We'll say it again: No wipes in the pipes!

Baby wipes, personal care wipes, bleach or cleaning wipes, makeup removing wipes...none of them belong in your toilet unless you really like your plumber. Seriously, don't flush even if the package says "flushable."

John Nelson, owner of John the Plumber, explains, "Manufacturers put that label on their packages to sell wipes. Sure, they flush but they don't break down. That means they end up clogging your sewer line, floating in your septic tank or ending up in the waste water treatment facility."

What else should not go in the toilet? "Anything stringy like hair or tooth floss, cat litter or cat waste that's been in litter and, of course, feminine hygiene products and condoms," John says. "Toilets and the lines connected to them are designed to handle bodily wastes and toilet paper. That's it."

John shared with us stories of things that have been flushed down the toilet, either on purpose or accidentally.

"Children are the biggest culprits. They like to watch things swirl and go down the toilet. Adults can be just as bad, for other reasonsthough. If something of low value falls into the toilet like a wash cloth, they decide to flush it instead of retrieving it. Not a good idea. When we pumped septic tanks we would find all sorts of things in the tank that shouldn't have been there like potato chip bags and cookie wrappers," he said.

People flush potato chip bags down the toilet? "Yep," John laughs. "We figure it's parents hiding from the kids and sneak eating in the bathroom or kids hiding the packages from the parents. Either way, the packages don't dissolve and the evidence will be found floating in the septic tank."

The holiday season brings an increase in phone calls to the plumber and he'd like to help you to not have to make that call. "Most people call the day after Thanksgiving 'Black Friday' but we call it 'Brown Friday.'" John explains. "That's because the increased number of guests in the home can cause issues with sewer/septic lines. Also, there is often a lot of laundry being done, either as part of cleaning or by the guests themselves. And every year, we get a call because someone has decided to put potato peels in the disposal. We will be open that day but we'd prefer to spend it with our loved ones so if customers can take certain steps, we can all have a better holiday weekend."

If you need a plumber, call John the Plumber at (661) 823-4087 or (760) 373-7050. You can also email him at [email protected] or send him a message via his John the Plumber Facebook page.

Happy Holidays to all!