Let’s keep this simple.
The only things that go in the toilet are pee, poop, and toilet paper. That’s the list. If anything else is in there, it’s not supposed to be.
We already went over “flushable” wipes. Spoiler, they’re not. But wipes aren’t the only thing people treat the toilet like a garbage can for.
Your toilet is not Hungry Hungry Hippos
If you have little kids, you already know. Rubber ducks. Toy cars. Action figures. Somebody’s dinosaur. In they go, and then somebody flushes 16 times to see what happens.
What happens is a clog, and maybe a plumber pulling a Hot Wheels car out of your pipes.
If you have younger kids, I’d put a lock on the toilet. They’re cheap and they take a minute to put on.
And it’s not just about toys. The Consumer Product Safety Commission says toilets are an overlooked drowning hazard for young kids. The usual case is a child under 3 falling in headfirst. Their advice is to keep the lid down, keep little kids out of the bathroom when nobody’s watching, and think about a latch on the bathroom door up high where they can’t reach it.
So the lock does two jobs. It protects your pipes, and more importantly, it protects your kid.
Clean the bowl, leave the tank alone
Obviously you want to clean your toilet. That’s what the brush is for. Use whatever cleaner you like, but I’d go with something non-toxic, because you don’t want fumes hanging around in a small bathroom.
One big warning. Never mix cleaners, especially anything with bleach. The Washington State Department of Health says bleach mixed with ammonia, acids, or other cleaners can give off toxic gases. A lot of toilet bowl cleaners are acidic, so don’t pour bleach in on top of one. Pick one product and stick with it.
Then leave the tank alone. You only need to open it up if something’s actually wrong, like the flapper isn’t sealing or the chain came off. Otherwise, the lid stays on.
Stop putting those tablets in the tank
You know the ones. Drop it in the tank and every flush is blue, or it smells nice, or whatever they’re promising this week.
I’ve done it with past toilets. It’s the dumbest thing they market. It ate up the flapper.
Don’t take my word for it. Kohler, one of the biggest toilet makers out there, says right in its own homeowner guide that products with chlorine can seriously damage the parts inside the tank. And using any in-tank cleaner voids their warranty. Their words.
Same goes for the TikTok thing where people pour purple cleaner in the tank. I covered that in the wipes article. Your tank is supposed to have plain water in it. That’s it.
What should never go in the toilet
- Wipes of any kind, even the ones that say flushable
- Paper towels and tissues (they’re made to hold together when wet)
- Toys, obviously
- Cotton balls and Q-tips
- Dental floss
- Hair
- Grease and cooking oil
- Anything that isn’t pee, poop, or toilet paper
Keep a small trash can with a lid next to the toilet. Problem solved.
Bottom line
Your toilet has one job. Let it do that job. And if it ever overflows and won’t stop, know where your shutoff is before you need it.
Sources: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Preventing Child In-Home Drowning, Washington State Dept. of Health, Bleach Mixing Dangers, Kohler Homeowners Guide.