Flushing a toilet after doing your business is considered one of the mandatory things to do after getting up from the toilet seat. However, some people do not flush, or the kid’s bathroom can remain unflushed for a long time, as they can forget to press the button when leaving the bathroom.
What Happens If You Don’t Flush a Toilet For Months? It causes a foul smell, mineral deposits, drain flies or other critters, urine and water stains, and fungus growth inside the toilet bowl if you do not flush a toilet for months. The stubborn stains and the limescale deposits can make the cleaning difficult and more time-consuming. It is better to flush the toilet once daily to solve these problems and pour bleach or chlorine if you are gone for a long time.
Flushing the waste inside the bowl is essential, as it can save you and your loved ones from diseases and an unhealthy environment.
Therefore, it is better to educate all children and family members about the importance of properly flushing the toilet.
What can happen if you do not flush a toilet for months?
Not flushing the toilet for months can cause the following problems: You may have to replace the plumbing fixture if the condition worsens.
Foul smell
The water and urine in the bowl can cause a foul smell in the bathroom because of the smell causing germs and bacteria.
The sewer gases can leak, which not only causes a stingy odor in this place and dangerous if you inhale it.
In addition, the stagnant water and waste products accumulate in the P-traps and release the smell after a few months if you do not flush them.
It creates an unhygienic environment in the bathroom, and the obnoxious smell makes this plumbing fixture unusable for users when you use it after a long time.
Mineral deposits
The elements, such as calcium, magnesium, lime, and other compounds in hard water, cause mineral deposits inside the bowl and around the edges.
The yellow rings around the rim of the plumbing fixture make it look unhygienic and unpleasant if you do not clean it for a long time.
The dissolved minerals accumulation in the stagnant water inside the drain causes rust and corrosion on the metal components, and the plumbing fixture may worn-out over time.
Drain flies and other insects
It can cause drain flies and moths inside the toilet if you do not flush the drain pipes and waste standing inside the drains for a few months. Drains flies love to live in moist places and can lay eggs in stagnant water.
Moreover, rats, cockroaches, frogs, and bugs, can come out of a toilet that is not used for months.
Maintaining the toilets can reduce the chances of drain flies and other insects in the bathroom because they are attracted to moist, dark, and warm places.
Urine or water stains inside the bowl
The urine stains inside the toilet bowl can remain around the rim and bowl if you avoid flushing for months or leave a dirty plumbing fixture after going on a vacation.
The stain becomes stubborn over time and becomes brown or dark yellow when you visit your bathroom after a few months.
In addition, the reaction of water with the waste products can cause urine crystals to deposit around the rim, and you will hesitate to use the toilet in this condition.
The water stains can also cause the plumbing fixture to look unsanitary, and the waste inside the toilet can cause blemishing and permanent stains.
Bacteria and fungus growth
The bacteria and fungus are the residents of water and humidity, and they can grow inside the toilet bowl if you do not use this plumbing fixture for a few months or do not flush after using it.
The fungus and mold can cause green and black lines around the upper edges and rim of the toilet and cause germs and diseases to spread.
The bacteria and mold accumulation make the toilet look old and can affect the functionality of this plumbing fixture if you do not maintain it correctly.
Challenging to clean
It makes cleaning exhausting and more time-consuming if you come after a few months of vacation and find the fixture in worse condition.
The stains and the mineral deposits get stubborn over time, and it becomes difficult to clean them.
You may have to use harsh or abrasive cleaners that can damage the surface, especially if the toilet has a porcelain or ceramic surface.
You can change the plumbing fixture if the stains are difficult to remove because they make the toilet look deformed and disgusting.
I applied harsh cleaners to remove the rust and yellow rings around the bowl after returning from vacation.
However, it caused the finisher on the porcelain surface to peel off and cracks inside the toilet. Therefore, it is better to avoid using toxic chemicals on its surface and go with gentle cleaning.
How often should you flush a toilet you don’t use?
It is better to flush an unused toilet only once a day, and the flushing for the frequently used toilet depends on the number of people using it.
For example, you can flush the plumbing fixture more often if five to six people use it daily, and it is better if every person do this before leaving the bathroom.
It will make the other one use it without any mess inside the bowl and smell in this place.
Cleaning the unused fixture, such as the toilet in the guest bathroom, once a day, can save you from the embarrassment if the guest comes and they have to use the smelly and unhygienic bathroom.
Why do people avoid frequent flushing of the toilet?
Some people do not flush this fixture for a long time, and the following can be the reasons for it.
To save water and money
It takes almost 6 to 7 liters of water every time you press the handle to flush the waste, and the amount of water for 5 to 6 flushes for every single person in the house can be 35 to 42 liters.
A lot of water is wasted in flushing; therefore, people avoid frequent flushing to save water, eventually saving water bills and money.
It is better to flush after using the fixture three to four times to prevent smell in the bathroom.
Flushing a toilet spread germs
It can cause germs and bacteria inside the bowl to spread in the air when you press the button, and the water and urine droplets inside the bowl can get on your clothes or body.
According to research, flushing with the lid removed can cause the pathogens and bacteria to disperse in the air or on the floor and increase health problems.
The bacteria in human waste can remain in the air for five to six hours after flushing, and it is recommended to flush with the lid closed to prevent germs and bacteria in the air.
Unused toilet
Some people do not bother to flush the new toilets in the bathroom, such as the bathroom under the stairs.
The bathroom in my garage remains closed and is used less if a plumber or an outsider comes for some renovation work.
The smell and yellow rings around the bowl looked annoying when I came home and went to check the bathroom.
The smell in this place is so disgusting because of the sewer gases accumulated inside the pipes, and I flushed the fixtures two to three to let the standing water flow and suppress the sewer gases.
What do you put in a toilet when gone for months?
I went for two months’ holidays to my grandmother’s house, and the toilet in my bathroom remained unused for two months, as no one was there to use this fixture.
I had a bad experience of not flushing the fixture for a long time; therefore, I cleaned the toilet thoroughly and added half a cup of chlorine inside the bowl to prevent foul smell and bacteria growth.
You can sprinkle baking soda there and do use water to remove the dirt and debris from the drain pipes, and then add a cup of bleach before leaving for a long holiday.
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