Can You Flush Condoms Down the Toilet?

Making love rarely feels like a bad idea, but the aftermath of intercourse can surprise you in a very strange way — especially if you throw a condom down the drain.

You probably want to get rid of the used item asap, but can you flush condoms down the toilet? Let’s make it clear — no, you can’t flush condoms in the toilet. Latex condoms are durable and non-degradable, so they’ll clog your toilet. 

And that’s not even the worst thing that can happen, so keep reading to learn what else to expect from used condoms in the sewage system.

Can You Flush Condoms?

Throwing a condom down the drain is the easiest thing to do, but that doesn’t make it right. We can share with you four reasons to stop disposing of condoms in the bathroom throne. 

Condoms Are Non-degradable

The first reason is obvious — condoms do not dissolve in water, so they can stay in the sewer for years. Most condoms consist of latex, waterproof material flexible and strong enough to survive flushing.

Unlike toilet paper and human feces, condoms are not organic and water-soluble.

If you don’t remove condoms from the pipe, they will probably stay there intact for years. They are non-degradable, which makes them one of the worst items to flush down the toilet.

Condoms Build Up to Form Clogs

Clogging is the consequence of condoms’ durability. They don’t dissolve and disappear from the toilet lines but rather stick to the pipes to form minor blockages. Once there, condoms accumulate debris and waste every time you flush the toilet.

It’s a perfect setting for clog formation — all it takes is time for latex condoms to pick enough toilet waste. After that, they build up to make big clogs that prevent the toilet from working as usual. 

Clogs in the drains mean you won’t be able to use the toilet, while there is always the danger of overflowing and ruining the bathroom floor.

Someone Will Find It Eventually

Condoms stay in septic tanks or sewer systems for good, so someone will likely find them eventually. If you are lucky, it will be a plumber. If not, your wife or even kids will bump into a condom you flushed ten years ago.

We don’t need to tell you how embarrassing this can be — you will have to explain it to your family and hope they don’t get mad at you.

Condoms Harm Nature

Flushing condoms can also harm nature. You probably don’t see a bigger picture when disposing of a condom, but flushing it starts a chain reaction leading to the sea.

Sewage treatment plants can’t process condoms, so your latex friends end up in local rivers. Condoms pollute water and keep flowing to the sea, where they can harm aquatic animals.

Bear in mind that people use 35 billion condoms a year. If only a fraction of those end up in the sewer, we get millions of condoms ready to pollute water and endanger aquatic animals. You don’t want to contribute to that, do you?

How to Get Rid of Used Condoms?

Now you know it’s not good to flush condoms, but what’s the alternative? We have a simple solution — use toilet paper to wrap a condom and throw it in the trash can. Your condom will end up in the local landfill, which is way better than the sea.

It can’t get easier than that, so remember to throw a used condom in the garbage bin. Our advice is to put a trash can next to the toilet or in the corner of your bathroom. That way, you will see the target right before throwing the latex condom.

If you don’t want someone to see your used condom, incineration is the second option. You can burn the condom with a lighter, but this task is more dangerous and time-consuming. If you still go for it, be careful to avoid burning your fingers.

How to Unclog a Toilet With Condom Clogs?

Will a clogged toilet eventually unclog itself? You shouldn’t expect it if your condoms caused the damage. Condom-induced blockages are rigid and stubborn — they don’t react to chemicals, and you’ll have to do the dirty work on your own.

There are five ways to unclog a toilet after flushing condoms:

Solution 1: Push It Out With a Plunger

A toilet plunger is the most popular bathroom maintenance tool, so make sure to try it first. The procedure is simple: insert the plunger in the toilet and connect it to the outlet’s porcelain surface.

When it forms a vacuum seal, you can start plunging. Push the plunger down and pull it up many times — that’s the way to generate pressure and break the clogs in the sewer pipes. When you hear a bubbling sound deep down the drain, the clog is gone.

You can test the pipes by flushing your toilet several times. If it works normally, you’ve broken the condom barrier.

Solution 2: Drill With a Toilet Auger

Toilet augers may be a better solution if the clog is deep inside the toilet drain. In this case, plungers can’t reach the clog, and you need a longer tool. The toilet auger is a metal wire with sharp edges, so it can break or even pull clogs with ease.

Put the sharp end of the drill in the toilet bowl and start rotating the rubber handle clockwise. It will push the auger and enable it to penetrate the outlet pipe until the tool reaches the clog.

If it stops moving, you should apply more pressure to crack the clog. Try harder, but don’t push the auger too hard — it might break the pipe, especially if it’s old and made of plastic.

The auger will continue progressing as soon as it breaches the barrier. After that, you can pull it out and test the toilet by flushing it repeatedly.

Solution 3: Pour Dish Soap to Lubricate the Clog

You can hardly break condoms with chemicals, but you can use dish soap to lubricate the clog and help it slip through the pipes. If there is no danger of overflowing, pour a cup of dish soap into the toilet.

After that, you can pour a bucket of hot water to give soap the extra push. Don’t use boiling water because it may damage the porcelain bowl and cause hairline cracks.

When dish soap and hot water reach the condom barrier, they will make it slippery. If the clog is not too large, it should be slippery enough to move further down the path and go to the septic tank or the sewer.

Solution 4: Use Vinegar and Baking Soda

Another interesting idea is to use vinegar and baking soda. The couple serves a similar purpose as dish soap, so it’s up to you to pick the preferred solution.

Combine a cup of baking soda and two cups of vinegar, and pour it into the toilet bowl. Cover the mix with a bucket of hot water and let it flow through the pipes. Don’t flush the toilet for at least 20 minutes because that’s how long it takes for the solution to work.

After that, you should hear water gurgling and taking condoms with it.

Solution 5: Call a Plumber

Number five is the worst-case scenario, but you need to be ready for it. Call a plumber to unclog your toilet if you don’t know or want to do it yourself. A professional plumber will bring the tools, so you don’t need to do anything.

The only problem is the price tag — it’s much costlier to invest in toilet plumbing than to buy a plunger or an auger. But if you’re not afraid of costly repairs, feel free to do it.

Other Things You Should Never Throw In the Toilet

Another thing you should remember is that toilets don’t dissolve anything but human waste and toilet paper. Their purpose is not to digest other items such as Q tips, hair, nails, or baby wipes.

You also can’t flush food waste, hygiene products, cigarette butts, tampons, cleaning wipes, drugs, plastic bags, and similar items in the toilet. Flush systems should only cope with human feces, urine, and toilet paper.

The Bottom Line

So can you flush condoms down the toilet? We hope you learned the lesson and figured out that disposing of condoms down the toilet is a bad idea. A garbage bin is a much better and eco-friendlier alternative.

If your toilet forms a clog due to condoms, use an auger or a plunger to break it. You can also try dish soap or a combination of vinegar and baking soda. We know you can pull it off easily, but don’t make it an excuse for flushing condoms down the toilet again.

FAQ