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We have all been there when something accidentally falls inside the toilet bowl. Now you have to decide to stick your hand in the dirty toilet water or flush it down. As much as you want to flush it, plumbing Omaha experts want you to rethink that flush.

A toilet was only meant to flush dissolvable items. Toilets have a p-trap like the one under your bathroom sink. It is designed to hold standing water that prevents the gases from the sewer to rise. When an unwanted item gets stuck in the p-trap, it can cause a clog. Normally, most clogs can be undone by a plunger. While other clogs will require a plumber.

Our plumbing Omaha experts want to share with you what you should never flush down the toilet.

Paper towels

Sure paper towels absorb and clean like toilet paper. However, they do not dissolve the same. The break down of a paper towel is not the same. Toss the paper towel in the can not the royal throne.

Dental floss

Perhaps you accidentally dropped your dental floss in the toilet. Do not flush it down the toilet like it is toilet paper. Flushing dental floss will not break down. It can get caught in your pipes and cause a plumbing problem.

Cat litter

Although people claim that cat litter is flushable, it is not. There are even brands being marketed as “flushable.” However, a toilet is not capable of flushing the waste through your pipes. It can get stuck and cause a clog.  It is recommended that you remove the waste and use a plastic bag. Throw it in your trash, not down your toilet

Cotton swabs

As tempting as it might seem, avoid flushing cottons swabs down the toilet. These small things can get stuck in the bends of the pipes. Once they get stuck, they can prevent items from making their way into the sewer. You’ll end up with a clogged toilet and you making a call to your favorite plumbing Omaha team.

Diapers

You might think, who flushes a diaper down the toilet? It is actually much more common than you think. People are known to flush used diapers down the toilet. What they do not know is that even the smallest diaper can clog the whole system.  The best way to dispose of the diaper is to wrap it up and toss it in the trash.

Wipes

Speaking of babies. Those “flushable” baby or facial wipes are not ideal for toilets. These wipes do not break down enough to make their way down the pipes. They can cause a clog and cause you to call a plumbing Omaha team.

Hair

If your hair constantly falls out, you will want to avoid it making its way into the toilet. Just like dental floss, it can get stuck. The thing about hair is that it will dissolve. So if it makes its way into your pipes, it can stay there for a long time.

Have you or a loved one accidentally flushed one of these items down your home’s toilet? Give ServiceOne a call. One of our plumbing Omaha experts come and take care of the problem.

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