5 Tips for Preventing Toilet Clogs

Realizing that your toilet isn’t flushing is probably one of the scariest feelings you can get in your house. The dreadful experience of dealing with a clogged toilet once can forever affect the decisions you make in the bathroom.

Toilet clogs don’t happen out of nowhere, there was something flushed that got stuck. Instead of having to go through drain cleaning on a clogged toilet, use these tips to prevent one from ever happening, so your bathroom is always fresh and in working order.

Here are 5 tips for preventing toilet clogs:

Flush twice

Toilet paper is one of the causes of toilet clogs. Although toilet paper should dissolve once put in water, the process is not instant. Putting a lot of toilet paper can cause the dissolving process to take longer, and leaves the paper strong which can cling on to surfaces. Flushing twice is a good way to make sure that everything goes all the way down into the system and no clogs can start to build up.

Watch what you flush

A toilet is used to dispose whatever comes from your body; it is not to be used as a trash can. Avoid getting the following objects into the toilet:

Dental floss
Cotton balls, swabs or Q-tips
Baby wipes
Feminine hygiene products such as tampons, tampon applicators, and sanitary pads.
Hard objects that will not dissolve such as toys and crayons.
Stick-like objects
Small particles of food.
Avoid grease

Just like sinks and other drains, avoid putting grease in a toilet. The cold water hardens the grease into a solid state, which can start building up on the inner walls of the pipes and toilet. Grease deposits are a sure way to clog your toilet over time.

Get rid of roots and stumps

Tree roots and stumps are pipe killers. Leaving any root to grow is dangerous and can cause thousands of dollars in repair and damages. Pipes underground are perfect for roots as they are a good source of water and oxygen, especially if there are small leaks.

Roots tend to grow towards pipes and sewer lines and can penetrate cracks leaking water, leading to a full stoppage of flow inside the pipe. Use barriers and slow release chemicals to prevent roots from growing into your pipes and causing damage.