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Home Maintenance Tips for Your Toilets

Posted on October 17, 2014

The toilet may be the most used appliance in your home. In fact, the toilet is so important that most homes have more than one. Here are some valuable prevention tips to help maintain these important fixtures:

Don’t treat your toilet as if it’s a garbage disposal. Only human waste and toilet paper should be flushed down a toilet. Items like paper towels, facial tissues, disposable diapers, feminine hygiene products and cotton swabs should never be flushed. They may not cause a clog right away, but can build up in the drain pipes and cause a clog later.

In addition, just because a product claims to be flushable, doesn’t mean you should flush it. So-called flushable wipes don’t break down the way toilet paper does in the pipes. The best solution is to keep a trash basket in the bathroom to dispose of these items.

Don’t use your toilet as a step stool. Standing on the toilet can be convenient to reach something on a shelf or to check yourself out in the mirror. However, this is not a good idea. Standing on a toilet can cause a crack in the toilet or dislodge the position of the toilet. Once a toilet is cracked, it cannot be repaired. Also, while the toilet is likely made of vitreous china, the toilet lid may be made of some other material such as plastic. You could fall through and hurt yourself.

Don’t lean against the toilet tank. Putting pressure against the various components in the toilet tank and the plumbing connections can lead to a leak.

Don’t use a metal brush to clean your toilet. Metal brushes can scratch the finish on the porcelain toilet bowl and make it difficult to clean in the future. Instead, use plastic or cloth brushes.

Don’t use drain snakes or coat hangers to clear an obstruction. Everyone will have clogged toilet at some point in time. Use a plunger to clear the obstruction. If the plunger does not work, use a toilet auger.

Don’t use cleaners in the toilet tank. Many toilet cleaners on the market today can cause deterioration of the rubber flapper in the toilet tank. Don’t use the in-tank cleaners. If you insist on using these types of products, use the in-bowl variety of toilet cleaners. When using these products, always flush the toilet at least once per day.

Make sure all of your family members are familiar with these prevention tips. If you end up with a toilet problem you don’t feel prepared to handle it, don’t hesitate to call in the plumbing professionals.

 

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