As the Coronavirus pandemic spreads in our country, people are becoming extremely stressed. Currently there over 300 verified cases of Coronavirus here. A tenth of these are in recovery and quite a few people have died so far. As this virus moves throughout the country, Hughes Plumbing Contractors want to remind the community that toilet paper is the only item you should flush down your toilet with your pee and poo.
Only Toilet Paper Should Be Flushed
In order to prevent damage to your plumbing system, you should avoid flushing the following kinds of items down your toilet. These items will not break down like toilet paper does, leading to significant blockages. After all, there is no real substitute for toilet paper as it was made to be easily flushed and broken down in our sewerage systems.
These Items are Not flushable
- Wet wipes
- Tissues
- Make up wipes
- Paper towels
- Baby wipes
- Nappies
- Newspaper
- Female sanitary products
- Rags and fabrics
Due to a lack of toilet paper supplies in stores, many people have begun using alternatives like wet wipes, tissues and paper towels. These items are not made to be flushed and will lead to blockages eventually. Although they are marketed as being flushable, this is misleading. Certain companies, like Pental, have gotten in trouble for this sort of misleading advertising and in fact, that company was ordered to pay out $700,000 for trying to convince customers their products were flushable. The ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission) claimed Pental’s promotions and package design said they were made from special material that would disintegrate in the same way as toilet paper when flushed down drains – which customers soon found was not the case at their own expense.
No Toilet Paper & A Blocked Drain?
The amount of blocked drains we have dealt with over the last fortnight has been huge. If you are one of the people purchasing a lot of toilet paper, please stopas suppliers are saying there will be no shortages. There is no doubt that the large number of drains we’ve had to unblock recently is due to an influx of people using un-flushable items like wet wipes. The damage these can cause to your drainage infrastructure could potentially cost thousands to repair. No matter what it says on the packet, wet wipes and similar items take a long time to disintegrate and can easily get stuck in your pipes. If you already have issues like a broken pipe or intruding tree roots, these items can worsen and cause major blockages.
Thinking of Flushing Wet Wipes or Anything Else Besides Toilet Paper? Don’t do it!
If you’ve already made this mistake by flushing any of the above items and you have a blockage, call up the professionals at Hughes Plumbing Contractors immediately to avoid potential health issues. We offer a full range of blocked drains services in Caboolture, Elimbah, Morayfield and surrounding suburbs. With over 40 years of combined experience and a team of licensed and qualified technicians, Hughes Plumbing Contractors are your new best friend when your drains are blocked!
If you’re you have blockages at your home or business or need a hand with any other plumbing issues, please call us on 0406 288 142. We can deal with all kinds of plumbing emergencies including blocked drains, burst pipes, leaking taps, hot water systems, renovations and gas fitting.
