# 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:** 4
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-flush-or-not-to-flush-your-tampons/551915/61 "2010-08-30T20:01:23Z")
> [@Dogzilla](#): > > I really, really do not understand. > > First, I have been flushing tampons for 25 years and have never clogged a toilet. So I’m pretty :dubious: about these clogged toilet stories. That _includes_ the four years I lived in my grandfather’s 150 year-old farm house. I’ve been flushing tampons in my 65 year old house for the last seven years, not one clogged toilet. Not once. > > For one thing, the damn boxes clearly say: You can flush tampons. > > For another thing, if my poop manages to clear the chute and never clogs up, and a wad of toilet paper can clear the chute and not clog up… how is a tiny little tampon supposed to be a clogging item? It’s much smaller than my poop. > > Is this only applicable to people on septic tank systems? What if you have city plumbing and no well/septic tank? Tampons are woven fibers meant to stay intact when immersed in liquid. Toilet paper is just the opposite. It would be impossible to use toilet paper in place of tampons for this reason. It is not only applicable to people with septic tanks. Cast iron corrodes on the inside creating iron bumps that catch fibrous objects. In addition to that, tree roots will work their way into the sewer line on the outside of the house. All sewer lines are not created equal. it depends how the house was originally set up. Drain lines are installed based on how the house is laid out and never on the best flow characteristics of pipes. It’s nothing to have multiple smaller lines converge on the main stack at the same point causing a traffic jam of sludge. The worse the layout, the greater the chance tampons become a drain version of Tetris. It’s quite possible never to experience a problem in your house or even an older house. It’s also possible that a single tampon can reek havoc in a house. Most likely it will be something in between and when crap happens it gets expensive. It’s best to understand that tampons do not break down and pose a risk of snagging a corroded pipe or wedging in a difficult bend. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-flush-or-not-to-flush-your-tampons/551915/62 "2010-08-30T20:15:24Z")
Tampons are designed to be flushed. If you have a septic tank and/or pipes that can’t handle them, it’s \*your job \*to warn me, at which point I’ll politely dispose of them in whatever way you request (by default, wrapped in toilet paper and deposited in the trash). > [@Mr.Accident](#): > > The head off those new “flushable” toilet brushes. AFAIK, most of those are marketed as _disposable_, not flushable. I made the mistake of thinking they were flushable, flushed one, then checked the box when the toilet started backing up–nope, it \*says \*to drop it _in the trash_. > [@alexandra](#): > > Nope, I don’t flush them. They can end up in the sea. Gross. Soooooo… You shit in the garbage, too? :rolleyes: > [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > Imagine the poor guys who have to clear your disgusting used tampons out of the toilet at every store you’ve ever been to. The standard assumption should be that the system can handle tampons. If it can’t, it’s the job of the store or restaurant or bar or whatever to put up signage warning women not to flush tampons. > [@Dogzilla](#): > > For another thing, if my poop manages to clear the chute and never clogs up, and a wad of toilet paper can clear the chute and not clog up… how is a tiny little tampon supposed to be a clogging item? It’s much smaller than my poop. Poop isn’t a solid piece and toilet paper is designed to break apart quickly and easily in water. Tampons are designed to absorb a lot of liquid, expand while doing so, and stay coherent. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-flush-or-not-to-flush-your-tampons/551915/63 "2010-08-30T21:13:13Z")
Never. ---
**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 30, 2010, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-flush-or-not-to-flush-your-tampons/551915/64 "2010-08-30T21:25:23Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > AFAIK, most of those are marketed as _disposable_, not flushable. I made the mistake of thinking they were flushable, flushed one, then checked the box when the toilet started backing up–nope, it \*says \*to drop it _in the trash_ The [commercials](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBKD950Ipks&p=6E3C42FD07E5AFCF&playnext=1&index=12) for those things show them being flushed, which is why most folks think they can be. ---
**Author:** ![kushiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kushiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kushiel)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-flush-or-not-to-flush-your-tampons/551915/65 "2010-08-30T21:49:45Z")
I worked in a building built in 2006. The tampon monster still bested the plumbing. While we’re on the subject of flushables, sometimes I’ll accidentally run out of toilet paper and resort to facial tissue. Flushable or not? It’s kinda just like denser, smoother toilet paper but tampons are just MUCH denser toilet paper too! ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-flush-or-not-to-flush-your-tampons/551915/66 "2010-08-30T21:56:41Z")
