# To flush or not to flush... your tampons **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 29, 2010, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-flush-or-not-to-flush-your-tampons/551915 "2010-08-29T20:54:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Meester\_Tuff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@Meester\_Tuff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meester_Tuff)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2010, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-flush-or-not-to-flush-your-tampons/551915/1 "2010-08-29T20:54:21Z")
Do you flush your tampons? Growing up it was taboo to flush tampons in my house (but very not taboo for my father to articulate this loudly to my sister). My dad was concerned it would clog the septic tank (between my mom and my sister’s womenstruation). Recently my girlfriend and I talked about it. She is an avid flusher of tampons, very dedicated to the cause. She does not flush the applicator. She was taught it was rude and impolite to not flush tampons. So what are people’s opinions? Is my dad paranoid (beyond his usual norm)? Is my girlfriend a plug prude? ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2010, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-flush-or-not-to-flush-your-tampons/551915/2 "2010-08-29T20:57:55Z")
I was always taught that you don’t do it, but when I mentioned this to a friend, she told me I was dumb-- it says right on the instructions in the box that you can flush them. Well, I’ll be damned: she’s right. If I was in some super old house with super old plumbing, I wouldn’t. But I do in my house and newer places. ---
**Author:** ![nicole1912](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9de0a6/32.png) [@nicole1912](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nicole1912)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2010, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-flush-or-not-to-flush-your-tampons/551915/3 "2010-08-29T21:03:10Z")
When I used tampons, it never occurred to me not to flush them. It would have seemed kind of manky not to do so, if I’d ever thought about it. It wasn’t until a rant on here, in fact, that the idea of not-flushing them ever crossed my mind - I still think it’s kind of manky, though I understand intellectually that some old buildings with old plumbing would have issues with tampons. So, your dad might or might not have been paranoid, depending on the age of the plumbing in your house - but I think your girlfriend is right, generally speaking. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Accident](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Mr.Accident](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Accident)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2010, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-flush-or-not-to-flush-your-tampons/551915/4 "2010-08-29T21:12:06Z")
If you have a septic tank, or old cast iron pipes in your house, please don’t flush them. I don’t care what the package says, those things don’t degrade fast enough to keep from clogging up older systems. Other common flushable items I’ve had to snake out of pipes, and pull out of septic tanks include: Paper towels Q-tips baby wipes/sanitary wipes The head off those new “flushable” toilet brushes. The filters off of cigarettes. A good rule of thumb is, if you don’t have to flush it, don’t. Especially with the decaying infrastructure most American towns have these days. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2010, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-flush-or-not-to-flush-your-tampons/551915/5 "2010-08-29T21:17:47Z")
It says on the box to flush them. I never knew that people didn’t until some thread on the Dope - I mean, unless it was a place with very dodgy plumbing or something. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2010, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-flush-or-not-to-flush-your-tampons/551915/6 "2010-08-29T21:22:14Z")
Being a male, I’ve never had to flush a tampon. But I have friends who’ve had to clean womens bathrooms at various retail establishments and they rage at women who do this. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2010, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-flush-or-not-to-flush-your-tampons/551915/7 "2010-08-29T21:50:20Z")
There was a thread about this around six months ago or so. The packages that claim tampons and wipes are flushable are assuming you have new pipes. These products are made of non-dissolving cottton and rayon and other fibers. They don’t break down. If they were biodegradable, they’d dissolve in the box or inside of you. Tampons expand to ungodly proportions when they sit in water. They catch on rough edges of pipe connections. We’ve had to have plumbers out numerous times to clear out tampons caught on the edge of the pipe where the house line meets the sewer pipe. Now we have to have a small sign in the bathroom begging guests not to flush anything beside toilet paper. And since the sign went up, all has been good for over three years. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2010, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-flush-or-not-to-flush-your-tampons/551915/8 "2010-08-29T21:52:57Z")
We have a septic tank, so they get thrown out rather than flushed. ---
**Author:** ![alexandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e68b1a/32.png) [@alexandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alexandra)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2010, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-flush-or-not-to-flush-your-tampons/551915/9 "2010-08-29T21:55:03Z")
Nope, I don’t flush them. They can end up in the sea. Gross. A toilet isn’t a litter bin. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2010, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-flush-or-not-to-flush-your-tampons/551915/10 "2010-08-29T21:58:29Z")
