Down It Goes: How to Prevent Toilet Clogging?

Living on your own rarely proves as exciting as most people imagine it. Sure, you get to do everything you couldn’t do at your parents’, and you could have all the parties you want. But adulthood is understanding that after those parties you have to clean up. The responsibilities that come with living on your own can be a bit overwhelming, from cleaning to fixing anything going haywire. The experience is definitely worth it, but you should be prepared for the fact that it is not always sunshine and rainbows. The best thing to do is to try and prevent problems before they happen. You need to do that particularly with plumbing in your home because those are the worst problems you could ever face.

Here’s how you can prevent toilet clogging, because what could be more terrifying than waking up to a flooded home?

Be Careful What You Flush in There

At the risk of stating the obvious, you need to be extremely careful what you flush down toilets. They were designed to flush human waste, and anything else can and probably will cause problems. You’re probably wondering now about toilet paper. Yes, you can flush them, but that can be problematic if you used too much. This could easily clog the entire toilet. Children, in particular, seem to use too much toilet paper, so you need to control how much they use. Or just dispose of toilet paper in plastic bags, which is much safer. Even better, get a bidet! Needless to say, anything else can be disastrous, from feminine products to food leftovers –– yes, some people actually pour grease and oil down the toilet.

Regularly Clean Them

The problem with clogs is you might not always detect them, not until it is too late anyway and your bathroom is flooded. This is why it is crucial that you regularly clean your toilets. Use soap, baking soda, or any mild cleaners to clean toilets and the area around them. That way, if there is water on the bathroom floor, you would know if it is a leak due to a clog. Regularly cleaning your bathroom is probably the best way to detect plumbing problems in it. It doesn’t hurt that you get a clean, nice-smelling bathroom, too.

Act Quickly

When it comes to toilet clogs, the most important thing is to act quickly and handle the problem as soon as it manifests. If you noticed that the water isn’t flushing properly, or if it is taking too long, use a plunger a couple of times and see if the problem resolves. If it doesn’t, reach out to a plumber immediately. As explained by the plumbing specialists at All Service Plumbers, the faster you solve the problem, the less damage it can cause to your bathroom or even to your home. You can find plumbers working 24/7, which definitely helps if you faced a midnight problem with a clogged toilet. Generally speaking, not just for clogs, address any problems with your toilets as soon as possible. If you have a leaky toilet one day and ignored it, it might flood your house in a few days while you’re asleep.

Toilet Seat Always Down

It is good practice to always keep the toilet seat covered when you are not using it. People often have a lot of things around in the bathroom, and even a small item flying and going down the drain could cause a clog. You probably will not want to try and fish it out yourself, because who would? So, you’d just flush the small item and hope for the best, which rarely ends well. This situation usually ends in a clog, which could’ve been easily avoided if you kept the seat down while brushing your teeth or putting on makeup. Children alone can throw all kinds of things in the toilet, so it’s best to keep it covered at all times.

Regular Inspections

It is always a good idea to have your entire plumbing network checked regularly, not just your toilets. Doing it once every few months can spare you a lot of trouble down the line, because early detection means the problem can be fixed and won’t be exacerbated. If you don’t want to call a plumber for such a regular check-up, you can do it yourself. Just make sure everything is working properly, without any leaks or clogs.

The smallest details matter if you want to avoid toilet clogging. You should check the kind of toilet paper you’re using because some brands can be really bad for your sewage line and could easily block it. So, pay attention to the small details; they make a difference.