Many people mistakenly use their toilet like another trash can. They throw things in the bowl and flush, never thinking about what the repercussions of constantly misusing the toilet can cause. The truth is your toilet and your kitchen sink aren’t much different at the end of the day. Both end up leading out to the same place – your septic tank.

Here are the top 5 things people mistakenly flush down their toilets and ultimately damage their septic tanks…

Paper Towels

While most people don’t usually keep paper towels in the bathroom, it’s not uncommon to clean or wipe down counters with a paper towel. Or maybe you just happened to have one in your hand and walked into the bathroom. Paper towels are much denser and more absorbent than toilet paper and, as a result, can wad up and clog your plumbing.

Tissues

Like the paper towels mentioned above, tissues can cause similar issues. While much softer and more similar in composition to toilet paper, tissues are not designed to break down the same way. This misconception can often lead to an abundance of tissues being thrown into a toilet, and over time, can be harmful to your plumbing

Cosmetic/Baby Wipes

These can be tricky. Only a very few amount of these products are designed to be flushable, but others are not. This can cause problems as flushing the wrong ones can back up a system very quickly.

Hair

Hair is another one that catches people off guard. Although it is organic, it can clump up quickly and wreak havoc on your plumbing. Whenever possible, you should avoid as much hair as you can from going down your drain.

While these are some of the more common things that end up down a toilet, they are by no means the whole list. There are tons of things that end up getting flushed regularly, but only a handful of things are supposed to be in your toilet. Remember to reach out to a professional if you have any questions or plumbing issues, as little things can often turn into big ones quickly.