Can you flush hair down the toilet? It is never a good idea to flush hair down the toilet. Hair can clog plumbing and cause pipes to fill up with water. Just imagine if you accidentally flushed your hair while taking a shower! If you find yourself with a clogged or overflowing sink, don’t just shrug it off and hope for the best.
You can do several things to resolve this issue without putting your life in danger and spending an arm and a leg on repairs. First, you can look at the hair and what it can do to your home. Hair is made of dead skin cells. Hair flushing down the toilet is like taking those dead skin cells and depositing them in your home’s plumbing system.
When you flush a clog, hair is sucked down with the water, creates a vacuum around it, and pulls itself out of the drain line through your pipes. Once that hair makes its way into your home’s plumbing system, it can take days or weeks to remove in large enough quantities to produce a noticeable problem.
If you have a significant enough hair clog, it can get stuck in the pipeline without being removed. When this happens, you will have to call a plumber to clear it out or see severe damage done to your home. When hair gets caught in your drains due to a drain backup, it causes plumbing issues that can cause damage to your pipes. Your drains will overflow, causing flooding in your house, similar to why you might have flooding after having a toilet choke.
Hair caught in your plumbing system can cause water damage due to leaks and overflows. Most people don’t think there is a problem if their pipes still seem to be working fine, but you never know what could be causing the issue. When hair builds up in your drains and pipes, it can cause those same issues you would have with a clogged toilet or overflowing pipes. After a long day at work, water damage is not something you want or need.
If you tend to get lots of tangles in your hair while showering or washing, use an anti-tangle shampoo like Pantene Pro-V Sheer Volume Antitangle Shampoo before washing. That will help you keep clumps of hair from getting trapped in the drain and causing problems.
It’s a good idea to comb the hair on your head before showering to ensure no stray hairs are tangled or trapped beneath your head covering. Be sure to get the hair on your head, the neckline, and behind your ears. Comb wet hair with a wide-tooth comb to ensure you don’t snag any hairs while combing. That will reduce tangles in your hair and keep it flowing easily down the drain when you’re done showering.
If you have long hair or keep your hair long, consider buying a shower cap. Use the shower cap to cover your hair before taking a shower. This will help keep moisture from building up in your hair and causing problems as it builds up in your drain.
A couple of times a week, take that time and wipe out the drain so that it doesn’t get clogged with the leftover shampoo, conditioner, and any hair products you use regularly. If you use products like foams or gels to style your hair, squeeze them into the tub to avoid problems with clogs and buildup.
The entire bottle of shampoo and conditioner you just purchased will not go down the drain if you don’t take care of it. Don’t leave it in the shower and forget about it. Instead, shake off the excess water from your hair, work up a lather in your hands, then separate the shampoo and water before leaving it on the counter. This will help prevent any buildup down your drain.
If you’re taking a shower at night, take a few minutes to clean out your tub drain to ensure there’s no hair or soap buildup in there. If you leave your water on for a few minutes, it will drain out the dirt and hair that accumulated in your tub drain during the day.
Many charities accept your old hair for a good cause. Consider donating it first if you’re thinking about shaving your head or cutting it short. You can donate your hair through select salons and hospitals or visit their website to find a participating salon near you. Other charities will use your old hair to make blankets, dog/cat beds, and decorative items. Check with your local hospital or beauty shop for other charities that accept donated hair.
Although these items don’t break down easily, they should still be disposed of according to your municipality’s rules or recommendations. If you’re unsure whether an item goes into the garbage or toilet, check with other residents or look it up online to determine what is acceptable before you flush.
Although plastic bags are a great way to store food and other items easily, this is not one of the items you should flush away. It breaks down into tiny particles that can be difficult to remove from the pipes. Instead, if you have some plastic bags that are still good, put them in a bag or bin to ensure they don’t clog up your pipes.
This includes pet poop and vomit, which will continue to smell no matter how often you clean it up. Instead, find a nearby park or place where you can dispose of the waste properly.
Hair is a common cause of toilet choke and household plumbing problems. Now, if you have one hair and it’s a loose hair that would usually go down the drain with nothing more than a quick rinse, you don’t have to worry about it. But if your tub drain is clogged with hair or if you are clogging your sink or shower drain, take time to clean and de-clog those drains to keep them in good condition.