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Posting Bathroom Rules When You Have a Septic System?


Bronze Post Medal for All Time! 170 Posts

Does anyone have a cute saying about the "rules" pertaining to using the toilet in a household that has a septic system? I would like to post it in the bathroom. I really don't want to explain to everyone that visits us what not to deposit in the toilet.

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Recently we had a problem with our septic system due to someone flushing a feminine product down the toilet. I don't think many people are aware of the fact that when you have a septic system in your home that the only thing that can be flushed is toilet paper besides what Mother Nature requires us to do.

Tissues, condoms, and feminine products may cause pipes to clog which can be expensive to repair. I think even if you have public sewers, only toilet paper should be flushed. Thanks for any ideas.

"Mike"

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By Cheryl from Missouri (Guest Post)
June 24, 20050 found this helpful

"The toilet is not a trash can."

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By sandy (Guest Post)
June 24, 20050 found this helpful

funny i thought it would be automatic whether or not you have a septic tank that people would not flush feminine products.
there is a saying in office bathrooms "if you sprinkle when you tinkle be a ssweetie and wipe the seetie."

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maybe you could just print up a sign that says. soemthing like unless it used to be food or is toilet paper dont flush it.
good luck

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By Edie (Guest Post)
June 26, 20050 found this helpful

If it's yellow, let it mellow
It it's brown, flush it down!

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By Steph (Guest Post)
June 27, 20050 found this helpful

I really don't want to sound gross or ignorant, but how else are you supposed to dispose of feminine products. Not pads of course, but tampons.

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June 27, 20050 found this helpful

I was wondering the same thing about tampons... I've always disposed of them in the toilet, even when I had a septic system. Never had a problem.

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Bronze Post Medal for All Time! 170 Posts
June 27, 20050 found this helpful

To dispose of tampons, keep plastic bags available in the bathroom, wrap in toilet paper then throw into trash. This is how my daughter handles it, if anyone has another idea, please let me know. I keep feminine products in a covered decorative basket marked "For Girls Only" for that "time". Every septic system in our area varies, depending on the soil saturation on their property.

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Some have a piping system in them, like ours. That is where the clog can occur. We didn't get to choose the system, the inspector makes that decision before the house is built. At least that's the way it is in our area.

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By Samantha (Guest Post)
February 17, 20060 found this helpful

Regardless of what kind of system, or where you are, feminine products should be discreetly wrapped in tp and THROWN AWAY--trash can, not toilet! Think of the signs in all the public restrooms. A pink can with a lid is great if you have a lot of female guests you're not comfortable speaking about 'certain things' with.

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By imaqt1962 (Guest Post)
February 17, 20060 found this helpful

i use old toilet paper rolls to stuff mine in.no one sees what is inside and just thinks it is an empty roll in the trash
isn't funny how we women have no trouble talking about personal things like this to a total stranger?

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By melissa (Guest Post)
September 17, 20060 found this helpful

on any box of tampx will say to flush them

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By Joyce (Guest Post)
January 23, 20070 found this helpful

I agree to put none of the following in the septic system: excessive amounts of any household chemicals, coffee grounds, cooking fats, grease, wet-strength towels, disposable diapers, facial tissues, cigarette butts, dental floss, diapers, tampons, condoms, and other non-decomposable materials, cigarette waste.

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I agree to use the toilet tissue provided.

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By Smart woman (Guest Post)
March 1, 20070 found this helpful

It does not say they are flushable on the box. It says the applicator is flushable. Not only are they not flushable they are a huge problem as they expand to huge sizes and clog up a variety of pipes and sewer lines. They have to be disposed of at water treatment plants too. The proper thing to write is "Please only deposit toilet paper in the toilet". That way no one will throw a condom or other things in the toilet. To woman who don't know- wrap your tampons in a piece of toilet paper and throw it in the trash. It's just not stupid its not environmental to flush them.

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By Soon to visit a house with a septic tank (Guest Post)
December 11, 20070 found this helpful

Wouldn't the trash can start to smell if you keeping throwing used bloody tampons away in there? I mean yuk! What if the host doesn't clean it that often? It's a pretty awkward situation for a guest who's used the a city sewage system where you can flush tampons.

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Editor's Note: Actually tampons really mess up city sewage systems, too and are responsible for a lot of clogged home systems. Just ask a plumber. You can carry a plastic garbage bag with you and keep your used sanitary items in that, then make sure it gets thrown out before you leave.

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By PIPPA (Guest Post)
January 1, 20080 found this helpful

CAN ANYONE TELL ME IF THERE IS A SMALL SIGN AVAILABLE, STATING THAT YOU CANNOT FLUSH SANITARY ITEMS OR SOMETHING TO THIS EFFECT.

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By bethany (Guest Post)
March 3, 20080 found this helpful

The one in our house says: "Please!...Don't throw stuff into my bowl,
Be a good sport, and shoot for the goal!"
((we've got a basketball hoop-looking trash can to go with it.))

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=)

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By Karly (Guest Post)
June 27, 20080 found this helpful

Good grief! I thought common sense would tell anyone not to flush down tampons, etc.

