Best Toilet Paper to Prevent Clogging Your Plumbing
We tested toilet paper breakdown, and this is what happened.
Why Choosing the Right Toilet Paper Matters
Toilets can clog for various reasons, but one factor that often goes unnoticed is the type of toilet paper used. While all toilet paper eventually dissolves, the speed at which it breaks down is crucial. Slow-dissolving toilet paper can become trapped in your pipes, leading to potential clogs. If you have an older toilet, poor plumbing, a septic system, or children who love to watch toilet paper disappear down the toilet, it’s essential to choose the right toilet paper.
To uncover the best options, I went to my local store, loaded my cart with popular toilet paper brands, and put them to the test. I received a few strange looks, but I was determined to discover which toilet paper is best for plumbing systems. Here are my results.
The Toilet Paper Test
To test how quickly toilet paper disintegrates in water, I focused solely on its breakdown speed, ignoring factors like environmental impact, cost, or comfort. I aimed to find the toilet paper that dissolves the fastest.
The testing process was simple enough to replicate at home. I gathered nine rolls of popular toilet paper brands, dropped two squares of each into water, and let them soak for 15 minutes. Afterward, I stirred to simulate a single flush and attempted to scoop the pieces out of the water. The toilet paper that barely held together passed the test. The results were both stunning and clear.
Toilet Paper Ratings: Bad
Quilted Northern Ultra Plush
This 3-ply toilet paper, marketed as “ultra plush,” performed the worst. It barely broke down, emerging from the water thick and nearly intact. There’s little doubt it could cause a clog—proceed with caution.
Cottonelle Ultra Comfort Care
Despite being a 2-ply option, Cottonelle Ultra Comfort Care also performed poorly, coming out long, clumpy, and mostly intact. It would likely take a significant amount of time to break down in your pipes.
Toilet Paper Ratings: Okay
Charmin Ultra Soft & Charmin Ultra Strong
Between these two similar products, Charmin Ultra Soft broke down slightly better than Ultra Strong. While both performed better than Quilted Northern Ultra Plush, neither was particularly impressive. A child could easily clog a toilet using too much of this plush tissue.
EverSpring Recycled
This 100% recycled bath tissue, which boasts FSC Certification and no chlorine bleach, dyes, or fragrances, didn’t pass the test either. It came out as one long, soggy sheet, similar to Charmin Ultra Strong.
Kirkland Signature Bath Tissue & Smartly
These two budget brands from Costco and Target performed slightly better than the previously mentioned products. However, in a side-by-side comparison, they were still clumpy and hardly broken down.
Toilet Paper Ratings: Best
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