Many homeowners have used their toilet as their own personal garbage can and not thought anything of it. However, throwing anything besides human waste and toilet paper down the toilet is just asking for plumbing problems. To avoid having to call a plumber, avoid flushing these six items down your toilet:

Cooking Grease

Cooking grease is a liquid, so what could be so bad about throwing it down your toilet? This grease can actually solidify in your pipes and cause a major clog. When you have grease to get rid of, just put it in a plastic container and dump it in your garbage can.

Paper Towels

Paper towels seem similar to toilet paper, so you might think it is okay to throw it down your toilet. However, paper towel does not break down as easily as toilet paper and can cause plumbing issues. Its thick consistency can lead to a clog you will not forget about.

Hair

Hair is another thing you should never put in your toilet. When hair gets down into the pipes, it can form large balls and create major blockages in your drain system. When you are removing hair from your brushes, just throw the hair into a trash can.

Dental Floss

Dental floss is just a tiny piece of string, so it does not seem like it would do anything to your plumbing system. However, this floss is not biodegradable, meaning it can easily wrap itself around other items in your pipes and cause a big blockage.

Tampons

Do not even think about flushing tampons down the toilet. These feminine hygiene products might be small, but they are made out of cotton, which can snag very easily and absorb water and expand. If there are any cracks in your plumbing, the cotton can get stuck in them and cause a clog.

Diapers

Diapers have no place in a toilet. If you attempt to flush a used diaper, it will expand and likely not even make it down. If a diaper does make it down the drain, it will get caught in the pipes and cause a backup.

If you avoid flushing random objects down your toilet, you should have fewer plumbing issues. Also, remember that flushing too much toilet paper at one time can lead to a clog. If you have to use a lot of toilet paper, only flush a few pieces at a time.