Am I the only one who thought tampons were flushable?!

[sunseaandme]

I'm 32, and only recently have I discovered tampons aren't flushable. I always thought they were, I can't remember where this thought came from, I assume my mum told me they were when I started my period, but that pads were obviously not flushable. I feel so guilty for flushing them all this time (obviously I won't do it anymore!). Am I the only one?? I realise I probably sound like an idiot as it probably says on the packet not to flush them but I never thought to check 🙈

I have known they were not flushable.

I didn’t know either, although had already switched to mooncup when I heard about not flushing them

I didn't know, in fact I actively thought they were, for 25 years. The minute I realised I stopped flushing them but too little too late.

Tampons come out sometimes what part is weird?

The part I think is weird is the part I quoted, and replied to 🤷🏻‍♀️

I think you and others are just been self righteous quite frankly.

How is it self-righteous to point out that it's not difficult to dispose of a tampon, which is what you said 🤔 I think you've misunderstood the word!

Okay luv not like there’s been endless ad campaigns, bright images on packages you’ve clearly failed to notice and lots of social media ads to not flush them - being ignorant isn’t kwl xxx

In fact, your whole reply was a little bit pathetic and you need to get over yourself.

@MrsBennetsPoorNerves

Yes, you're right - older packaging did say the tampons were also flushable (just not the one PP posted)

As another poster said, this meant they could be flushed - but not necessarily that they should.

I also flushed them probably into my 20s, but that's over 20 years ago now so I'm still surprised at people not realising since then!

That's fair enough!!!

It's all very well for the pearl clutchers to rant "OMG you idiots, it's so obvious. How could you not have known?" but they were definitely sold as flushable, our mothers told us they were flushable, in school we were also told that they were flushable. Nowhere was there any indication that they weren't.

This. It was one of the main advantages to using them, their easy flushablility compared to pads. Those sanitary bins weren't in every cubicle of every public toilet in my youth. In a row of 10 toilets there might only be one or two with bins and they probably had no loo roll left! It was embarrassing basically informing everyone in a toilet queue that you were on your period, by needing to wait for a different toilet cubicle with a bin in it to come free. Using tampons and flushing them stopped that. Also with friends or relatives who didn't have a bin in their home toilet, problem solved by using tampons and flushing them. No sound of the pad being peeled off your knickers for everyone to hear, with flushable tampons you could have your period in private without anyone knowing. Which was nice. It was a big part of the advertising.

Apart from Mumsnet last year, I've never seen any information anywhere about not flushing them. I don't see ads so I was unaware of ad campaigns. If I know how to use a product I don't read the instructions on the box or the leaflet inside. I've never seen anything in any public toilets about not flushing tampons, although I don't sit there reading the notices generally. I'm not surprised there's people who are still unaware.

There's a new company marketing pads they're calling flushable now which is thoroughly irresponsible in my opinion. Nothing should be flushed except pee poo puke and the miniyof toilet paper. Everything else clogs filters and can end up on the beach or in the sea.

Wrap in paper and put in bin. Empty bin daily. Either that or use reusables which I know doesn't appeal to everyone but is significantly better for the environment

Even wipes marketed as flushable should go in the bin not down the loo. The issue is not just will it go down the toilet but will it tangle up with other debris and fat to create a blockage.

There's another thread at the moment where 'flushable' wipes are being mentioned.

That something can be flushed doesn't mean it should be. It will flush - disappear when the toilet flushes - but won't biodegrade. So causes sanitary, plumbing & environmental problems.

A significant number of us (me included) did not appreciate this 30 or so years ago.

I really can't understand how people don't now though - regardless of signs on doors or packaging in products, given the dominance of environmental & waste issues (not just regarding tampons).

I have always flushed them 😳

We used to flush pads in the 80s but after a blockage in our street of 5 houses with lots of females, were told not too.

I've been curious why people put posters on the back of toilet doors still saying "don't flush anything bit toilet paper" - I thought everyone knew by now!

I don’t think it’s ranting to be surprised that people are still following advice which has been out of date for more than 30 years. In that time the advice on so many things from diet, health and safety to pregnancy safe foods etc has changed dramatically.

I was told they were when I was in health class taught by school. I've only just got to know that they weren't a couple of months ago.
Unfortunately, the fact that I thought they were flushable was greatly appealing to me.

Slightly off topic, but this thread has given me a flashback to the public toilets in my home town in the 80s. God they were horrible. Metal toilets - no seat or lid, with a pull down flush which was often broken, dirty, brown tiles, grot everywhere on the floor because they were never cleaned, no toilet paper, maybe cold water in the tap if you were lucky, and definitely no soap.

In the 1960s I often used to walk along a section of the beach where there was a sewage outfall pipe.

I remember seeing plenty of beigey things (which as an adult I eventually realised were used condoms) but nothing connected with periods. I would have been desperately embarrassed if I had. The pads and tampons must have degraded before they got back to the shore.

I heard of, but never saw, things washed up on the beach. I always thought it was down to "bad" sewage companies disposing of raw sewage into the sea instead of treating it. I never known what sewage treatment actually is, I assumed some kind of chemical treatment to dissolve everything solid and make it safe to put into the sea. It's only on this thread I've learned the "unflushables" have to be manually removed.

I guess there is is little chance then that anyone other than felloe septic tank owners knowing that you shouldn't flush tissues (as opposed to toilet roll) then?

Nope no chance! Never heard this until now. TBH I always carry a tissue in my bag, if public toilets don't want it down there they need to service them more regularly and make sure there's always loo roll available. Some are excellent but some not so much.

I'm past that stage, but definitely was told at school that they were. Presumably the public health or environmental view has changed and hence the advice.

I guess there is is little chance then that anyone other than felloe septic tank owners knowing that you shouldn't flush tissues (as opposed to toilet roll) then?

No. I thought tissues were a perfectly good option if there wasn't any toilet paper. Tissue was/is just expensive toilet paper...but it isn't? It disintegrates as easily when wet

I’m shocked! I was told by mum 20 years ago all products should be binned, when is started periods

You both sound very young.

I'm in my 30s too and was taught at school to flush not only tampons but pads! Torn in half vertically for all the good it did.

Jeez all this bickering about whether people did know or should have known is pointless. We only know what we know. Little point making people feel bad, they can't exactly retrieve the flushed items.

No it doesn't apparently. Toilet roll is designed to disintegrate very quickly when wet but tissues are specifically made to absorb fluid and not to disintegrate as easily. There's some kind of binder in facial tissues that means they hold their form better when wet and when they do get flushed they tend to form a big lumps rather than dissolve. Same with paper towels and kitchen roll though I imagine they are even worse as they are thicker. The problem with tissues is that because they look so similar to toilet roll lots of people, not unreasonably really, assume they are made of the same stuff, but actually they're not.