Many women dispose of their tampons by wrapping them in toilet paper and throwing them in the residual waste. Many public toilets have hygiene waste bins in which you should dispose of your hygiene products. You should not flush them down the toilet as this can cause clogging.
On their websites, major tampon brands Tampax and Kotex explicitly state that consumers should not flush their products, while o.b. directs people to throw them in the garbage when they're done.
Simply put, no you should not flush tampons down the toilet. A tampon is designed to collect menstrual fluid and therefore would not be an effective menstrual product if it broke down so easily in the presence of liquid.
If you are at a friend's house for a sleepover or a hang out and have to dispose of your tampon, you should place it in their garbage. Never flush it down the toilet, as this can clog the toilet. You should avoid putting the tampon in your bag or in your pocket, even if it is wrapped in toilet paper.
Use an adjustable wrench to remove the bolts holding the toilet bowl in place. Move the toilet bowl away from your workspace. With rubber gloves, reach your hand down the toilet drain and try to scoop out the tampon. Reattach the toilet bowl after removing the tampon.
You can probably flush a tampon down the toilet once, twice or even ten times without noticing any problems. However, if this bad habit is continued long-term, eventually your drains will become blocked.
If there is no container dedicated to these products, use the regular trash can, but never flush them down the toilet at home or anywhere else. Tampons and feminine pads can do nearly as much damage to sewer systems as they do septic tanks, but if different ways.
They wouldn't be an effective period-care product if they broke down so easily in the presence of liquid! Flushing tampons and other period-care products down the toilet can not only clog your pipes, but they can end up in rivers and oceans, harming the environment.
Natracare
Their pads, tampons, and wipes are made from renewable, biodegradable, and compostable materials. Natracare knows how bad the plastic problem is regarding menstrual products, so they made sure their products won't pollute the earth for the next 500 years.
Can you go to the bathroom with a tampon in? Absolutely! A quick anatomy lesson for you: You actually have two different holes down there.
While tampons will biodegrade given enough time, it can take up to 6 months, according to some sources. That's too long! A tampon caught in your sewer pipe for more than a few hours can cause a backup of household waste that could go right back into your house.
A fully saturated light tampon can hold up to 3 milliliters of fluid. A fully saturated super tampon may hold up to 12 milliliters of fluid. A fully saturated regular daytime pad may hold around 5 milliliters of fluid. A fully soaked overnight pad may hold 10 to 15 milliliters of fluid.
If the number of soaked tampons or pads is **sixteen or more** for the entire duration of your period (or **eight fully soaked maxi tampons or pads**), then your flow is heavy. If you note 80mL or more blood with your menstrual cup for one entire cycle, your flow is heavy.
The truth is that unlike toilet paper, which breaks up, tampons will remain in a solid lump rather than breaking down. If a tampon gets caught on the way through the plumbing system, it won't dissolve but will create a blockage. If more tampons are flushed, your toilet could completely block and overflow.
If you notice on heavy days of your period that blood seems extra-thick, and can sometimes form a jelly-like glob, these are menstrual clots, a mix of blood and tissue released from your uterus during your period. They can vary in size and color, and usually, they are nothing to worry about.
If You're Seeing Big, Jelly-Like Blood Clots
They show up when your flow is very heavy, and the natural anticoagulants that normally break down clots before they leave your body can't keep up with how fast you're shedding your uterine lining.
If you have bleeding that lasts longer than 7 days per period, or is so heavy that you have to change your pad or tampon nearly every hour, you need to talk with your doctor. To find out if you have menorrhagia, your doctor will ask you about your medical history and menstrual cycles.
You may want to change your tampon after your shower, though, as it can absorb water and may not protect you as much. Whether or not to shower with a tampon in is up to you. Just make sure you're careful when you clean around your vaginal opening. If you're taking a bath on your period, you might want to use a tampon.
If you do wear a tampon in the bath or shower, it's a good idea to change your tampon when you get out. The tampon can get wet from the bath or shower. It may not be able to absorb as much blood from your period as a fresh one can.
In the drain cleaning profession, we call tampons, "little white mice" and are notorious for clogging drain systems. I don't care if you have been dumping them down the toilets for 40 years.
Shephard suggests you can try holding the tampon string to the side while you pee to keep it dry—but that might get even messier (i.e., you could get pee on your hands)—so it's probably best to make sure you just pat dry thoroughly.
Why can I feel my tampon, then? The most likely reason is that you didn't push your tampon in far enough when you inserted it. Not to worry – simply use your finger to push it in a little further. If that doesn't fix it, just take it out and try again with a fresh one.
Tuck your pads or tampons in a small bag before school.
If you can't have the bag or case with you in class, keep it in your locker or put it in your backpack. You can grab it on your way to the bathroom. You might also be able to tuck a small tampon or pad into a large wallet, a change purse, or your phone case.
Even Lola, a brand that offers organic tampons, warns against flushing tampons as they can cause blockages in your plumbing system. However, their biodegradable cardboard applicators ARE safe for septic systems, but you should still think twice before flushing those.