Now playing on a silver screen near you, the Clog Monster is finally making his Hollywood debut. He's made his way from the dark, dank sewers and is now taking over your favorite films! Not only is the Clog Monster mucking up your movie time, but he and his fatbergs are causing damage to your plumbing and local sewers.
Underneath the city streets is a hidden world where Clog Monsters, fatbergs, and pizza reign supreme. We must all do our part to protect our wastewater systems. Always look for the "Do Not Flush" symbol on wipes packaging.
Without even knowing it, you may be helping feed the Clog Monster. For example, you may think you can flush any wipe down the toilet, but more than 90% of wipes sold are not designed to be flushed. When you dump non-flushables in the toilet, the Clog Monster becomes more powerful!
Experience the legend. Feel the might. Prepare for the return of King...Clog?
However, you can do your part to help stop the Clog Monster. On Flush Smart Day every July (and TBH, every day), be a hero and use these five tips to defeat the Clog Monster!
Let's keep "artifacts" out of our pipes. Look for the "Do Not Flush" symbol on wipes packaging. That way you can avoid snaking out your drain.
1. Look for the sign
To help defeat the Clog Monster, you need to know how to spot a non-flushable item. You can figure out if an item will help the Clog Monster by looking for the "Do Not Flush" symbol. If you see it, always toss that wipe in the trash, and never the toilet, and keep it out of the villain's grasp.
2. Don't feed the clog monster
The Clog Monster can't become more powerful if he doesn't have food. Make sure to keep the following items away from your toilet:
- Baby wipes
- Period products
- Cleaning wipes
- Makeup wipes
- Cotton balls, pads or swabs
- Dental floss
- Hair
- Paper towels or rags
- Trash
- Cat litter
- Medicine
By keeping these Clog Monster foods out of the toilet, you can help stop him in his tracks before he can cause more destruction to your city.
3. Make a trap
What you pour down the toilet and sink can also create fatbergs and help the Clog Monster take over. When fats, oils and greases (FOG) collect in the pipes with non-flushables, they create the Clog Monster's henchmen, the fatbergs. These large, rock-like foes can grow and grow, eventually clogging pipes and sewers and causing water pollution.
To keep FOG out of the reach of the Clog Monster, make a trap! Grab an empty vegetable or soup can, decorate the outside, and pour cooking oils into it to keep them trapped. You can find instructions on how to make your FOG can here.
4. Warn others
Many citizens may not know about the Clog Monster, so it's your job to warn them! When friends and family come to visit, make sure to let them know what they can and can't flush down the toilet. You can even make signs to put on or near the toilet with pictures of what needs to be thrown away. Once you've warned them, they can go on and warn others, so everyone can work together to defeat the Clog Monster.
5. Better safe than sorry
If you can't tell if an item is Clog Monster food, read the packaging for disposal instructions. If you're still unsure, don't take a chance and accidentally help the villain. When in doubt, throw it out!
Using these five tips, you can be a hero and help defeat the Clog Monster and his fatberg minions and protect your home, the sewers and the environment.
Under the sea...Under the sea...Darling, it's better, down where there's no Clog Monsters, under the sea. Keep our environment healthy and sewer systems functioning by using #FlushSmart habits.
In celebration of Flush Smart Day, watch the Clog Monster movie trailer and make your own movie poster. To see all the movie posters, head to FlushSmart.org/resources, where you can print out a coloring page and unleash your creativity! Once it's done, have an adult snap a photo and tag @FlushSmart on social media.
Make your own movie poster to stop the Clog Monster! Just print, color, and use the hashtag #FlushSmart when posting to social media.
Remember to help keep the Clog Monster at bay, always look for the "Do Not Flush" symbol on wipes packaging. If you see it, that wipe goes in the trash and never the toilet.
