10 Things You Should Never Flush
Many items on the market today state that they are flushable. These items can include moist flushable wipes, disinfecting wipes, makeup-removing wipes, cleaning solutions, pipe cleaners, and more.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
WHY?
Many of these items have one base material in common… cotton and plastic—neither of these items breaks down inside the septic tank. Septic tanks break down human waste—yes, urine and feces—as well as simple toilet paper. When items like wipes state they are “septic safe”, those words are just marketing jargon.
Top 10 Things You Shouldn’t Find in Your Septic Tank:
- Grease and Excessive Food Waste – your sink and your garbage disposal should not be used as a kitchen garbage can. Food waste goes into the real garbage can. Flushing grease and excessive food waste down your drains is a big NO! This not only coats the pipes in your home and causes backup issues, but will also clog up the baffles in the septic tank and cause backup issues.
- “Flushable Wipes” – if you know me at all, these are Priority Pumping’s nemesis. Check out more about why you should use these dirty little things in our blog on Why flushable wipes are ruining your septic system.
- Paper Towels and Disinfecting Wipes – Paper towels and disinfecting wipes do not break down inside the septic tank. When used in large quantities, they tend to get hung up on filters and become stuck in baffles and sewer lines. Consequently, this creates a much higher pumping bill, as they are extremely challenging to remove from the septic tank. Moreover, they can also complicate matters for our septic truck once we arrive at the disposal location. Therefore, it’s essential to dispose of these items properly to avoid these costly and inconvenient issues.
- Feminine Products: tampons/applicators, maxi pads, and more – Again, these items are made of cotton and plastic and they do not break down inside of the septic tank. When you flush these items, they enter the tank and create a floating “quilt” on the effluent levels. These blobs of cotton goo are very difficult to remove and result in higher pumping bills.
- Kitty Litter and Hair – Kitty litter is used to absorb cat pee – what do you think it is doing when you introduce it to your septic tank? It’s an absorbent material – it will turn like concrete in the bottom of your septic tank. Hair also coagulates with all the items in the tank and makes massive balls of yuck that are also hard to suck out during your pumping service. Check out this awesome article on why cat waste is deadly for your septic system.
- Cotton pads, Diapers, Cotton Swabs, Bandages – Use the garbage can – cotton and plastic once again. How does a diaper get down to the septic tank? I’m not even sure! Again, this a product designed to absorb water….
- Medication or other Hazardous Materials (paint, cleaners, bleach, etc) medications flushed consistently will cause disposal field failure because it changes the effluent water leaving the septic tank. A better option would be to take these medications to dispose of at your local pharmacy. The same goes with paint and other harmful hazardous chemicals, only dispose of these items at the proper facilities. Although it may not appear harmful, long-term exposure to these kinds of items can cause environmental harm.
- Anything Plastic – Small items like toy parts, bottle wrappers, and seals can seriously damage pipes and tanks.
- Cigarette Butts – just don’t, please! Cotton again!
- Condoms or Disposable Gloves – latex doesn’t break down either so just put them in the trash. Flushing condoms doesn’t make them disappear permanently. In fact, they will inevitably resurface when we pump your tank. Trust us, it’s better to dispose of them properly to avoid future issues.
