Tampon disposal doesn’t have to be complicated; just wrap it in toilet paper and dispose of it in a garbage bin. However, you may dump your tampons in inappropriate places like the toilet by accident, and chemicals to dissolve tampons may be called into action.
You can dissolve tampons using chemicals like Drano and nitric, sulfuric, and hydrochloric acids. You can also use Schweizer’s reagent and urea/sodium hydroxide aqueous solution. However, the right chemical to use depends on the material the tampon is made of.
There is much to know about tampon disposal, and this post aims to provide the information you require to unclog toilets blocked by tampons.
Chemicals To Dissolve Tampons
Clear out blockages caused by dropping and flushing tampons down your toilet using these chemicals.
1. Drano
This is a popular drainage cleaner manufactured using sodium hydroxide (lye), aluminum, sodium hypochlorate (bleach), sodium nitrate, and sodium chloride. The ingredients in this caustic substance dissolve various things like gunk, hair, soap scum, and even tampons.
The chain reactions triggered when Drano is poured down the drain decomposes the substances blocking it. The chemicals combine, producing heat at almost boiling temperatures, thus speeding up decomposition.
Drano can dissolve cotton-based tampons but not those made of synthetic substances. However, don’t use Drano to dissolve tampons regularly or leave it sitting too long because Drano can damage the drains and septic tank.
Also, flush Drano with hot water to clean your pipes.
2. Sulfuric Acid
Like Drano, sulfuric acid can dissolve cotton-based tampons but not synthetic-based tampons. It can also break down other substances, such as soap and hair.
3. Schweizer’s Reagent
This deep-blue solution that has a pungent ammonia smell can also help dissolve cotton-based tampons. Although you can buy Schweizer’s Reagent, making it is better.
Ingredients
- Sodium hydroxide- 1.6g
- Ammonium hydroxide 29%- 200mL
- Copper (II) sulfate pentahydrate- 5g
- 10% H2SO4, HCL, or HNO3 acid solution
Procedure
- Make Copper Hydroxide– add 1.6g NaOH to water with dissolved 5g copper (II) sulfate pentahydrate. Collect the copper hydroxide precipitate through filtration or let the precipitate settle, then decant it
- Make Schweizer’s Reagent– add ammonium hydroxide (200ml) to copper hydroxide. The solution will turn dark black/ purple/blue
4. Other Chemicals That Can Dissolve Tampons
Strong acids like hydrochloric and nitric acids can dissolve cotton tampons. Alternatively, use a urea/sodium hydroxide aqueous solution.
Remember that you won’t have much luck dissolving synthetic tampons. In such cases, you’ll need to remove blockages caused by synthetic-based tampons using other methods like a drain snake.
Can one tampon clog a toilet?
Flushing a single tampon down your toilet will unlikely clog it. For your drain pipes and septic tank to be blocked, many tampons have to be stuck there.
Nonetheless, avoid damping tampons down your drains altogether because even a few tampons will affect your plumbing to some degree. There is no specific number of tampons required to clog your toilet drain or septic tank.
The number varies based on different factors, including the septic tank size. It’s a no-brainer that a bigger septic tank can accommodate more tampons before clogging than a smaller one.
What Materials Are Used to Make Tampons?
The likelihood of dissolving tampons in chemicals depends on what the tampon is made of. Therefore, before pouring chemicals down your toilet to dissolve tampon clogs, know the type of tampon you flushed.
1. Cotton
Cotton tampons are skin-friendly, highly absorbent, and comfortable. These biodegradable tampons dissolve in chemicals, and since they are made of a natural substance, they are environmentally friendly.
2. Rayon
Also called artificial silk, this semi-synthetic fiber features natural cellulose derived from plants turned into a soluble substance. Due to its high absorbency, rayon is commonly used to make menstrual products such as sanitary napkins and tampons.
However, since rayon makes people susceptible to Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS), using them in menstrual products isn’t recommended.
3. Bisphenol-A (BPA)
This chemical is a byproduct of plastic production. Although Bisphenol-A (BPA) can cause problems like diabetes, obesity, and breast cancer, many tampon brands use it.
4. Dioxin
This substance, produced when processing chlorine, is also commonly used to make tampons. However, EPA considers it harmful even when used in tiny quantities.
When used to make tampons, this synthetic compound can cause skin-related issues and hormonal disturbance if exposed to the skin for an extended period.
Why do tampons cause clogs?
In their natural state, tampons are small but expand when they absorb liquids like blood and water since they are highly absorbent. While their impeccable absorbency makes them excellent menstrual products, flushing them is a bad idea for the same reason.
If you flush your tampon, it will absorb the water in your toilet and pipe drains, thus increasing in size tremendously. A tampon can increase in size to nearly 10 times its original.
