Friends, I think we can all agree that sewer backups are seriously not coooool. That’s why Cool Cat is back with some Myrtle Beach plumbing advice to keep your commode flowing fresh and not backing up the funk. Too many people treat the toilet like a trash can… and pay the price when a major sewage line back-up is bubbling up into their house. Trust Cool Cat on this one and just don’t even flush this stuff.
- Bathroom wipes / “flushable” towelettes / baby wipes: Even if the package says “flushable”, don’t do it. These products are not made to break up the way traditional TP is and if they make it past your sewage lines and into the municipal lines, they still can spell big trouble. In fact, several cities are suing the manufacturers of some of these wipes because of blockages and damage to their sewer systems.
- Rx meds or any kind of pills: Yes, Cool Cat knows there are some guidelines out there that say it’s okay to flush old scripts or OTC meds. Don’t do it! These products end up in ground water, have devastating effects on wildlife and the dissolved products can be difficult to filter out at water treatment plants – this means flushed meds eventually can make it back to you through your tap! Find places to drop off your old Rx at http://www.scdhec.gov/HomeAndEnvironment/Recycling/UnwantedMedications/
- Dental floss: While dental floss might seem like just a simple bit of string, it doesn’t biodegrade and it can tangle up with other materials to form mega-clogs.
- Food, cooking oils, fats and grease: Whether you put it down the kitchen sink or the toilet (we’re confused how these things end up in toilets, too), these products form a waxy-hard build-up in any kind of drain or sewer and leads to serious back-ups.
- Hair: Similar to dental floss, hair gets tangled up with other debris in the sewer lines to create major blogs. This is true of human hair and pet hair. Always clean hair from brushes into the trash and not the toilet.
- Cotton swabs and cotton balls: These items absorb water and expand. They also don’t break apart or break down the way toilet paper does and often gets caught up in clogs that form in the bends of pipes.
- Cigarette butts: Toxic chemicals leach out into the water and are small enough to slip through many filtration systems.
- Kitty litter: Once upon a time, when Cool Cat was still just a chillin’ kitten, there was a little oops of this nature. Thankfully, the cats at Carolina Cool were on hand to save the day. Even if it’s supposed to be “flushable”, it’s just a big messy clog waiting to happen.
- Adult activity products: Hey, this is a family blog so cover the kittens’ eyes for a moment. These prophylactic items are not biodegradable and tend to capture air inside. This trapped air can get entangled in clogs, clog up filtration systems or in some cases, return from the drain into the toilet at embarrassing times. So, ahem, stick with non-plumbing-related disposal methods.
- Band-aids: Sticky strips of plastic… Plastic doesn’t biodegrade and anything with any kind of adhesive shouldn’t be flushed down the toilet.
- Feminine items: Pads, tampons and tampon applicators should all be disposed of in the trash. Even tampons or applicators labeled as “flushable” might make it into the municipal sewer lines but they absorb water (see cotton swabs and balls above) and don’t break down readily. If you’re lucky enough to avoid a clog in your home’s sewer lines, these items eventually end up at water treatment centers. Water treatment centers have to filter these products out and transport them to the landfill.
Take it from Cool Cat, when in doubt, throw it in the trash and not down the toilet. If you do end up having an incident of the “should not have been flushed” kind, the plumbing pros at Carolina Cool have your back. They’re the best pros in town to get things back in the flow for ya!
