Why You Should Never Flush Cotton Swabs Down the Drain

While it can seem like most drains, especially toilets, can handle anything, there are a number of items that you should never flush down them. If you flush an item that isn’t intended to be flushed, then there’s a chance that you’re causing real damage to your pipes and your plumbing system. These effects might not be immediately noticeable, but trust us, a trained eye will be able to tell you that you could be doing serious damage to your entire plumbing system if you get in on this act.

There’s a lot of items that people tend to flush down the toilet that they shouldn’t, but the main point we want to get across to our customers today is to never flush cotton in Bethel, OH. Here’s why.

What are some cotton items that get flushed?

There are a number of items that people use in the bathroom that should be put into the waste basket instead of being flushed down the toilet. A lot of these are made out of cotton, as many hygiene products are. Why cotton should never be flushed in Bethel, OH is a question we tend to answer often for customers, and the cotton items in question could include things like cotton balls or cotton pads (usually used for tasks like makeup application and/or removal) or cotton swabs. All of these items can cause significant damage to your pipes if you’re not conscientious about keeping them out of your drains.

Why is cotton so bad for plumbing systems?

The simple fact of the matter is that cotton does not really break down all that well. It looks like it might pull apart at any moment when it’s part of a fluffy cotton ball, but that really isn’t the case. When you get a lot of these cotton items into one place, you can wind up having a big problem on your hands, so it’s obvious at this point why you should never flush cotton in Bethel, OH.

These cotton items that don’t break down will eventually find each other and glom together, creating big clogs that can cause significant damage that will require professional help from a plumbing company like Gullett Sanitation Services Inc. Keep us out of the picture by making sure you teach everyone in your household about not flushing cotton items down the toilet, particularly cotton swabs.

What else should not be flushed?

When we tell clients to never flush cotton in Bethel, OH, we usually also take care to mention some other items they should avoid flushing. Wipes, even supposedly “flushable” ones, are a common culprit for many clogs in plumbing systems, so never flush those down a toilet. You should also never use bleach to clean your toilet, as this harsh chemical can really cause some damage to your pipes and plumbing infrastructure.

Keeping a clean and functioning drainage system is a relatively simple proposition, and you’ll enjoy the biggest advantage by never flushing items in the first place that could clog up the works. Be sure you never flush cotton swabs, and it’s typically a bad idea to flush anything inorganic—follow these simple rules and you’ll have a clog-free toilet for years to come!

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