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Accidentally Flushed Cleaning Rag

archonwarparchonwarp Registered User regular
edited September 2009 in Help / Advice Forum
I was cleaning my bathroom, and I think i accidentally flushed the cleaning rag down the toilet along with the bleach water. I've flushed twice since then with no problems, but I'm worried it might become clogged and cause a world of problems. The toilet is in a basement where the pipes don't have many curves or drop offs prior to the sewer. The rag was one of the small-sized wash cloths and was in a slightly worn state before the cleaning. Should I go get a snake, or will it work its way into the city pipes?

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archonwarp on

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    Eat it You Nasty Pig.Eat it You Nasty Pig. tell homeland security 'we are the bomb'Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    If the toilet is still flushing, that probably means the rag is past the point that you could get at it with a snake (at least, unless you have some sort of real serious plumbing equipment.

    It probably flushed down just fine.

    Eat it You Nasty Pig. on
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    archonwarparchonwarp Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    Good to hear. My dad said the same thing, and I really wasn't looking forward to a plumbing catastrophe. I'll keep an eye on it for a few days and call a plumber if it starts to stop up. Thanks.

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    Seattle ThreadSeattle Thread Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    Got any trees or large bushes in your yard? Especially around the area where the sewer line runs to the street? If so, there could be some roots worming their way into the pipe... and if so, that rag could easily catch on 'em and obstruct the pipe. You may not notice anything right away--depending on how the rag catches, it could be days or weeks before a significant build-up blocks the pipe--but keep an eye out.

    Ain't much you can do in the meantime. You could run a camera down there just to be sure, but that typically costs $1000ish. Meanwhile, if you pay close attention to the basement toilet you'll know if something is up... since that's the lowest point of entry into the main sewer line, that's where the water's going to come up if/when the line gets blocked. Well, that and any floor drains or a tub/shower you might have down there.

    Keep an eye on those drains for a month. If you see water coming up the drain when you flush one of the toilets, call a plumber and have him bring a mainline machine. It'll likely run about $300-500, but it's all you can do. If you don't see anything after, say, a month you should be in the clear.

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Penny Arcade Forums› Help / Advice Forum