The toilet
Only human waste and toilet paper belong in a toilet. Everything else, even items labelled flushable, risks a clog in your lateral or at the municipal treatment plant.
- Wipes of any kind, including those marketed as flushable.
- Paper towels and facial tissues, which do not break down like toilet paper.
- Feminine hygiene products.
- Dental floss, which tangles into nets.
- Cotton swabs and cotton balls.
- Cat litter, even types sold as flushable.
- Old pills and liquids, which pharmacies take back.
The kitchen sink
- Fats, oils and grease, which solidify in the pipe as they cool.
- Coffee grounds, which settle into a sludge.
- Eggshells, which turn to grit.
- Rice and pasta, which swell.
- Fibrous peels such as potato, celery and onion skins, especially through a disposal.
- Bones and fruit pits.
Let fat set in a tin and bin it, or follow Durham Region's guidance for disposing of cooking oil. Wipe pans with paper towel before washing.
Other drains
Paint, solvents and motor oil should never go down any drain. Take them to a Durham Region waste management facility that accepts household hazardous waste. Laundry lint traps should be cleaned, and a mesh lint catcher on the laundry tub discharge helps.
Why it matters
A blocked lateral can push sewage back into the basement. The municipal system also spends money clearing clogs and fixing pumps fouled by wipes and grease.
If something did go down that should not have, see drain cleaning or kitchen drain cleaning.