Condoms, sanitary products, dental floss and cotton buds should never be flushed. They can clog your toilet and cause expensive damage.
Latex and polyurethane condoms are durable and don’t dissolve in water. They can stick to toilet pipes and pick up waste to create minor clogs.
Over time, these small clogs can build up to become big ones. They can even cause your septic tank to fail.
1. They stay in the water
Condoms are a form of birth control that can protect us from pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. They’re easy to use, widely available, and inexpensive. But many of us don’t think twice before we roll one off and throw it in the toilet.
Unfortunately, our flushable condoms don’t disappear when we do. Instead, they find their way into the plumbing pipes and septic system of our homes. This can lead to clogged pipes and expensive plumbing bills. And if you keep flushing condoms, the latex will eventually build up and clog your pipes even more.
Once your condom reaches your home’s septic tank, it won’t biodegrade, either. This means that it will remain in the tank for several years. During that time, it may be leaking into the environment and endangering aquatic life.
Eventually, your condom will reach the ocean. This is where it will continue to linger until it is eaten by unsuspecting marine animals. And as it breaks down, it will release microplastics and tiny metals into the water. These chemicals can threaten the health of humans and other aquatic animals who consume seafood.
The best way to dispose of your used condoms is to wrap them in toilet paper and throw them in the trash. This will help to avoid clogged pipes, environmental harm, and expensive plumbing costs. So remember: only flush the three P’s – pee, poop, and puke!
2. They clog the pipes
Condoms don’t break down like human feces or toilet paper, and they can get caught in the pipes or septic tank if you flush them. If this happens, they will likely need to be removed manually by a plumber, which isn’t an enjoyable or cheap process.
It’s also incredibly easy for them to get snagged in a pipe bend, intersection, or on any other object that is already stuck in the sewer pipes, causing a clog. It can be very embarrassing to have your plumber stick their arm down your toilet and pull out a whole jimmy hat.
Luckily, there’s an easy way to prevent this from happening — simply throw your condoms in the trash instead of flushing them. This will protect you from pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, as well as keep your plumbing and septic tank in good shape.
If you find yourself with a clogged toilet that’s caused by a condom, you can try to break down the latex barrier by pouring half a gallon of water and baking soda down the drain. This will help to dissolve the condom, and it will also make sure that your septic system or city’s sewer lines don’t become clogged as well. You can also try a toilet plunger, though it may not be as effective as using the baking soda and water mixture.
3. They clog the septic tank
Condoms are made of latex to prevent bodily fluids from escaping and cannot be easily flushed. They will cause a latex blockage in your toilet or septic tank which can lead to costly repairs. Repeatedly flushing condoms can also damage your septic system and the environment.
Condoms do not dissolve or soften in water which means that they will remain in your plumbing system and septic tank for years to come. They can also damage the septic tank’s outlet tee baffles and contribute to a sludge buildup. When you don’t dispose of your condoms properly, they can also end up in the environment and be ingested by wildlife.
While it’s easy to form a habit of flushing condoms, it isn’t good for your plumbing or the environment. You should always put them in the bin and never flush them. You’ll save yourself a lot of money on plumber bills and avoid the embarrassment of having to call a plumber out to unclog your toilet!
If you want to speed up the process of the latex condom degrading, place a half cup of yeast in your septic tank. This will help the condoms degrade faster and make it easier for them to enter your septic tank and drainfield. However, this method is not ideal because it can still lead to clogs in your home’s drainfield and septic tank.
4. They endanger wildlife
Condoms, whether natural latex or polyurethane, are non-biodegradable, so they will stay in the sewer system for years to come. They will pile up and clog the pipes and your septic tank, as well as interfere with the wastewater treatment system of your city. This can cause a mess and expensive repairs for your home, and may lead to sewage odors in your toilet. In the worst case, your used condoms can clog the entire city sewer system and create an enormous “fatberg.” These are a congealed mass of garbage and waste that clog pipes and need to be removed manually.
Most people don’t think about where their soiled condom ends up after they flush it, but they do end up in the environment. The sewage system can’t process condoms, so they will find their way to natural bodies of water around your city, such as rivers, lakes, and oceans. This can damage the wildlife that lives in these areas. Your soiled condom will choke or entangle animals that try to consume it or get caught up in it.
Despite the fact that most manufacturers have started producing biodegradable condoms, most still use additives that make it difficult for them to break down. They will remain in the water bodies for years, causing a variety of environmental problems for marine life. Eventually, this will even affect human beings who consume seafood.