January 15, 2025, 4:26 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
The daily grooming routine usually involves combing your hair at least once a day. Over time, hair collects in the brush, which then needs to be cleaned. But what to do with all the hair? Just dispose of it in the toilet?
The toilet seems to be the ideal place to make waste disappear quickly. When you cut your hair in the bathroom or clean your brushes and combs, you can simply flush the waste – in this case, hair – down the toilet. However, this raises the question of whether this could potentially block the drain. If hair is already knotted on your head, it can also get caught in the pipe, right?
Disposing of Hair in the Toilet – Yes or No?
It’s easy to flush combed or cut hair down the toilet for convenience. “In principle, hair is one of the things that can be disposed of in small quantities in the wastewater because it is part of the domestic wastewater that we flush down the shower, sink, or toilet,” explains Andreas Braun from the German Central Association for Sanitary, Heating and Air Conditioning (ZVSHK) to myHOMEBOOK. However, there are two things to bear in mind: Pipes are not always smooth on the inside. It is, therefore, quite possible for longer hairs to get stuck in the pipe. In addition, hair lasts a relatively long time and does not simply dissolve.
It can be particularly problematic if long hair is regularly flushed down the drain after brushing. “However, with a normal accumulation of hair, for example, if you occasionally clean your comb or brush, it shouldn’t be a problem to flush the hair down the toilet,” says the expert. And even with long hair: “The drain pipes are generally forgiving of the occasional tangle of hair.” In most cases, the flushed items will also carry them away again. Nevertheless, there is a certain risk: “If hair is regularly flushed down the toilet, it can also collect in the drain and lead to blockages.”
Note: In general, only toilet paper and excrement should be disposed of via the toilet. Hair, kitchen roll, wet wipes, condoms, and hygiene products such as tampons and sanitary towels, on the other hand, do not belong down the drain.
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Conclusion
Hair does not normally cause blockages in the living area as the wastewater from the toilet is strong enough to flush it away. It is, therefore, unproblematic to occasionally dispose of small amounts of hair in the toilet, such as when cleaning the brush. However, you should refrain from disposing of hair down the drain, as this can lead to blockages under certain circumstances. It is better to dispose of hair in the household waste.