The Best Toilet Paper for Your Plumbing System

When it comes to buying toilet paper, you may be tempted to think of comfort first. You may say to yourself, “I only buy 2-ply at a stretch and 1-ply in an emergency!”. The truth is unfortunately more complicated than that. Everything you flush down your drain impacts your plumbing system. Moreover, everything that happens to your plumbing system also impacts your wallet. Read on as we discuss the facts about the best toilet paper for your system.
Toilet Paper: A Historical Introduction
The Chinese are said to be the first users of paper sheets, dating back to the 6th century. Americans started to include this as a household necessity in the 19th century. On average, Americans use over 140 rolls of toilet paper per year! That’s enough paper to build a teepee out of your TP! In more recent history, do you remember when people were stockpiling toilet paper at the beginning of Covid-19? What a crazy time it was to be alive! Thankfully, we’ve finally turned the corner on that toilet paper saga…
Proper Use Protects Your Pipes
Certain aspects of your home can be abused by improper use and your plumbing system is chief among them. People are lazy and forgetful. We tend to flush all sorts of things down the drain, oftentimes, even when we know better. Unfortunately, we’re in for a shock when our drains become clogged. A toilet that backs up is even more of a concern, never mind the hygiene issue!
Which brings us to our original point: you should only be flushing toilet paper down the commode. Items such as sanitary pads, paper towels, and wet wipes are not made to be flushed because they don’t disintegrate in the water and form large clogs that block your drains.
What Is Toilet Paper Made From?
As you might’ve expected, toilet paper is made from wood pulp. This means that wood cellulose is the main ingredient in your restroom roll. Wood cellulose in its natural form is quite rough and rigid. The cellulose needs to be treated with a wash of chemicals. The chemicals strip the pulp of a substance called lignin. Removing the lignin is what gives toilet paper its softness. The same chemicals also bleach the toilet paper, which is why most toilet paper is white.
Toilet Paper Varieties
Different varieties of products pervade the market and it’s no different with toilet paper.
Here are some of the options:
- 1-ply, 2-ply or 3-ply
- Scented
- Non-scented
- Vitamin-E enriched
- Aloe Vera
You’re spoiled for choice these days, but let’s explore what you should be considering when it comes to your plumbing system.
Keep the Main Thing the Drain Thing
What we’ve discussed so far are personal preferences. An experienced plumber like those at Art Rooter, Sewer & Drain Cleaning will tell you to consider your drains. If you are among the few South Florida homes with a septic tank or if you’re connected to the main sewer lines, the choice is the same. You need to go with toilet paper that does not form blockages. Toilet paper that breaks up when in water is always the best choice.
Ply Count
Toilet paper absorbency increases as the ply count increases. As the paper absorbs water, it thickens. Thicker paper can get stuck in the bends of your home’s plumbing system, making 2-ply a good compromise.
Use TP Sparingly
Less is more when it comes to toilet paper. You can eliminate a lot of problems just by using a reasonable amount. Regular overuse collects in the drain pipes over time, which ultimately results in a clogged drain.
Quick Dissolving Toilet Paper
Many brands of quick-dissolving paper are available these days. For reasons we’re sure you can guess, toilet paper that breaks up quickly reduces the likelihood of a drain becoming blocked.
Get The Right Plumbers for Your Home Plumbing Problems
Art Rooter, Sewer & Drain Cleaning have been operating in Palm Beach, Coral Springs & Miami Dade County since 1983. We know how to take care of your home’s plumbing system. If you’re having issues with your plumbing system, let us help! Call Art today at 1-888-773-1524 to schedule an appointment. We’ll have things flowing again in no time!