Facial tissues are not designed to break apart the way that toilet paper is. (I’m sure you’ve tried blowing your nose on the latter–remember the way it shreds?) In an emergency situation, I treat them like tampons–if I’m asked to dispose of those in a wastebin, I do the same with anything else that isn’t toilet paper or bodily wastes. Otherwise, I tear it in half (lengthwise) before I use it. ---
**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 30, 2010, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-flush-or-not-to-flush-your-tampons/551915/67 "2010-08-30T22:01:59Z")
> [@kushiel](#): > > I worked in a building built in 2006. The tampon monster still bested the plumbing. > > While we’re on the subject of flushables, sometimes I’ll accidentally run out of toilet paper and resort to facial tissue. Flushable or not? I wouldn’t flush them. While facial tissue is as thin as toilet paper, and made from cellulose fibers, the makers put something in to make the tissues stronger, and not degrade as fast. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-flush-or-not-to-flush-your-tampons/551915/68 "2010-08-30T22:12:17Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > Tampons are designed to be flushed. > [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > Facial tissues are not designed to break apart the way that toilet paper is. (I’m sure you’ve tried blowing your nose on the latter–remember the way it shreds?) In an emergency situation, I treat them like tampons– These statements are in direct conflict with each other. Tampons do not break down in liquid. They are a clogging hazard. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-flush-or-not-to-flush-your-tampons/551915/69 "2010-08-30T23:18:37Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > Tampons are designed to be flushed. If you have a septic tank and/or pipes that can’t handle them, it’s \*your job \*to warn me, at which point I’ll politely dispose of them in whatever way you request (by default, wrapped in toilet paper and deposited in the trash) Don’t worry - I do warn people. I got my comeuppance shortly after we moved in. During routine septic tank maintenance there was a bellow of outrage from outside - seemed that dental floss had been found in the tank. Apparently, it had not _yet_ caused a problem, but it doesn’t break down and eventually it would have been expensive. It had mostly balled up into a nasty knot in the tank, tangled up with… well, you don’t really want to to know. So I learned to stop flushing dental floss. :smack: At least it wasn’t an expensive lesson. The main point: NOTHING BUT POOP, PEE, AND TOILET PAPER IN THE SEPTIC TANK!!! (well, ok, vomit, too, but we try to avoid that on general principals). Even for cleaning products we check to make sure it’s safe for septic. Malfunctioning septic systems are not something you want to deal with if you can possibly avoid it. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2010, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-flush-or-not-to-flush-your-tampons/551915/70 "2010-08-31T00:21:50Z")
septic systems should only have toilet paper as the nonexcrement item. tampons snagged on plumbing will flop in the pipe and catch others until you might have a tampon sausage a foot or two long. it can flop in the pipe causing occasional backups. an intermittent problem is the hardest to solve. a snake can pass by it and not snag it. a plumber may take extra long to get it or make multiple trips because nothing breaks loose through or comes back. wrap in some toilet paper and put in a plastic bag for daily or period period disposal. ---
**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 31, 2010, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-flush-or-not-to-flush-your-tampons/551915/71 "2010-08-31T03:10:03Z")
My pipes are 4" diameter and plenty wide enough for a tampon in theory, but because of the rough edges of the concrete and cast iron sewer pipes and the bends in the line, they catch. Manufacturers calling something “flushable” really is disingenuous. Like I said, I keep disposal bags at the ready next to the toilet. I get more newspaper plastic bags than I know what to do with, so they get used up this way. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2010, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-flush-or-not-to-flush-your-tampons/551915/72 "2010-08-31T03:16:39Z")
As a civil engineer who works for a public sewer utility, I implore you to NOT flush tampons. Sewers are designed for human waste and toilet paper. That’s it. The sewers are not trash receptacles. Tampons, in particular, are great for clogging up pump station pump impellers. :rolleyes: Here’s just one [example](http://www.penntwp-ma.com/) of a sewer utility that prohibits the flushing of tampons: > [@](#): > > It is against Penn Township Municipal Authority Rules and Regulations to dispose cooking greases, oils, fats, cat litter (including flushable kind), coffee grounds, baby wipes, rags, feminine hygiene products (including any type of tampons or tampon applicators), volatile chemicals and other non-flushable products through the public sewer system. Flushing these items through drains, sinks and toilets into the sewer system has caused damages to the pump station servicing your home. > > …Tampons, tampon applicators, feminine hygiene products, rags and cat litter have also jammed the pumps and have caused major damage to the machinery. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2010, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-flush-or-not-to-flush-your-tampons/551915/73 "2010-08-31T06:07:29Z")
