A year ago, I washed my clothes and poured the water into the toilet for reuse. After the last wash, when I just poured a bucket of water into the toilet, I realized that I had flushed my son’s t-shirt, and it was too late to take it.
It was small but enough to bring clog as I expected.
If you have ever experienced something like gum flush down the toilet or t-shirt, flush down the toilet accidentally. You are in the right place to know the result, and also I will help you get out the t-shirt from the toilet.
You can follow simple three hacks to take it out or leave the piece of cloth for the upcoming disaster.
For till stay with me.
What happens if a washcloth gets flushed down the toilet?
Believe it or not, this is a very common problem. Many homeowners accidentally flush small clothes or shirts down the toilet. And it either stuck there or went to the wastewater treatment.
Wastewater treatment plants around the country are struggling to deal with wet wipes, the latest “flushable” product that they claim isn’t. In fact, wet wipes are now clogging up sewer systems nationwide and costing millions to fix.
If you’re lucky, the shirt will end up in the septic tank and can be recovered and washed. This is because, unlike a sanitary sewer system, a septic tank is designed to contain sediments.
These include everything from toilet paper and fecal matter to heavily soiled garments and disposable baby diapers.
A septic tank works on the principle that solids sink to the bottom while liquids float.
Liquids are then removed by an opening that can be sucked into the soil.
If it is a cotton T-shirt, you’ll see the T-shirt will first turn into a pulp and eventually dissolve in water. And if it is a polyester or nylon T-shirt, you’ll see that the watercolor will change into greenish.
Or your toilet has suffered from a clogging issue.
What do you do if a T-shirt is flushed down the toilet?
So a big question ” what’s next if the t-shirt is stuck there or goes down to the septic tank”- Well.
You can do several things like No1. Immediately wear gloves and take out the shirt by our own hand… Yes, it seems very dirty, but when something big solid item flushes down, it presents the “S-trap” of the toilet.
So a quick action can retrieve the shirt.
No2.- You can use a wire hanger. It is a home hack. I mention several tricks like ” how to remove a solid object stuck the toilet bottom” and all.
Get a wire hanger ( obviously an old one)- Now bend it like a hook. Insert the hook part to the bottom part, find the shirt, and grab it from the toilet. It is quite time-consuming and needs patience. Alternatively, you can use a toilet auger.
No3. Using a toilet auger easy than a wire hanger. Just insert the drain opener and take the t-shirt out.
If none of the above work or you can’t find a shirt, use the plunger and plunge several times, so the shirt moves to the sewer line.
Also, you can use toilet clog remover ( Green Gobbler Bacterial Enzyme pack). However, it is not for the shirt but can help the decomposing process also the septic tank safe. You now understand how to remove the cloth from a toilet.
How about if you flush a T-shirt down the toilet?
The answer is, it depends. Cotton T-shirts will dissolve in water, while polyester or nylon T-shirts will be held in the sewage system.
So, when you flush a cotton T-shirt down the toilet, it will slowly dissolve in water and wash away. In contrast, when you flush a polyester or nylon T-shirt down the toilet, it will be caught in the sewage system and may cause a blockage.
To prevent this from taking place, you’re advised not to flush a T-shirt of any kind down the toilet.
What if you put your T-shirt in the laundry basket instead of flushing them down the toilet?
You have to wash your T-shirt before putting them in the laundry basket, as dirty clothes are prohibited from being put into the laundry basket.
In addition, if there is a blockage in the sewage system due to T-shirts being flushed down the toilet, you’ll have to bear the responsibility of clearing up the blockage.
Most importantly, there are many ways you can recycle your used T-shirts by means of donating them to charity or holding a T-shirt exchange party.
When you donate them, someone else who needs it will be able to wear them; and when you hold a T-shirt exchange party, your friends will be able to get new clothes without having to spend money.
If you want to buy new clothes without spending too much money, just recycle your old T-shirts!
Now that you know what happens if T-shirts flush down the toilet, does not flush them down the toilet again.
You can also recycle your old clothes by holding a T-shirt exchange party, donating them to charity, or selling them to second-hand clothing shops.
Other than that, try not to buy too many clothes to cut down on your carbon emission, because it takes time and energy to make new clothes.
Wrap up on T-Shirt Flush Down The Toilet
A well-maintained septic tank, pumped at least once every two years, is perfectly capable of handling these items.
However, if there are any doubts about this, the garment should be removed before flushing the toilet.
Solids remain behind at the bottom of the tank, where they are further decomposed by anaerobic bacteria.
· This process is supposed to be facilitated by the water-tight manhole, which allows solids to accumulate at the bottom of the tank.
However, not all solids are decomposed because they are too large or too dense to easily break down.
These include bricks, stones, plastic bags, and disposable diapers.
Other objects might also find their way into the septic tank through careless behavior such as allowing excess water, oil, or grease into the tank.
A major cause of septic system failure is allowing solids to collect in the manhole. If the manhole becomes blocked, it is necessary to pump out the tank.
Usually, this will mean digging up the access cover and using a high-pressure water hose to clean the manhole.
The fee of pumping out a septic tank is upwards of R- 2000.
Q1. Can cotton be flushed down the toilet?
People should not be flushing cotton products down the toilet, as it can cause problems with plumbing. Cotton products are generally made up of several layers of fibers that behave much differently when in a water environment.
The outermost layer is generally waterproof and may hold together even after passing through most home plumbing systems.
· This increases the chances that the cotton product will clog the system, especially if it encounters an area where flow is slow or stopped.
Plumbers do not advocate flushing any kind of waste down the toilet, especially if the drain goes to a septic system. Even though the volume is small, it can quickly plug up a septic system.
In addition, many of these items are not designed to break down in the water, and this will cause problems with the way the system works.
While paper products are easily broken down by bacteria found naturally occurring in the septic system, other materials (such as cotton) are not.
· One of the key reasons why this should not be flushed down is cotton toilets or drains.
In addition, people should not flush oil-based products down the drain as this will also clog the line.
Read More- How do you get a foreign object out of the toilet? I have a detailed post for it. Easy and simple process.
