3 Tips for Preventing a Toilet Clog

Few things are as unpleasant to deal with as a clogged toilet, yet it's a common occurrence. Thankfully, there are some proactive steps you can take to prevent toilet clogs before they occur. Use these three tips to keep your toilets working well at all times.

1. Know What You Can and Can't Flush

The only things that you should flush down a toilet are human waste and toilet paper. Diapers, feminine hygiene products, baby wipes, dental floss and paper towels can all cause clogs. Provide bins close to the toilets so people can throw these products away, rather than flush them. Educate everyone who uses the toilets in your building about what they can and can't flush. If necessary, hang signs in the bathrooms to remind people not to flush items that are likely to cause blockage.

2. Keep Items Away From Toilets

Avoid stacking items such as spare toilet rolls, toiletries, feminine hygiene products and ornaments on top of the toilet tank. It's far too easy for people to accidentally knock these items into the toilet, in which case many people will try to flush the item away rather than reaching into the toilet bowl to fish it out. Keep the top of your toilet tank clear so nothing ends up falling into the bowl.

3. Look Out for the Early Signs of a Clog and Take Action to Prevent It

If your toilet is draining slowly or the bowl is filling up very high during the flush, a clog could be heading your way in the near future. Rather than waiting until your toilet completely stops working, necessitating a call to an emergency plumber, use a plunger to clear any blockage in the pipe. Select a plunger that has a long neck, not the flat style of plunger that you would you to plunge a sink. Place the plunger into the toilet water so that it forms a seal with the hole and then vigorously pump up and down to clear the blockage.

Prevention is Better Than Treatment

Most toilet clogs are relatively simple problems that a skilled plumber can solve quickly and easily. However, the effects of dirty toilet water spilling over your floor can damage the flooring and leave a bad smell that lingers after the plumbing problem has been fixed. Therefore, it's always better to prevent a toilet clog than to fix it after it occurs.