Children are one of the biggest hazards to your household plumbing. They just love putting things in places where they don’t go. Once they get their hands on something, it’s a just a matter of time before they figure out how much fun it is to watch them disappear in a swirling fury.
Luckily, there are products on the market to childproof your toilet. These work as long as you remember to close the lid. But, the minute you forget, be prepared to roll up your sleeves and dive in. Kids will throw toys, clothing, and food; just about anything in your toilet. Another problem arises when they begin to potty-train. They struggle to comprehend the amount of toilet paper that should be used. The wads of paper back up your toilet causing a massive mess. Worse, the clog can get stuck further down in your main line and cause a full sewage backup into your home.
To help avoid a stinky situation, there are a few tips we’d like to pass along. Ultimately, you know your child best so figure out the best way to approach them so that they’ll understand.
- Place a line of tape on the wall below the toilet paper roll. It should measure the amount of paper you deem acceptable for the job.
- Create a counting game. Kids love to count; perhaps they can count the squares or the number of times the paper is rolled around their hand.
- Hide the toilet paper and only give them the amount they need.
- Pre-measure. You can lay out one to two ‘uses’ at a time. Children will get used to seeing the right amount and learn what is considered appropriate.
- Tie a piece of yarn or string or a piece of ribbon to the TP roll holder. Cut it to the length of toilet paper your child should use. They’ll have fun measuring. Use a black sharpie to mark out the inches and you’ll be teaching them about measurements at the same time.
Above all else, talk it out with your child. They are so receptive and soak up so much information. They’ll appreciate being treated like a ‘big kid’ and it will help toilet training go much more smoothly. In the long run, you’ll save yourself from the potential disaster a sewage back up will cause.
Of course, sometimes kids are just downright sneaky and your keys and jewelry along with whatever else they can get their hands on gets flushed away without your knowledge. After some time, you may notice your toilet flushing or a sink draining more slowly. This is a good warning that you have a clog somewhere in your system which will eventually cause a backup.
If you find yourself in the midst of a disaster, call the pros at Restore Pro. We will clean and sanitize the affected area to prevent spreading illnesses and bacteria from sewage water. We’ll work with you to create a cleanup plan that will restore your home.
For more information regarding our Sewage Cleanup Service, call us at 781-664-9800 or visit our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/RestorePro911.
