Things that should not go down the toilet and shower
A lot of people use the toilet as a waste bin. "Flush away your troubles."
Some people even believe that some of the items listed below should go down the toilet.
Many people do put the following items down the toilet, but none of them should go down there.
| Disposable nappies, liners and wipes | Nappies will block a pipe when they find a pipe which is narrower than it should be due to a buildup of FOG. Liners and wipes will stick to FOG and add to a buildup. |
| Razor blades;
Used syringes and needles |
Sewer workers have to work with raw sewage when there is a blockage or other problem. They don't want to be cut by your old razor blade covered in sewage. And it will definitely be bad if they are jabbed by your needle. |
| Sanitary towels, tampons and panty liners;
Condoms, incontinence pants, used plasters and bandages; Packaging, toilet roll tubes, contact lenses |
These are filtered out of the sewage, bagged, and taken to landfill. But, if there is a sewage spill, they can be washed into a stormwater drain and be found floating down a stream or river, to end up in the sea. |
| Cotton buds and backing strips | Backing strips are so thin they can get through the filters and get to the sea.
Cotton bud sticks are thin and stiff and they can block the filters. They can also get through them and get to the sea. Neither will decompose in the sea. |
| Medicines | Many medicines are designed to kill bacteria. These will also kill the useful bacteria that clean up the sewage. Don't put any medicines down the toilet. |
See our Toilet Rubbish flyer (98k pdf) for more information.
Next
Okay, that's what you don't do.
Click here for the Toilet and Shower Do's page to find out what you should do instead.
For more information, go to the Bathroom and Toilet page.
Click here for the Gully Trap Don'ts.