"We all know by now that wet wipes should never be flushed down the toilet. But experts have revealed 11 other surprising items that could wreak havoc on your pipes. While many people trim their nails over the toilet, clippings are an absolutely no-no, according to the team at Rentokil Specialist Hygiene. Tampons, hair cuttings, and contact lenses should also be avoided - along with dead goldfish."
"'Any other items are unlikely to break down quickly or even naturally in water, including dead goldfish. 'Even small things such as nail clippings are solid, being primarily made of keratin, which is both tough and fibrous. 'Although nail clippings are technically biodegradable, they decompose very slowly and will take years, meaning they can easily combine with other waste like wet wipes, and period products to create a solid mass as they travel down pipework and into the sewer system.'"
A Rentokil Specialist Hygiene survey of 2,074 UK respondents found many people flush items that damage pipes. Nail clippings topped mistaken flushes at 35%, followed by paper towels (34%), hair cuttings (34%), deceased fish (26%), tampons (19%) and wet wipes (14%). Nail clippings decompose very slowly because they are mainly keratin and can combine with wipes and period products to form solid masses that travel down pipework and into sewers. Hidden plastics in many items contribute to persistent blockages, waterway pollution, and increased flooding risks during heavy rain.
Read at Mail Online
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