A blocked toilet or sink is never ideal. The good news is that many blockages can be avoided by being careful about what goes down the drain. 

Here are a few simple things you can do to help keep everything flowing properly. 

What can I flush down the toilet?

The safest rule is simple: only flush toilet paper and human waste down the toilet.

Avoid flushing things like:

  • wet wipes, including wipes labelled as flushable

  • nappies

  • sanitary products

  • cotton buds and cotton pads

  • paper towels and kitchen roll

  • food

  • fats, oils and grease

  • anything made from plastic.

These items don't break down in the same way as toilet paper and can build up in pipes, causing blockages.

What shouldn't go down the sink?

It can be tempting to wash leftover food or cooking oil down the sink, but over time this can cause problems.

Try to keep these out of your sink:

  • cooking oil and fat

  • food scraps

  • coffee grounds

  • anything that could get stuck in the pipe.

Allow cooking fats to cool before putting them in a suitable container and disposing of them in your household waste.

Using a sink strainer can also help catch bits of food before they disappear down the plughole. 

What about the bathroom?

Hair and products can gradually build up in bathroom sinks, showers and baths.

Regularly removing hair around plugholes can help prevent a bigger blockage developing. 

My sink is blocked. What can I do?

If the water is draining slowly or not draining at all, there are some simple things you may be able to try yourself.

Watch our video on how to unblock a sink.

Our engineer talks through some of the common causes of blocked sinks and what you can safely do to get things moving again. 

My toilet is blocked. What can I do?

If your toilet isn't flushing properly or the water isn't clearing as usual, don't keep flushing it. This could cause the water level to rise or overflow. 

Watch our video on how to unblock a toilet.

Our engineer explains what you can try to unblock your toilet. 

Still having problems?

If you've tried the steps above and the blockage hasn't cleared, or you're worried there could be a bigger problem, please report the repair to us. 

If there's an immediate risk to your home, such as sewage coming back into the property or water overflowing and causing damage, please contact us as soon as possible.