The only things you should ever flush down a toilet are human waste and toilet paper. Even though some products, such as disinfecting wipes and baby diapers, may be marketed as flushable, they ARE NOT and should be discarded in the trash.
Flushing only toilet paper helps ensure that toilets, plumbing, sewer systems and septic systems will continue working properly to safely manage wastewater.
Always keep the following common household items out of the toilet:
- paper products (paper towels, napkins, facial tissue, etc.)
- cleaning/disinfecting wipes of any kind (including "flushable" wipes)
- disposable diapers and baby wipes
- tampons and tampon applicators
- sanitary napkins (mini or maxi pads)
- latex products
- cotton balls and swabs
- bandages and bandage wrappings
Why This is Important
Flushing these items into the sewer system could not only clog your pipes, but also accumulate to create larger blockages in the sewer system, posing a threat to public health and presenting additional challenges to our water utilities and their workforce. Fixing these backups is costly and takes time and resources away from ensuring that wastewater management systems are otherwise working properly. Plus, these blockages could result in a backup of sewage (sanitary sewage overflows) into homes, streets, neighborhoods, parks, schools, etc. | Learn More >