How about this slogan:

Don't put trash in my toilet and I won't poop in your trash can.""

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Bronze Feedback Medal for All Time! 239 Feedbacks
June 27, 20080 found this helpful

We've had some pretty embarrassing happenings at our place when renters have flushed unflushables and the plumber has had to tell my husband and he's had me tell the wife of the renter...it just gets pretty stupid when you're shy like I am! I just thought everybody knew...now we have a sign that I printed and had framed and we put it close to the tissue roller in all our rentals. It says, "Please only flush toilet tissue. Anything else clogs the system and my cause you to be without a toilet for several days depending on when we can get a plumber." I never thought that maybe I should also include "natural" items on my list of flushables but with people as ignorant as they are maybe I should!!

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By Theresa (Guest Post)
July 16, 20080 found this helpful

Hey, I was just trying to locate something "cute" to put in our country bathroom for the same septic reasons. I couldn't find a thing. So, I made up my own. It's not great, but it works... I typed it on a publisher program, added an outhouse clip art and used cute type print, postcard size cardstock paper and put it in a little frame. Bathroom Rules:
In the woods, our toiletry is sensitive to all of thee, except the obvious necessity! Then I added, Flush ONLY the toilet paper provided, nothing else please. Thank you!

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August 11, 20080 found this helpful

K.I.S.S.

I found a sign at the hardware store that says it all...

NO DUMPING - in bright orange and black letters!

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By Anna (Guest Post)
September 5, 20080 found this helpful

You shouldn't flush anything you haven't eaten or wouldn't eat.

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By Flushy (Guest Post)
October 29, 20080 found this helpful

How about "We use a septic system - please do not flush any products other than toilet paper."

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By Cathy S (Guest Post)
February 5, 20090 found this helpful

We have septic and were advised to only use Scott toilet paper as it is the only brand available to us that dissolves properly for septic systems. Since it is such a serious issue...wait - that would rhyme...How about: " Clogging our septic is a serious issue, so PLEASE flush ONLY toilet tissue!" Make a little collage or decoupage with magazine pictures oftampax, condoms ( THAT will grab attention ) and circle them in red with a red line through - DONT FLUSH. lol That MIGHT work!

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By Rathravenlady (Guest Post)
February 8, 20090 found this helpful

I found this poem: "Those of us with septic tanks, Would like to give a word of thanks, For putting nothing in the pot, that isn't guaranteed to rot. Kleenex is bad, cigarettes too, Feminine products are taboo, No hair combings please - use the basket. There's a very good reason why we ask it.
With your kind cooperation
We'll keep our tank in operation!"

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Bronze Feedback Medal for All Time! 138 Feedbacks
February 8, 20090 found this helpful

Problem with the cute saying is that they are not specific enough. Spell it out--flush toilet paper ONLY.

How do you dispose of tampons, used baby wipes, condoms? We put them in small plastic sandwich bags and put those into the bathroom wastebasket (lined with a plastic bag and emptied daily or more often if necessary).

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By Reluctant Amateur Plumber (Guest Post)
February 15, 20090 found this helpful

Believe me, I never understood that those signs meant no feminine products until our pipes started to clog. Now I have a laminated card that states, 'Please don't flush any feminine products (tampons). Old pipes will clog. Thank you!" We have a bag full of opaque plastic bags (such as dog poop bags) hung on the toilet. Unless it's spelled out specifically, people assume tampons are similar to toilet paper and will flush. Bags are a necessity in our bathroom because of esthetic concerns and our dog!

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February 2, 20100 found this helpful

"If it is yellow let it mellow, if it is brown flush it down"

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December 28, 20130 found this helpful

Ok, this answer is a bit late but in case anyone is reading- do not just say "feminine products" or some other polite- but vague-thing! I grew up in the country with septic systems and for 20 years I saw these signs and heard people say not to flush "tampons" (again, not specific enough) and assumed they just meant not to flush the applicator for plastic tampons or pads or some other non-flushable thing. The tampon box promises "flushable" with no mention of a septic system exemption.

Unless you are specific - I think others will make the same assumption. I have a PhD in a hard science so I have at least average intelligence and common sense about this type of thing.

Say "Do not flush anything other than toilet paper down toilet. Do not flush applicators or tampons - even though they claim to be 'flushable' down this toilet. This is a septic system and the absorbent part of the tampon damages the system- see [www.insert authoritative link here.com]".

I promise you, unless you write something very specific (that you mean the absorbent part of the tampon that goes inside not just the applicator) and maybe even back it up with some authority, people will trust the Tampax company, P&G, whatever - over your little bathroom sign.

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January 19, 20140 found this helpful

Does anyone have an idea on how to approach this with a young, and easily embarrassed daughter? I'm not usually coy about things like this but it might be received better. I've got 6 boys too, and none if us knew of any real issue till now. I always thought biodegradable and flushable meant "you can put it down the toilet" guess I was wrong. It seams really quite gross to me too, maybe there's another, cleaner alternative?

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July 1, 20140 found this helpful

Those of us with septic tanks,
would like to give a word of thanks,
for flushing only toilet tissue,
that ensures we have no issue!

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