what do you do?? (way way way TMI)

[Feijoa Mum]

I have just come back from NZ to see Dad and step mum and got AF while there.
A couple of days later Dads toilet blocked up and he had to get a plumber out to unclog it. Embarassingly the plumber pulled a tampon out of the drain along with lots of other charming stuff but Dad said "jokingly" that I had blocked the toilet with my tampons!! The plumber told him that "those things should not be flushed"
I have always flushed mine. I dont flush pads or liners obviously or even applicators when I use that type of tampon but I always flush the um - "used part"
My sisters were both there and I asked them what they did? One is on a septic tank sysytem at her place so rightfully so she doesnt flush, but the other one on a normal town system doesnt flush hers either. She wraps them up and throws them in the bin, personally I think this is a bit gross but maybe I am the one who is a bit strange??

So what do you do? Flush or throw?

[[M]umma[M]ia]

I wrap and throw them out. No tampons should be flushed for that exact reason!

[alish]

ive always wrapped and thrown tampons and pads! i flush liners

[nothing2lose]

I throw mine in the bin. They aren't designed to flush and it's really bad for the environment to do it.

[~TT40~]

never flushed them, and learnt that in sex ed when they taugh us to use them. I always wrap it up in loo paper and throw in the bin.

[Feijoa Mum]

wow I feel really naughty now
I am going to have to train myself to becomer a wrap and thrower

[krysalyss]

Yep - wrap and throw.

[MummaBee]

I have always wrapped and taken to the bin my mum taught us that way from day one, only because she said they would clog the toilet so we have been scared too ever since but if noone had ever told me that I would have been a flusher too. Is it safe to flush liners cause if it is I'm gonna start doing that?

[nothing2lose]

Ummm...No.

They dont degrade the same way as toilet paper does.

[Astrid]

Throw them as well. It surprises me actually the number of homes I have been in where women live that do not have a bin in the toilet.

ETA: DH works in the water and sewerage area, I should get from him exaclty what tampons, nappies etc do to the sewer system and treatment plants.

[peanutter]

one place I worked I flushed, because they refused to get a "lady bin" despite having 12 menstruating staff member, and the closest bin was in the staff kitchen, which was up two flights of stairs, and through two parts of the (clothing) store ...

but everywhere else - wrap and throw.

[skybie]

i flush, i rarely use tampons though. just asked bff, she flushes too and she always uses tampons

[kelebek]

I throw. I went to an all girls highschool and the main reason the toilets blocked up are because of tampons so we were always told to throw

[CrazyLady]

I throw. I went to an all girls highschool and the main reason the toilets blocked up are because of tampons so we were always told to throw

likewise, the principle even made a note at assembly quite a few times because she was sick of the plumbing bills. They actually expand really huge when they get wet so I could imagine if they expand not in the main toilet pipe but further down then they'd cause massive issues.

The people that cleaned our house through the real estate agent flushed chux cloths down the loo and caused the granny flat shower to overflow with ****. My external laundry smelt like a sewerage farm for days because of the backlog in the pipes

[Jellyfish]

Always wrapped and thrown, have just kept a little bin in the bathroom for things such as this... I actually think it was something my Mum bought for me when I moved out haha the things you don't really think to get. I do remember around when I got my first period she put a bin in the main toilet (Mum and Dad had an en suite) too and explained why it was there.

[PumpkinZulu]

Haha it never even occurred to me to flush them...they're not meant to flush! I wrap and throw. But I started using cups, so now I avoid that issue all together.

[Miss E]

Oh how embarrassing for you

Don't worry I've always flushed them too... Never had a problem either...

[zap]

Thrower now. When I was living at home I flushed till the toilet blocked and as dad was out back un blocking it when he noticed our dog running around with what he thought was a tea bag!! Needless to say I have never ever flushed since!!