The lockdowns of early 2020 led to the widespread buying of many items — toilet paper being among the most purchased. Stores sold out everywhere (both brick-and-mortar stores and online), and had to put limits on how much customers could buy when new inventory arrived.

Many people who now struggled to find toilet paper looked to alternatives — desperately searching the web to see if various toilet paper alternatives were toilet-safe.

It’s tough to find an answer online nowadays with so much conflicting information, though. Some people resigned to using toilet paper alternatives anyways. As long as the toilet didn’t break when they flushed the alternatives down, then things should be fine, right?

Not exactly. Keep reading to learn the facts about toilet paper alternatives.

Are Flushable Wipes Safe?

Flushable wipes manufacturers show evidence of their wipes being safe for your plumbing system. They state that the products are biodegradable, and will thus decompose.

That may be true, but some evidence shows that these wipes simply don’t degrade fast enough. They mix with other items flushed down the toilet and cause clogs.

So although flushable wipes are excellent for a variety of situations — such as potty training your child — it might be best to seek an alternative disposal method.

Keep These Things Out of Your Toilet

Sometimes, it's tempting to flush certain items instead of throwing them in the trash. That way, you can wait longer before taking out the trash.

But you should avoid doing so. Numerous items — even very small ones — can cause expensive damage to your plumbing over time. Don’t flush the following down the toilet:

• Coffee grounds

• Cotton balls

• Dental floss

• Diapers (cloth, disposable, even “flushable” diapers)

• Eggshells

• Facial tissues

• Fats, oils, and greases

• Hair

• Napkins (paper or cloth)

• Nut shells

• Paper towels

• Plastic

• Q-tips

• Sanitary napkins, tampons, condoms, or any non-organic material

• Toilet bowl scrub pads

• Vitamins, medicines, or other pharmaceuticals

• Wipes (baby wipes, disinfectant wipes, moist wipes, etc.)

Sometimes, these things make their way into the toilet by accident and cause a clog. In that case, you may want to call a plumbing professional to unclog your toilet and get things back to normal.

Toilet Paper Alternatives That Work

One alternative that’s safe (for yourself and your toilet) and clean is a bidet. This is a little device mounted in your toilet that sprays water to clean you up after using the bathroom. These were invented as far back as the 1700s and are now widespread in places like Europe and Asia.

Bidets cost a few hundred dollars up front. However, you’ll never have to worry about toilet paper again. You’ll save thousands on toilet paper over your life — but more importantly, if the stores ever run out again, you’ll be fine.

If you’ve run into any toilet clogs — whether from flushing items down the toilet or not — Barner Murphy is happy to help. Call us today to get your toilet fixed!