Most clogs occur when someone makes a quick decision and hopes for the best. After years of helping pros get the right parts fast, we’ve heard enough “how did that even get in there” stories to know the problem is rarely the pipes.
So we did some digging. We surveyed 1,000 Americans about what they’re flushing down the toilet. Then we went through 4,000+ Reddit posts and comments to see what people blame when things back up.
Key Takeaways
- 60% of Americans regularly flush items other than toilet paper, with Gen Z (63%) doing so the most often.
- 50% of Americans knowingly flush items that can cause clogs, and 45% have experienced a clog at least once because of it.
- Flushable wipes (28%) and hair (27%) are the two most commonly flushed non-TP items, followed by paper towels (15%), tampons (11%), and food scraps (10%). Among those who put flushable wipes down the drain, 37% do it daily or more frequently.
- 32% of Americans have had to call a plumber for a clog or toilet repair, and the average cost to fix a clog was $265.
- Across 4,425 plumbing-related posts on Reddit, foreign objects were the cause of 21% of clogs, and 478 posts (11% of all posts) mentioned DIY repairs gone wrong.
Who’s Flushing What
- Gen X has the highest toilet clog rate at 48%, followed by Gen Z (46%). But Gen Z is the most likely to have had a confirmed, intentional-flush clog (24%).
- Men are more likely to have experienced multiple clogs (28%) than women (20%).
- 63% of renters flushed non-TP items, compared to 59% of homeowners.
- 85% of Americans say they would stop flushing a product if they knew it would harm plumbing.
Why the “Flushable” Label Causes Confusion
- Flushable wipes are the most-flushed item (28%), and 37% of people who flush them do so daily or multiple times per day.
- 22% of Americans believe flushable labels are safe for home plumbing, and 23% aren’t sure. Only 36% know the flushable label is misleading.
- Millennials and Gen Z tie as the most likely to completely trust the flushable label (14%), followed by Gen X (12%). Men are more likely than women to trust the label completely (15% vs. 12%).
- Homeowners are more skeptical than renters: 40% of homeowners say the “flushable” label is meaningless vs. 33% of renters.
How Americans Try To Fix Clogs
- Gen X and Millennials carry the highest plumbing repair bills for clogged toilets, at $282 and $278, respectively.
- 45% of Americans have tried to fix the clog themselves before calling a plumber, including both men (49%) and women (42%).
- Gen Z reports the highest level of embarrassment, with 15% saying they have avoided calling a plumber because of what caused their clog.
- Renters (14%) are more likely than homeowners (11%) to feel too embarrassed to call.
DIY Attempts Gone Wrong
- Homeowners who attempted DIY were nearly twice as likely to make things worse as renters: 17% vs. 9%.
- Millennials are most likely to have worsened a problem by attempting their own repair.
Plumbing in the Age of AI
- 57% of Americans would consider using an AI chatbot for a plumbing diagnosis.
- Of those who tried AI for plumbing (11% of Americans), 60% say it helped fix their problem.
- Gen Z is simultaneously the most likely to have tried AI (11%) and the most resistant to it (39% say they would never use it).
- Baby boomers who used AI chatbots had the highest success rate: 9% used it, and most found it helpful.
What Reddit’s Plumbing Horror Stories Say About Real-World Clogs
- Across 4,425 plumbing-related posts on Reddit, foreign objects like keys, toys, and personal items were attributed to 21% of clogs. Cooking grease was the next most common (6%).
- Among plumbing horror stories, the most common was DIY repairs gone wrong, with 473 mentions (11% of all posts), followed by flooding and water damage (7%).
Methodology
SupplyHouse surveyed 1,000 American adults about their flushing habits from March 25–26, 2026. Respondents were 55% women and 44% men, spanning millennials (51%), Gen X (25%), Gen Z (15%), and baby boomers (9%).
We also analyzed 4,425 posts and comments across Reddit communities, including r/HomeImprovement, r/AskPlumbers, and r/Plumbing, to identify the topics most commonly mentioned in clogged-drain and toilet conversations. Posts and comments were from the last 12 months, with keywords focused on specific items mentioned in clog scenarios, as well as “horror story” signals, which included major flooding, damage, and DIY repairs gone wrong.
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