To say "please don't flush tampons"?

[JugsAndSoap]

Today I have had to tell two friends that they can't flush tampons down the toilet. (In my case the subject came about because we have a septic tank, but two fully grown adults had no idea that they shouldn't flush them anyway).
AIBU to have thought that "everyone" knew that? I assumed it was common knowledge but maybe not as common as I thought...

To be honest I had no idea you weren’t supposed to flush tampons until a few years ago and I’m 57!

Yeah times change and many of us didn’t get the memo until much later. When I was growing up the official advice (on the packets even!) was to flush them! Don’t know what we were all thinking

I've definitely come across a few people on here that didn't have a clue apparently, although it does say it in nearly every public toilet I've been in. Not sure how so many people could miss that.

Ah thanks Biscuit, I didn't know about that on the packets, that makes more sense!

YANBU. But this is a strange place where people don't have bins in their bathrooms. So dread to think what they do with them!

I was always told their were safe to flush. Last year our shared drain was blocked and the man from dynorod opened it up to be greeted by lots of used tampons floating around. I use the bin now.

It still tells you on some packaging that it's flushable obv not the plastic bit !

That was back in the 80s FWIW. Possibly many young women today were told by their mothers etc that they could flush them, and so it goes on! A friend told me off for flushing one at her house 20 years ago and that’s how I found out not to do it

I'll hang my head in shame

I was told to flush them - until recently when my parents had the drain in the garden overflow with baby wipes and tampons across the lawn

Never flushed them since

@GiveMeFood12 Oh no! At least you know now. Our shared drain became blocked some time back but I use a mooncup, so when it was found to be full of tampons it was an awkward conversation with the neighbours.

I only found out you shouldn’t flush them a few years ago from mumsnet. Definitely taught to flush back in the 80s/90s. Remember being taught to rip sanitary towels in half and flush them too.

I wonder what it would take to have a filtration system that made flushing them a non issue.

I’m sure if men had periods there would be a system in place so flushing them wasn’t an issue.

We were told to flush, the packets said to! It's only through otters spreading the message that we find out that's wrong advice.

I've never flushed a tampon. There were always bins available so it seemed logical to me that you would just use those, it never crossed my mind to flush them.

I do really hate it when you go to visit someone and they have no bin in their toilet. What are you supposed to do with tampons or sanitary towels? Disgusting to even think about it...

But it's says on the back of the box that they are flushable

Others spreading the message, although otters would be much more fun.

Mine say not to flush them (tampax and lillets)

otters spreading the message

Most tampons are flushable, tbh there is absolutely no difference between a tampon and toilet roll and a big old fat 💩

But it's says on the back of the box that they are flushable hmm

Yes, in a way that they will flush, the same way wipes do, but not that they are safe to flush and that's a good idea to be flushed.

They clog up sewers, kill birds and animals and litter beaches. Please don't.

I was taught in school (early 90s) that you should flush them, and in the little booklets they gave out, as confirmed by my mother and the packaging.

When I first started seeing signs about not putting in 'sanitary products' I assumed wrongly they meant sanitary towels, which I knew couldn't be flushed, and not tampons.

Maybe if people were less embarrassed/ euphemistic I would have got the message sooner.

Toilet Tissue and turds break down in water, tampons dont. They mix together with fats and wipes and form huge fatbergs that block the sewers

Period Info Otter

Most tampons are flushable, tbh there is absolutely no difference between a tampon and toilet roll and a big old fat 💩

Loo roll and human waste disintegrate, tampons do not. There is a huge difference.

Which boxes tell you they can be flushed as none if mine do?

I definitely remember having the period talk in primary school (early 90s) and we were told to flush it all down the loo so that's what I did for years until a few years ago I found out on here you werent supposed to flush tampons towels or baby wipes down the loo.

The mind does boggle as to why it's still allowed to say flushable on the pack