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...

I've always flushed them and am not planning to change my ways now - sorry!

That translates to 'im a selfish git and I don't care about anything but my own comfort'. Tampax, nappies, babywipes, who cares it's all flushable.

But on MN, bathroom bins are vile things. I find mine useful for things like used make-up remover pads, used sanitary products, wrappers and so on. I recycle anything recyclable.

I am late 30s and was told in school sex education that you can flush not just tampons but towels as well!!!!!!

dementedpixie not sure if your comment was in reference to mine but I sure didn’t read boxes either for anything but the absorbency. It happens! I’ve learnt and I hope others do too!

Sorry but to all the people saying they didn't know, have you never been in a public toilet where it says "please do not flush sanitary products down the toilet" or "please put sanitary products in the bin provided"?

I only found out about a month ago via another mums net thread that you shouldn't flush them. I'm nearly 30. I always assumed this was normal at home, and assumed signs in public toilets were due to a less efficient plumbing system than in private houses. But I only use sanitary towels now anyway which are bad for the environment I know but I'm not coffident enough to use a mooncup and worry about them leaking due to heavy period/getting stuck/not being very sanitary (no pun intended).

Drogosnextwife Yes, my (stupid) mother told me that’s for towels

Flushable doesn't mean they should be. To me that means it will flush away. You could flush socks, knickers, bank notes... doesn't mean you should!!

And for those that do still flush here's my tale of woe
Toilet seemed blocked. Called plumber/unblock person. Other toilet then blocked before he came out. As I lifted the lid to have another look, my toilets backed up and I had shit, which wasn't mine, all over my bathroom. It cost me £90 to have everything flushed out, unblocked etc. I'm immunocompromised so cleaning up was fun and the guy helped me as he felt so bad for me and gave me industrial stuff to help clean up

I don't flush anything. Turns out my neighbours use wipes (a LOT of them) and refuse to stop flushing so it will happen again

I was also told by my parents when I first started my period to rip sanitary towels in half and flush them too. But it was fucking gross and almost impossible to rip with all that plastic so after a short time I just binned them instead.

Never mind, perhaps the "flushers" out there will block their own soil pipes some day rather than their neighbours!

For anyone who is feeling a bit iffy about disposing tampons in the bin, I would recommend trying FabLittleBag. The bags are biodegradable and self-sealing. Really handy to have around.

My super horrendous periods are hard enough without having to wrap up a dripping with blood tampon up, that’s if it doesn’t shoot out the moment I sit down... sorry to be so graphic but I have enough to cope with without having to wrap up and dispose of a tampon while feeling sick and holding on to the wall trying not to faint while changing my tampon. It would be an absolute gore fest I’m afraid and yes it’s that bad for a few of us.

Why? What's so hard wrapping a tampon and putting it in the bin? Sorry you're having difficult periods, but so do many other women.

I didn't know that re tampons (don't use them anymore anyway but used to)

Growing up my mum told me to rip pads in half, and flush

Crazy hey!

I first used a tampon in the early 2000's and the box said to flush the card applicator and the tampon. I never flushed the applicator but I was using a cup before I read on here about not flushing the actual tampon. After my first month I didn't read a box again so didn't know the advice had changed. People don't read the box every month

I've always flushed them and am not planning to change my ways now - sorry!

Why? You know the damage they can do? Why won't you change your ways?

I've always flushed them and am not planning to change my ways now - sorry!

Shit attitude to have but hey, maybe you won't be so fast to flush when you've got tampons and shit flooding your bathroom.

can't stop laughing at "otters"

I had horrendous periods, as did my mother, but she always said "don't flush them even though the box says we can". She was right, obviously.

I was not taught anything by my mother or elsewhere...it still never crossed my mind to flush sanitary products. I always binned.
I can't help but think these people who say they never knew must be a bit dim.

I only learnt this about a year ago! Was taught originally to flush and also told to rip sanitary towels and flush those too.

Haven't flushed a sanitary towel for as long as I can remember for fear of blockage but naively thought tampons were different.

Thankfully I was directed to the light before any highly embarrassing plumbing disasters.

Makes me wonder what other things I'm merrily doing completely wrong in life...

I always assumed the signs in the toilets were for pads . I’m actually really surprised, I didn’t think it was any different to tissue.

Late 90's period-getting girl here and the advice then was to flush and never look back. I've always done so, unless there is a sign specifically saying not to (usually an old building).

I mustn't be signed up to the right menstruating newsletters because I've never heard you can't do it in your own home.

What's so hard wrapping a tampon and putting it in the bin? Sorry you're having difficult periods, but so do many other women.

I kind of know where that poster is coming from. My periods were so awful and so heavy that I ended up with a hysterectomy. Thanks, fibroids.

I was losing so much blood that as soon as I sat anywhere near the loo seat the tampon would just slide out. No need to pull any strings. Blood everywhere. Splattered all over the loo, all over my fingers, my legs. It was like a crime scene. Sometimes it's really not possible to catch it before it's in the loo. Although I did hone a smart technique with my hand inside a nappy sack which I'd catch the tampon in, then whisk it inside out, tie it up and dispose. But that's plastic bags and not ideal either.

People who don't suffer with heavy periods just don't get the scenes of utter carnage. When you're soaking through a super extra maxi ultra pad AND a tampon the size of a fence post in a couple of hours, or sleeping on a towel because you've ruined so many bedsheets, you'll know what it's like.

Perhaps time for manufacturers to make biodegradable tampons?

When I first started using tampax in the 1970s their advertising said they were made from fine pure cotton fibres. The tubes were cardboard and they were wrapped in thin paper. All biodegradable materials

I did not know this

I like to consider myself environmentally conscious as well but I think I may need to make myself more aware.

I am a 90s kid where we were told to flush them. Not sanitary towels though. I feel horrendously guilty for my 20 years worth of damage.

Awful 🙈

Looking up greener replacements now.