One tampon may not cause a serious problem, but your toilet will eventually block the more you damp tampons inside.
How Long Do Tampons Take To Clog A Toilet?
A tampon can clog your toilet in a few hours after dropping it into it as it gradually absorbs water. Therefore, problems may start showing within a short period.
Flushing toilet paper and human waste from a toilet with a tampon trapped inside is challenging as it can cause toilet backup. Avoid incurring costly repairs or spending hours getting out the tampons by not flushing them in the first place.
Are Tampons Biodegradable?
Some tampons are biodegradable, while others are non-biodegradable. The non-biodegradable tampons comprise inorganic materials like synthetic fibers, non-organic cotton, and rayon, while biodegradable tampons are manufactured using 100% cotton.
Biodegradable tampons break apart, making them relatively safer for your drain pipes and septic tank. However, keep in mind that organic tampons still take a long time to disintegrate, so dump them in garbage cans instead.
The drains and septic tank can handle wastewater from your bathroom and kitchen, soap, toilet paper, and human waste like feces and urine. Bacterial action breaks down the solid waste, but the same doesn’t happen to tampons as they remain in their original state.
How To Unclog A Tampon-Clogged Toilet
So, you made a mistake a dumped a tampon in your toilet, clogging it. You may have tried dissolving it with chemicals and failed, so you are looking for other methods to unclog your toilet.
Well, you can do so by hand or using a drain snake.
The Required Items
Before unblocking your clogged toilet, gather these materials.
- A plumber’s snake
- Rubber gloves
- Adjustable wrench
- Cup
- Bucket
Unclogging Your Toilet By Hand
This method doesn’t involve using many tools, but few people would want to do it since it entails inserting your hand into the toilet. Nonetheless, here’s how to unclog a toilet clogged by tampons by hand.
1. Put on Protective gloves
Keep your hands from bacteria and dirt inside your toilet by putting on long, thick rubber gloves. Make sure they cover your entire forearms.
2. Empty The Toilet Bowl
Before extracting the tampons, remove the water from your toilet bowl. Fetch the water using a cup, then transfer it to a bucket, making sure you empty the bowl as much as you can.
Remove the remaining water using a sponge; just insert it inside the bowl and let it absorb the water, then dispose of them. Use enough sponges to make sure the toilet bowl is water free.
3. Detach Your Toilet Bowl
After all the water is out, take off the bolts keeping the toilet bowl secured to the bathroom wall using an adjustable wrench. Carefully scrape off the caulk at the toilet base with a utility knife.
Gently rock your toilet bowl to loosen it, then lift it and place it on a stable surface. You can get someone to help you raise the bowl if you are afraid you might drop it, or it’s too heavy.
4. Locate The Tampons
Time for the gross part of the project. Guide your hand through the drain pipe, then look for the stuck tampons. Once you find them, put them inside garbage bags for disposal, and ensure you remove all the tampons.
5. Re-install Your Toilet
With your toilet drain tampon free, you can now re-attach the bowl. Put the toilet bowl over the drain pipe, and secure the bolts properly.
Flush to check whether the toilet is unclogged.
Unclogging Your Toilet With A Drain Snake
If you cannot stomach inserting your hand into your toilet drain, remove the tampons causing obstructions using a drain snake. This tool is available in various types, such as handheld and motorized drain snakes.
If you don’t have a drain snake, hire one or buy yours. An excellent choice would be POPULO Electric Drain Auger (View on Amazon) with an ergonomic design, LED light, flexible, reinforced cable, and sturdy grip handles.
1) Empty The Toilet Bowl
Make unclogging your toilet easier by removing the water inside the bowl first. Do so using a cup and collect the water in a bucket, then use a sponge to ensure you take out what the cup couldn’t.
Alternatively, empty the bowl using a vacuum cleaner explicitly made to suck liquids. Put on protective gloves before beginning the project.
2) Insert the Drain Snake Into Your Toilet
Guide the auger down the bowl, ensuring it points to the drain, then extend the cable by turning the snake’s handle clockwise. Keep guiding the cable down until you feel some resistance, indicating you have reached where the tampons are.
3. Hook The Tampons
Twist and rotate the drain snake so the tampons can be attached to the snake’s hooks. This may take some time, so exercise patience.
4. Remove The Tampons
Increased resistance when you rotate the drain snake means it has caught the tampons. In that case, guide the drain snake up your toilet drain with the tampons attached, then dump them in a garbage can once out.
Reinsert the snake, look for more tampons and other blockages, and then follow the above steps to remove them. Keep doing so until every obstruction is out.
Final Thoughts on Chemicals to Dissolve Tampons
Tampons don’t belong in your toilet drain or septic tank as they can cause clogs. However, do not freak out if you accidentally drop one into your toilet, especially cotton-made tampons, because you can dissolve them using chemicals.