I flush because I don’t use facilities at places on septic tanks (being a city dweller). But even if I did, I don’t know if I’d be real thrilled about throwing them away. There are few things grosser than a used tampon. At least with a used pad, you can easily use the wrapping from the “fresh” one to wrap it up with, and only one side is gross so you can handle the mess easier. But wrapping a tampon up in toliet paper? I can just see the goo just soaking through the paper. And then everything will stink. Also, I don’t know about other women, but sometimes mine will just slip-slide right out of me if I bear down just a little on the toilet (like if I have to poop). What am I supposed to do? Fish it out amist the turds and all the other horrible things in the nasty water? I’m not a germ phobe, but that’s a little too much for my brain to handle. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2010, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-flush-or-not-to-flush-your-tampons/551915/11 "2010-08-29T22:03:30Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > There are few things grosser than a used tampon. A used tampon sitting in a trash can with 20 other used tampons and pads all day in a public place. There is nothing worse than walking into a public bathroom and being overwhelmed with the smell of rotting period blood. Disgusting. ---
**Author:** ![MindsEye\_Watering](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindseye_watering/32/3619_2.png) [@MindsEye\_Watering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindsEye_Watering)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2010, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-flush-or-not-to-flush-your-tampons/551915/12 "2010-08-29T22:12:34Z")
_“Well, the toilet went crazy Yesterday afternoon The plumber he says “Never flush a tampoon!” This great information Cost me half a week’s pay And the toilet blew up Later on the next day ay-eee-ay”_ Courtesy of FZ. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2010, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-flush-or-not-to-flush-your-tampons/551915/13 "2010-08-29T22:22:03Z")
It doesn’t say anything about flushing either way on mine (Playtex). So I don’t. (Hank Hill says not to, too!) I try to take out the garbage more often if I’m on my period but I don’t see the big deal about not flushing. No one flushes pads, and I don’t hear anyone saying that’s gross. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2010, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-flush-or-not-to-flush-your-tampons/551915/14 "2010-08-29T22:25:23Z")
> [@DiosaBellissima](#): > > > [@monstro](#): > > > > There are few things grosser than a used tampon. > > A used tampon sitting in a trash can with 20 other used tampons and pads all day in a public place. There is nothing worse than walking into a public bathroom and being overwhelmed with the smell of rotting period blood. Disgusting. Imagine the poor guys who have to clear your disgusting used tampons out of the toilet at every store you’ve ever been to. Flush them at your house if you’d like to, but whenever you’re in public, think of **needscoffee** ’s post. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2010, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-flush-or-not-to-flush-your-tampons/551915/15 "2010-08-29T22:26:13Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > It doesn’t say anything about flushing either way on mine (Playtex). So I don’t. (Hank Hill says not to, too!) I try to take out the garbage more often if I’m on my period but I don’t see the big deal about not flushing. No one flushes pads, and I don’t hear anyone saying that’s gross. Post 11. It’s gross if the trash isn’t regularly emptied (and obviously, the one in your home is!). I’ve even walked into friend’s bathrooms and been overwhelmed with the stench of stale period blood. Yuck yuck. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2010, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-flush-or-not-to-flush-your-tampons/551915/16 "2010-08-29T22:35:11Z")
I own a house that is nearly 50 years old. Until I replaced all of the old galvanized drainage plumbing with plastic a few months ago, you would have caused me a serious problem if you got tampons in my plumbing. You really want to avoid it in an older house. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2010, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-flush-or-not-to-flush-your-tampons/551915/17 "2010-08-29T22:43:55Z")
My sister did this at my house and it clogged everything up and cost my a good $400 to have it fixed. And it caused a massive argument at my house over it. Don’t flush the things. What do the manufactures care what you do with them? ---
**Author:** ![apollonia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2bfe46/32.png) [@apollonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/apollonia)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2010, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-flush-or-not-to-flush-your-tampons/551915/18 "2010-08-29T22:44:47Z")
I do not. You only need to get the plumber to come out once to snake your drains (and your pocket) to cure that particular ill. Now that I live in an apartment building, I could, but out of habit, I don’t. Although once in a while if it slips out–fuck it, I ain’t fishing that out of the toilet. At other people’s homes, I’ll flush them unless they’ve asked me specifically “don’t flush anything but paper.” Yes, blood can stink if you leave it for days, but my roommate and I keep all our bathroom trash in a covered bin and take out the trash every night when we’re on the rag. And our bathroom doesn’t stink–neither I, the Queen of Obsessive Cleanliness, nor my roommate, the Smeller of All Unbelievably Faint Smells, smell anything off. ---
**Author:** ![not\_alice](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_alice/32/7283_2.png) [@not\_alice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_alice)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2010, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-flush-or-not-to-flush-your-tampons/551915/19 "2010-08-29T22:57:49Z")
male chiming in here, with the heartbroken voice of experience. If you are not going to flush them, then be damn sure your bathroom door is latched shut so your dog can’t get to them in the trash. It is not a pleasant way for a dog to go. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Accident](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Mr.Accident](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Accident)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2010, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-flush-or-not-to-flush-your-tampons/551915/20 "2010-08-29T22:58:49Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > No one flushes pads, Oh god, I wish that were true. I don’t mind doing plumbing work, due to it being excellent money, but a good third of my jobs have come around from things like pads and diapers being flushed. On a side note, the worst I’ve ever had to pull out of a pipe so far has been a dead kitten. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-flush-or-not-to-flush-your-tampons/551915.md?page=2)