> [@robby](#): > > As a civil engineer who works for a public sewer utility, I implore you to NOT flush tampons. Sewers are designed for human waste and toilet paper. That’s it. The sewers are not trash receptacles. > > Tampons, in particular, are great for clogging up pump station pump impellers. :rolleyes: But…but…it _says so_ on the **box**! Surely some civil engineer who works for the city can’t know as much as a tampon box! Seriously, I wonder if the cities can sue the makers of the so-called “flushable” tampons? ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2010, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-flush-or-not-to-flush-your-tampons/551915/74 "2010-08-31T06:55:08Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > Seriously, I wonder if the cities can sue the makers of the so-called “flushable” tampons? That’s actually a good question. Why don’t cities sue the bejesus out of them? Seems like a class action suit in the making. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2010, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-flush-or-not-to-flush-your-tampons/551915/75 "2010-08-31T14:10:40Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > These statements are in direct conflict with each other. The two statements where I say that \*I treat tissues like I treat tampons \*are in conflict with each other? :dubious: > [@robby](#): > > As a civil engineer who works for a public sewer utility, I implore you to NOT flush tampons. [snip] Here’s just one [example](http://www.penntwp-ma.com/) of a sewer utility that prohibits the flushing of tampons Anybody who doesn’t want me to flush my tampon menstrual waste had damn well better request it. \*That \*sewer utility did; so can the others. I’m not going to dump them in the trash just because someone \*might \*have a system that they could clog. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2010, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-flush-or-not-to-flush-your-tampons/551915/76 "2010-08-31T14:34:42Z")
If at all possible I would wrap it and dispose of it in the garbage. Dental Floss is worse to flush because it can really gunk up the works on the pumps, grinders and lift stations in a sewer system. I would think tampon strings have a similar effect. I think the absorbent cotton on a tampon wouldn’t pose a big problem to plumbing. Also wipes, shop towels, and rags will also gum up the works. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2010, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-flush-or-not-to-flush-your-tampons/551915/77 "2010-08-31T17:30:44Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > > [@Magiver](#): > > > > These statements are in direct conflict with each other. > > The two statements where I say that \*I treat tissues like I treat tampons \*are in conflict with each other? :dubious: > > > [@robby](#): > > > > As a civil engineer who works for a public sewer utility, I implore you to NOT flush tampons. [snip] Here’s just one [example](http://www.penntwp-ma.com/) of a sewer utility that prohibits the flushing of tampons > > Anybody who doesn’t want me to flush my tampon menstrual waste had damn well better request it. \*That \*sewer utility did; so can the others. I’m not going to dump them in the trash just because someone \*might \*have a system that they could clog. You acknowledged that tissues are designed not to break down and can be used as an interim tampon yet you say tampons are meant to be flushed. They are not. Even if they make it to the street they are still damaging utility equipment. It’s no different than throwing lit cigarettes butts out of car windows because there is no ashtray in the car. It’s your responsibility to carry the appropriate disposal system with you just as you would carry the tampons. Toilet paper and a ziploc is not rocket science. ---
**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 31, 2010, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-flush-or-not-to-flush-your-tampons/551915/78 "2010-08-31T17:33:05Z")
Do you have to carry around a ziploc, even? I just wrap them up tight and put them in the little bin they have in stalls if I’m in public. Or if they don’t have the little bin thing, the garbage. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2010, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-flush-or-not-to-flush-your-tampons/551915/79 "2010-08-31T17:41:49Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Do you have to carry around a ziploc, even? I just wrap them up tight and put them in the little bin they have in stalls if I’m in public. Or if they don’t have the little bin thing, the garbage. I was thinking in terms of visiting someone’s home. Ziploc would made a nice thing to carry them in plus making them easier to find in a purse. ---
**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 31, 2010, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-flush-or-not-to-flush-your-tampons/551915/80 "2010-08-31T17:45:07Z")
True…I usually don’t change them at other people’s houses but when I have, I’ve just wrapped them and tossed them in the trash and hoped for the best. Generally if I feel weird pooping in a place, I’ll try not to change a tampon there. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-flush-or-not-to-flush-your-tampons/551915.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-flush-or-not-to-flush-your-tampons/551915.md?page=5)