The Damaging Toilet Habits You Didn’t Know About
Whether you think about it or not, your toilet is one of the most used fixtures in your home. And while it’s essential for removing waste, you can’t just throw anything down the drain. The plumbing industry is one filled with myths and rumors that can easily have you doing things that aren’t right for your plumbing.
A good example? Chances are you’ve probably heard that throwing citrus peels down your garbage disposal are a good way to clean and sharpen them. The truth? It could actually damage or jam your disposal, leaving you scrambling for another plumbing repair.
So what should you be doing to protect your toilet and plumbing? As a homeowner, you should always be on the lookout for helpful information and preventive measures that can reduce the risk of emergency repairs. Read on to learn more about your toilet plumbing, and the five habits that could be damaging it beyond repair.
The Truth About Your Toilet Piping
As opposed to what you may have heard in the past, your toilet is not actually equipped to handle every material flushed.
This can be a huge wakeup call for some homeowners, but understand what you can and cannot throw down the drain is helpful. Five bad toilet habits you should stop today, include:
Baby/Wet Wipes: They may say they’re flushable, but the truth is, these items actually aren’t. Baby wipes can create massic blockages in your plumbing that will require professional drain cleaning to remove.- Q-Tips & Floss: Most likely part of your morning routine, you floss your teeth and clean your ears and toss the debris down the drain. It certainly flushes easy enough, but it could be a problem too. Not only are these items not environmentally friendly, but also they can ruin the balance in your septic tank.
- Cooking Grease and Food: While it’s more of a problem in the kitchen sink, food, and cooking grease has found its fair share of toilets. These blockages harden when cooled, and can completely stop your pipes from draining.
- Cat Litter: We all love our fur babies, but their littler is not the same as human waste. Cat litter has a tendency to clump when in contact with a liquid and can damage your plumbing over time.
- Hair: After brushing your hair in the morning, you may be inclined to remove excess hair from your brush and flush it down the toilet. If it doesn’t work in your bathtub, why would it work in your toilet? Hair is a common irritant to your a bathroom plumbing, and should always find it’s way into a trash can instead.
As a general rule of thumb, you should restrict toilet flushing just to toilet paper, and a reasonable amount as well! You use your toilet on a daily basis - and the last thing you would want is to damage it.
Dealing With Toilet Damage
When it comes to toilet repair issues, you’re either going to be able to solve them with drain cleaning or require a much larger-scale issue, depending on the severity of the problem.
The main frustration with toilet damage is it can easily be avoided with effective toilet tips and habits.
If you’re careful of what you throw down the drain, maintain your toilet regularly, and keep up with repairs, you can avoid a major emergency easily!
What Are Reasonable Repair Costs?
If an issue is too far gone for a standard plunger, a professional plumber will be needed. Repairs can range from the hundreds to the thousands quickly, depending on the severity of the problem.
Some homeowners may get away with a drain cleaning or hydrojetting service, while others could need a full overhaul of their plumbing. What starts as a small clog can easily turn into a sewer line emergency, which is why having health toilet habits is key.
At Anytime Plumbing, Inc we are your reliable Las Vegas plumbers. When you need helpful guidance, quality repairs, or just want some education as to what works best for your toilet, our plumbers can help you!
