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10 Things That You Definitely Shouldn’t Flush, But Probably Do.

People everywhere flush things down the toilet that should never have been flushed, whether it's to dispose of something disgusting, hide something embarrassing or give your beloved gold fish the send-off he deserves, people have flushed some extremely unusual things down toilets in the past. Whilst all these things seem small enough to go down the drain, as soon as you have a crack, a rough surface or anything in your pipe these items can get snagged or hooked on, they become an ever growing blockage that needs to be fixed. This list is the 10 things you shouldn't flush, but probably do. If you already flush a few of these things, don't worry and try to avoid flushing in the future.

10. Hair

Hair is one of the biggest culprits of blocked bathroom and kitchen drains bathroom wide, and flushing hair should be avoided at all costs. If you need to dispose of a hairball from your hairbrush or cat put it in the bin where it belongs, not the toilet.

9. Kitty Litter

Even though many kitty litter companies claim to be flush-able, this should be avoided. Kitty litter is designed to clump when wet, and these clumps cause blockages. Many plumbers have personally seen kitty litter blockages so severe they damage council pipes. Just clean your litter trays the appropriate way and don't flush the contents.

8. Drug Paraphernalia

We have all seen those movies where people flush the drugs to hide them from the cops, or even worse, their parents, but things like syringes, pipes and plastics bags full of drugs (legal or illegal) just don't flush, so don't bother which brings us to our next item…

7. Cigarette Butts

Cigarette Butts are surprisingly commonly flushed, but most certainly shouldn't be. Cigarette Butts don't break down (even in water) and actually expand when soaked in water due to the material that the filters are made from. So next time you empty your ashtray, do it in the bin.

6. Other Wipes

Paper towel, baby wipes, makeup removal wipes, while all these things claim to be flush-able, even the slightest clog forming in your pipes can quickly become a gigantic problem when you flush wipes. Simply dispose of them in the bin.

5. Paint And Building Waste

Whilst these are liquids, they can be corrosive and viscous and nearly impossible to pass through water pipes. Dispose of your building and paint waste responsibly, not down the toilet.

4. Dental Floss

“But it's just a piece of string!” I hear you saying, which is true. Surely a tiny piece of string like dental floss can be flushed, the answer is no! Thing of your headphones in your pocket and how easily they get into a tangled mess, now image that in your pipes made out of dental floss. Just throw it in the bin.

3. Condoms

Condoms and condom wrappers are all to commonly flushed, and whilst it's good you are having safe sex, do you really want your whole street to find out when the plumber has to come unclog the plumbing in your street because you flushed a condom? Just dispose of them safely and discreetly in the bin.

2. Diapers / Nappies

People flush diapers, those huge chunks of non-biodegradable super absorbent smelly goodness. But diapers clog pipes, Big time! Even disposable diapers are not meant to be flushed.

1. Tampons And Sanitary Napkins

Most experts agree that these products are the leading cause of blocked toilets, the reason being that the cotton is not only designed to not break down in water, but it's extremely easy to get snagged in pipes and ball up into a nasty blockage. These blockages can be hugely expensive to fix and can cause major health hazards.

Now you know that the only things suitable to be flushed down the toilet are toilet paper and human waste, make sure you change any bad habits you might have when it comes to flushing any of these other products.

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