Toilet Flush Sign ... What do you have?

[Elizabeth516]

I've just spent 1.5 hours trying to snake the drain and having to pay /way/ too much for a plumber to clear the main drain line because a guest flushed a "funshable" or bably wipe ...

Now that it's done, I'm buying a power snake & putting up a sign, but I'm not sure what have the sign say.

Do you have a sign telling guests what is acceptable to flush? If so, what does it say?

I'm debating between something quirky like "Don't believe the hype ... there's no such thing as a flushable wipe!"

... or something funny like a sign with "Please Don't Flush", followed by a list of things including wipes, tampons, napkins, hopes & dreams, etc. 

... or something a little bland, like "Dear Guests, Help us avoid plumbing backups. Please dispose of napkins, tampons, baby wipes, and any other wipe in the trash. Thank you."

Thoughts?

[Paul154]

@Elizabeth516

My first thought is of traveling in Mexico years ago.

It was preferred to placed used toilet paper in the recepticle not the bowl 😞

It is why i never dare communicate that things are not supposed to go into the bowl.

I want no confusion.  

But I do like Branka & Silvia icon.

[Elizabeth516]

Yea ... I’d rather fish used toilet paper out of the rubish bin occasionally than pay a $400 plumber bill (darn SF!) or snake the main drain line (that happens to be over my head in the garage) every time someone flushes a wipe.

[Jessica-and-Henry0 · Accepted solution]

@Elizabeth516

I just have a simple 

"ONLY TOILET PAPER IN THE TOILET"

"Wipes, sanitary pads, Q-tips, paper towels, cotton pads etc. WILL CLOG THE TOILET" 

posted in the bathroom where guests can't miss it 🙂

And I tell them with a smile that since it is a private bathroom used by the guest only, the guest will be held responsible and charged for any plumbing issues that occur during or immediately after their stay. (This is also covered in my house rules) 

[Elizabeth516]

How often do you have guests?

I’d love to blame it on the current one, but it could have been the last guest ... or even the one before because the last one was just 2 nights.

My problem is that it clogs the main drain line instead of the toilet, so it could be a day or 2 or 3 (of getting worse) before it’s noticed.

[City-Limits-Ranch0]

I point to the toilet and look at the guest in the eye and say 'don't put anything in here except toilet paper.' 

I also have a little sign on the wall.  That sign came with a tidy little wall dispenser that holds pink plastic bags for tampons.  I bought it on amazon.com.  People don't actually use the pink plastic bags very much but they definitely notice them and I think it may further get their attention and convince them it is important.

Double flushing might help your situation, which of course completely defeats the purpose of water conservation.

[Michelle1358]

"Enjoy a working toilet? Then you will want to follow this recommendation: if it's not gone through a human body or come off of the roll of toilet paper, please do not flush it.  There is no such thing here as a flushable wipe or feminine product, but you can dispose of those in the trash can next to the toilet."

[Rob-And-Lina0]

We have septic. Extra flushing will only cause insult to injury by adding more water into the tank. We spent $625 today on septic work because people don't follow the rules.

[Karen1122]

Thanks for the inspiration!  We’re new to hosting and have just had the first clog due to wipes.  Defnately helpful!

[Ian172]

I'm coming to the conclusion that it doesn't matter in the slightest what you tell your guests not to flush down the toilet, they will put everything and anything down there.

We're currently trying to clear the drain of all the debris that months worth of guests have flushed and which finally fully blocked, backing up into the bathroom and kitchen. We're finding condoms, shoe laces (??), tampons, clumps of hair (??) and bundles and bundles and bundles of wipes.

12 hours of "drilling" through the mass so far, and we're £1400 down, with no end in sight.

We're going to have to close our Airbnb because the numbers simply don't work out if guests continue to do this, which they will, and of course there is no way of knowing which guest flushed what, without inspecting the drain after each booking, which is impossible.

3 years of hosting and we've had enough to be honest - looking forward to getting our space back.

[Elizabeth516]

Ugh! That's so disappointing!

The next time it happens to me, I'm investing in a power snake - it's the same price as the plumber & resuable.

[Suzanne302]

I use humor. This sign is in a frame on the back of the toilet...

"Please flush only toilet paper and put all other items in the trash can.

When I have to call a plumber it makes my dogs sad. And you don't want to be responsible for making a dog sad, do you?

Thanks!"

[Michelle1358]

BRILLIANT

[Terri127]

I never thought about wipes, and haven't had that issue . . . yet!  We only rent our guesthouse to adults, and we've only had 5 bookings, but we are rural and on a septic system, so this is my sign:

Our Septic System . . .

Can handle your waste and the minimum amount of toilet paper needed to complete the job.

 We thank you for understanding that NOTHING else can be flushed down the toilet. No Kleenex, Tampons, or Sanitary Naps to be sure.

Thank you.

So far so good! Fingers crossed. 

Good luck to you!

[Ava30]

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@Terri127 wrote:

I never thought about wipes, and haven't had that issue . . . yet!  We only rent our guesthouse to adults

---

It is surprising how many adults use wipes as well. I would suggest adding “wipes, flushable or otherwise, are not to be flushed!”  Wipes are one of the biggest problems in sewer lines everywhere. Septic systems definitely don’t handle them. 

[Sarah977]

"Dear guest, As my place operates on a private septic system and water delivery is erratic, please be conservative with water and don't overload the toilet- pee and nose-blowing paper, and all other garbage in the basket. If it's yellow, let it mellow- for #2, you can flush the paper as well. Thanks for your cooperation." 

That's mine.

Luckily, I tend to get pretty savvy and environmentally aware guests, so haven't had any issues so far. And I only host 1 guest at a time, and no babies or children, so that helps.

If I had a problem with guests flushing wipes and other things, I'd be tempted to paint in big letters on the underside of the toilet seat T.P. ONLY 2B Flushed.