Nobody likes a blocked toilet. If you want to keep your toilet system running smoothly, there are certain things that you should never flush. Many people don't realise the dangers of flushing certain things down the toilet. Even small items can cause large blockages that could end up being very costly to repair.

If you want to ensure your toilet remains clog-free and if you want to avoid forking out on the cost of unblocking a toilet, take a look at our list of 10 things you should never flush down the loo below.

Baby Wipes

It’s very important not to flush baby wipes down the toilet. Some baby wipes claim that they are flushable. However, you should still avoid flushing any type of baby wipe down the toilet.

Baby wipes are one of the most common causes of toilet clogs. With this in mind, you should always throw these in the bin rather than into the loo. Even the toilet wipes that claim to be flushable don't disintegrate in the same way toilet paper does. Wipes can collect over time and eventually cause some major plumbing issues.

Cotton Pads, Q-Tips and Other Small Cotton Products

Cotton buds, cotton balls and cotton pads are most certainly not safe to flush down the toilet. These products don't break down in the water in the same way that toilet paper does.

When you flush these types of cotton products, all they do is collect in your pipes. Over time, the collection will grow and start to cause blockages that can be costly to repair down the line.

Menstrual Pads or Tampons

This comes as a shock to a lot of people. However, menstrual products such as pads and tampons are never supposed to be flushed down the toilet.

These products are designed to absorb liquid rather than breaking down in liquids. This means that, when you flush them, they will expand and collect in your toilet pipes, leading to blockages eventually.

Nappies

Nappies are very similar to sanitary products as they are also designed to absorb liquids rather than disintegrate. Nappies also tend to be quite bulky, so they will more than likely get stuck in your pipe quite easily.

When a nappy becomes blocked in your toilet pipe, this can lead to some costly damage to your system. Instead, you should dispose of all of your used nappies in the rubbish bin.

Paper Towels and Tissues

You may think that paper towels and tissues are just the same as normal toilet paper. However, they aren’t made up of the same type of material as toilet tissues.

Paper towels and tissues are not designed to break down in the same way that toilet paper does. If you find that you need to use paper towels instead of toilet roll, it’s important to avoid putting them in the toilet. These should be disposed of in the bin instead.

Cat Litter

Some brands of cat litter claim that you can flush them. However, the majority of toilets don’t use enough water or have enough of a flow to move the litter along properly through your pipes. Even if a brand of cat litter does claim to be flushable, you should avoid ever flushing it down your toilet.

Cat litter simply adds more things to your toilet water, making it much harder to purify. You should also avoid flushing cat waste from the litter box down your toilet. This is because the litter in the litter tray dehydrates your cat’s waste. Toilets are only designed to flush water-soluble waste, so your cat’s waste won’t flush down your loo properly.

Hair

When you flush hair down your toilet, it collects in a sort of net shape in your pipes and can get caught on the way down. This means that it will catch and hold onto any other debris that is flushed down the loo.

Hair also never dissolves, so this means it creates a much higher risk of clogging up your toilet and drain system.

Cooking Oil and Grease

You've probably heard that you should never put cooking oil down your drain. Well, the same goes for the toilet. You should never flush cooking oils or grease down your loo.

When cooking oils and grease cool down, they congeal, which makes them much thicker. This can lead to the risk of clogging your toilet pipes.

Food

It may surprise you that you can't flush food down your toilet as human waste is basically just bits of broken-down food. However, when you flush food that hasn't been digested down your toilet, it can cause many problems with your plumbing.

Food is biodegradable and will end up breaking down eventually. However, it can cause a temporary clog in your toilet, which may deem your toilet out of use until the food degrades. Plus, it can cause some terrible smells in the process. This isn't something you want to happen, particularly if you rely on just one main toilet in the home.

Bleach

This may be the most surprising item on our list of things you should never flush down a toilet. Most people are used to cleaning with bleach and may use bleach to clean the toilet regularly.

However, you may be surprised to learn that bleach is too harsh of a chemical for your toilet system to handle. Instead of reaching for the bleach to clean out your toilet stains, consider using an antibacterial solution or vinegar, as these substances won't cause any problems in your plumbing system.