To perform well, toilet paper needs to be strong, soft, and comfortable when we’re using it. It also needs to break down quickly once it’s flushed. If it doesn’t break down quickly after flushing then it is a risk for clogging pipes and septic systems.
How Do You Know If Your Toilet Paper Is Breaking Down
If you look into your septic tank and see a bunch of toilet paper floating on top of the water, that is not good. Many of the thicker brands of toilet paper do not break down and dissolve easy enough for your septic to manage. This can lead to clogged pipes, filters and drainage systems.
Having a good source of toilet paper in your septic system is a good thing. The pulp from the paper provides the needed nitrogen to aid in the composting process of the solids. If the toilet paper is to heavy it will not brake down fast enough and cause problems.
A good toilet paper should get the job done and brake down and dissolve easy.
“A good rule of thumb is to use toilet paper that is just thick enough to get the job done.”
This way when your house hold is using so much toilet paper your septic will be able to manage it.
Brands
Cheap Store brands can break down easiest because they’re very thin, 1 or 2 ply. But if you do not want to sacrifice comfort for healthy plumbing pipes then a biodegradable or recycled brand would be the next best.
Doing a toilet paper dissolve test we can easily see which brands to avoid.
The Cottonelle with Aloe and Ripples was the thickest in this test and the most premium brand and it did NOT dissolve at all. This paper would take forever to break down in your septic and could easily lead to clogging your system. Where Charmin Ultra Soft a standard premium toilet paper did dissolve better than other premium brands, but it still not as good as the cheap thin stuff.