, and facial tissue appear to be the same material, but they do not disintegrate in water like toilet paper. Any items flushed other than toilet paper can create costly clogs in your home pipes, our community sewer pipes, and our water reclamation facilities.
Besides causing clogged toilets, they can clump up in your drainpipes before ever making it out to the sewer system, which can mean a big plumbing expense for you.
Can Too Much Toilet Paper Clog a Sewer Line? Yes. If the clog moves past your drain, it can get stuck in your sewer line if debris or old pipes stop it from moving along or breaking up. If you suspect too much toilet paper is trapped in your sewer line, don't expect or wait for it to clear.
Toilet roll can take anywhere from one to three years to decompose, about the same amount of time as a banana peel. This could be longer under certain conditions, such as if it was left outside in a sheltered spot, away from the rain.
First, pour a cup of baking soda directly into the toilet bowl. Carefully add two cups of vinegar to initiate a chemical reaction with the baking soda. Wait for 20 to 30 minutes to allow the reaction to break down the clog, and then give the toilet a flush.
Cotton buds, tissues and wet wipes aren't flushable. These items don't disintegrate like toilet paper. Don't even think about putting them anywhere near your loo. The same goes for paper towel and dental floss which also don't break down in water.
As our Kleenex® Brand tissues have not been designed or tested for flushability, please dispose of our products in the trash. Cottonelle® Flushable Wipes can be flushed, they are are designed to safely break down in home septic systems and will not affect the normal bacterial activity in a septic system.
If the blockage is a build-up of tissue paper, pour 3-4 cups of hot (not boiling) water from waist height into the toilet bowl. Give the hot water around 20 minutes to breakdown the blockage.
Diapers, sanitary napkins, tampons, photo chemicals, cleaners, garbage and toys that find their way into building toilets and drains risk clogging the toilet and pipes, causing toilets to back up.
If you or one of your family members accidentally flushed a pad, tampon, or another item on the above list, don't panic! It's unlikely that there will be immediate repercussions unless you've been flushing sanitary items for a long time, and there's already a blockage. You may need to call a plumber.
Costs Associated With Unclogging A Toilet
Toilet unclogging projects can range anywhere from $85-$600, depending upon the overall extent of the clog. Basic cleanouts will only cost around $80-$150, but serious clogs may require more sophisticated drain cleaning technology that increases the average costs to $150-$300.
They can impact entire communities and cause large-scale sewer damage, or create major problems in your septic tank system. If you accidentally toss a wet wipe or foreign item in the toilet, the only course of action is to try and fish it out of the toilet.
Substances like toilet paper and fecal matter will eventually dissolve within the toilet drain and clear the clog organically. However, blockages made from insoluble materials won't resolve on their own and typically require you to fix the clog manually or contact a professional before they worsen.
Unlike toilet paper, which is designed to dissolve quickly in water, paper towels are made to be durable and absorbent. When they are flushed, they can cause clogs and other plumbing issues.
Facial tissue and paper towels have a different design than toilet paper. When you flush facial tissue or paper towels, water in your toilet doesn't cause them to disintegrate right away. These paper products aren't made to break up the way toilet paper is, so they can end up clogging pipes or the sewer system.
What happens if you flush facial tissues? Facial tissues are not designed to break down quickly. While they will degrade over time, it can be days or weeks before the tissues start breaking down. Since tissues retain their shape longer, they can cause all sorts of problems if you flush them down the toilet.
Unlike toilet paper, facial tissues should not be flushed down toilets due to their slower dissolving rate, posing a risk of causing complications in pipes, septic systems, and water treatment plants. How long does it take for facial tissues to decompose in water? Between months and years!
If it doesn't clog your system and manages to move through your pipes it eventually ends up at the pumping station where it has joined hundreds of other rags, diapers, toys, plastic applicators, and other items that clog up the pumps and prevent them from working properly.
What Happens If a Toy Gets Flushed Down the Toilet? The worst-case scenario: It can cause a major clog in your toilet or sewer line, and if not taken care of properly, can damage your toilet or plumbing.
Your home's main drain meets up underground with your city's sewer system, so whatever you flush is going to travel there. However, that's not the end of the journey. Waste makes its way through the sewer system until it reaches a municipal wastewater treatment plant.
Unlike toilet paper, which is designed to easily break down when wet, tissues are designed to be strong and absorbent so they don't tear as soon as you blow your nose. That's why flushed tissues often get wadded up, bloated with water, and stuck blocking pipes when flushed down the toilet.
Flushing only toilet paper helps ensure that the toilets, plumbing, sewer systems and septic systems will continue working properly to safely manage our nation's wastewater. While EPA encourages disinfecting your environment to prevent the spread of COVID-19, never flush disinfecting wipes or other non-flushable items.