Q&A about what sorts of waste, trash, personal items, chemicals or cleaners or meds would be better not flushed down the toilet and into a private septic system?

Page top photo: a home photography lab uses chemicals that should not simply be dumped down your home's sink or toilet.

Better Not to Flush into Toilet: FAQs

Q&A on Stuff which would be better not to flush down a toilet or into the septic system

These questions & answers about things that it's best not to flush down drains nor into toilets were posted originally

at BETTER NOT TO FLUSH - please be sure to take a look at that list of suggested things to keep out of toilets.

You'll read in the Q&A below that some things, especially in small amounts, even though unusual, are not likely to cause drain troubles while others (lint, cat litter) invite costly drain clog problems and where a private septic system is involved, may harm the health of necessary bacteria in the septic tank or drainfield.

Is it ok to flush fish scales down a sink drain?

Fish scales ok? On 2019-02-25 by Gord

by (mod) - fish scaled down the drain - residential use levels OK

Gord

At normal occasional residential usage levels a few fish scales flowing down a drain will not harm the septic tank.

Be careful that larger volumes of organic waste can of course clog a drain or trap.

Can I flush plastic-dissolving chemicals down my drains?

Can you put something in your septic to dissolve plastic when we cleaned our septic out it had plastic in it On 2018-05-17 by Brenda

by (mod) - No plastic dissolving chemicals: never down the drain

Watch out: No I wouldn't try that, any chemical that will dissolve plastic is likely to be highly toxic and risks contaminating the environment through your drain field.

Also you have to put such a high concentration that you would kill the bacteria in the tank.

Also you may dissolve plastic drain lines themselves.

All around it's a terrible idea. Little plastic in the bottom of septic tank isn't going to hurt anything.

OK to flush tuck pads into a septic system?

Can you flush tucks pads into a septic system On 2018-02-12 by Sharon

by (mod) - witch hazel down the drain?

The witch hazel content in tucks pads would not be in sufficient volume to be harmful to a septic tank,

but not those pads: you're flushing a non soluble material which I would not do. See our information about never flushing disposable diapers for example.

Will one tampon damage the septic system?

Will one tampon hurt ? On 2017-09-19 by Faith

by (mod) - one tapon won't ruin the septic

No, Faith, but over time many tampons may clog a drain line and they won't be processed in a septic tank - if they get that far.

It's better to avoid that.

Does shaving cream hurt the septic system?

Does shaving cream-that was dumped into the toilet-hurt a septic system? On 2017-07-1 by Dianne

by (mod) - no

No, Dianne, shaving cream isn't a worry for the septic system as long as we're talking about foam or soap and normal quantities.

Even if my granddaughter Quinn squirted an entire can of Barbasol into a toilet, perhaps as an experiment in what her dad would say, that's not going to thurt the septic tank nor drainfield. The volume of soap is so small as not to be a concern.

But flushing a cake of solid soap of any kind into a drain could clog the drain line.

Is it ok to dump a few bottles of beer down the drain

Can I empty 9 bottles of old beers down the drain On 2017-05-29 by Nancy

by (mod)

Yes, that will not be a problem.

How can liquid coffee or wine harm the septic system?

Could you explain how wine and coffee(not the grounds) can harm a septic system? On 2016-08-11 by Rob -

Repluy by (mod) - harmless at typical household levels, harmful in quantity

Rob,

I can't say a thing about how wine might harm a septic system - at least not at normal household disposal levels, as I'd expect that the occasional dumping of a partly-consumed bottle of wind down the drain won't have any measurable effect.

Excessive dumping of alcohol - if you are for example a brewery - into a septic tank could contain enough alcohol to kill off the tank bacteria.

Coffee grounds, at household usage levels, probably don't have a measurable effect on a septic tank either, at least not from a volume occupancy nor chemical view; but you are certainly risking clogged drains and a sewage backup if you keep sending coffee grounds down the drain.

Will denture adhesive harm the septic system if I rinse my teeth?

Is it OK to rinse your dentures that have "denture adhesive" on them? On 2015-10-24 by Roxanna Schmidtz

by (mod) - it's OK

Yes, Roxanna;

The volume of adhesive that would enter a septic tank from dentures is not enough to cause any harm.

Is it ok to flush dryer lint down the drain into a municipal sewer?

Is it OK to flush DRYER lint when you are on municipal services? Is the problem related to the functioning of a septic field or all toilets in general regardless of servicing. On 2015-03-23 by Carolynn Coolen

by (mod) - do NOT flush dryer lint down drains - clog risk

It would be best to put dryer lint into your trash, not your drains.

While small amounts of lint, say a inch or less in diameter are not likely to cause trouble in the municipal sewer itself, there remains a risk that you clog your building drains.

OPINION: And larger amounts of lint might add to clogging and functional issues for the muncipal sewer too.

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Continue reading  at BETTER NOT TO FLUSH or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• CHEMICALS & CLEANERS into the SEPTIC TANK?
• TOILETS, DON'T FLUSH LIST - home

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