The festive season in the UK is a time for celebration, guests, and unfortunately, a lot of rubbish. While we are all vigilant about what goes in the recycling bin vs. the general waste, standards often slip in the bathroom. The air is filled with the scent of pine needles and mulled wine, the sound of carols, and… the dreaded gurgle of a blocked toilet.
The holidays bring joy, family, guests, and a whole lot of extra strain on our homes- especially our plumbing. From the frantic clean-up after opening presents to guests who might not know your home’s “rules,” your drains are under pressure. That glittery wrapping paper and those festive “flushable” wipes can quickly turn Christmas cheer into plumbing fear.
For Plumbers 365, the days immediately following Christmas and New Year are our busiest of the year. The culprit? It is rarely a structural failure. It’s usually an innocent mistake, be it a guest trying to dispose of “flushable” wipes, cotton pads, or even wrapping paper down the loo. Our drainage experts at Plumbers 365 have compiled a guide for you on what never to flush, and how to save your drains from a glittery, expensive disaster.
Plumbers 365 drainage experts advise that “Biodegradable” does not mean “flushable.” Wrapping paper, even the eco-friendly kind, is designed to be strong and durable. It doesn’t dissolve quickly in water like toilet paper does. Flushing it is like sending a tough, fibrous sheet down a pipe system designed for soft, dissolvable material. According to Plumbers 365 drainage experts, it will often snag, refuse to break down, and act as the perfect foundation for a major clog. Drainage experts at Plumbers 365 ask of you to put all wrapping paper, no matter the type, in the recycling bin.
Plumbers 365 drainage experts are of the opinion that glitter is a microplastic that acts like grit; it sticks to pipe walls and contributes to “fatbergs” in the main sewer. The reason being that glitter is essentially tiny shards of plastic or metal. It does not dissolve. When you wash glittery makeup off in the sink or flush glittery bath bombs, those particles settle in the nooks and crannies of your pipes.
According to drainage experts at Plumbers 365, glitter binds with fats and oils (grease) in the sewers. It acts as a binding agent, turning soft grease into a concrete-hard mass known as a fatberg. It’s bad for your home and terrible for the UK’s water environment.
Plumbers 365 drainage experts warn about glitter since:
According to drainage experts at Plumbers 365, a single wet wipe might make it through a perfectly modern and clean drainage system. But it’s a huge gamble. Think of it as the “seed” for a future blockage. Plumbers 365 experts have often observed that one might get away with it once. But wet wipes are the number one enemy of UK drains. Unlike tissue, they are made of woven fibres (often containing plastic) designed to stay strong when wet. A single wipe can easily catch on a rough edge in an older pipe or snag on a small build-up of grease as often seen by drainage experts at Plumbers 365. Once snagged, it acts like a net, catching everything else that comes its way until you have a full-blown blockage.
According to drainage experts at Plumbers 365 if you suspect a simple paper clog, resist the urge to reach for harsh chemical drain cleaners, as they can damage pipes and are bad for the environment. An expert approved safer DIY to try is:
According to drainage experts at Plumbers 365, if you experience your toilet backing up, then you should be prepared to face the consequences of a cumulative effect. Your drainage system has just been through its busiest time of the year. The blockage you’re seeing now likely started building days or weeks ago. Plumbers 365 drainage experts term it as “Capacity Overload.” More guests mean more flushing, putting stress on older drains that were already partially restricted. As often seen by drainage experts at Plumbers 365 your drains might have had a 20% restriction (scale or roots) all year without you noticing. Then, you have 6 guests staying for Christmas. The water usage triples. The drains simply cannot clear the water fast enough to cope with the increased volume.
This is often the “straw that broke the camel’s back,” turning a slow drain into a backed-up drain.
Drainage experts at Plumbers 365 advise against flushing cotton wool pads used for removing makeup because cotton expands when wet and does not break down. Cotton wool is designed to be highly absorbent and to hold its shape when wet. When flushed, it doesn’t break down as often seen by drainage experts at Plumbers 365. Instead, it swells up with water, turning into a dense clump that is perfect for starting a blockage. Drainage experts at Plumbers 365 advise that you always dispose of cotton wool pads and balls in a bin.
Plumbers 365 drainage experts advise against it. While they may pass the “Fine to Flush” test, they still take significantly longer to break down than dry paper. The vast majority of so-called “flushable” wipes do not break down quickly enough and are a leading cause of major blockages and “fatbergs” in the UK’s sewer system. Plumbers 365 drainage experts have often seen that very few products actually meet the UK water industry’s “Fine to Flush” certification. As per drainage experts at Plumbers 365 the safest and only rule for your home is to only flush the 3 Ps: Pee, Poo, and (toilet) Paper.
Plumbers 365 drainage experts often come across a child’s toy or a deodorant cap having taken a dive which warrants quick action. Plumbers 365 drainage experts advise that if a child has flushed a toy, or a guest flushed a plastic holder:
According to drainage experts at Plumbers 365 it’s more about quantity than quality. But Plumbers 365 drainage experts have often observed that 3-ply or 4-ply “luxury” quilted paper is much harder to flush and dissolve. While ultra-plush, thick toilet paper takes longer to dissolve than the thin, budget-friendly kind, a modern toilet and clean pipes can usually handle it. The real problem is using too much of it. Wadding up a huge amount of any type of toilet paper is a recipe for a clog as often seen by drainage experts at Plumbers 365.
