Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 25th June 2026 Issue no. 1216
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'Bathroom Bootycamp' will whip worst toilet habits into shape
With 50% of Americans still flushing what they shouldn't - costing up to $15,000 in home repairs while local public agencies across the US spend over $440 million annually repairing wastewater treatment equipment damaged by improperly flushed wipes - a new national campaign is using tough-love challenges to draw attention to the issues. And the rest of the world could learn a thing or two from it too…
July marks the official return of Flush Smart Month, an annual public awareness initiative led by the Responsible Flushing Alliance, a national non-profit dedicated to educating us about proper flushing habits.
Every July brings a unique #FlushSmart campaign focused on giving people the knowledge they need to make responsible decisions for their home plumbing and community wastewater infrastructure. This year, the campaign is also helping people address their worst relationship-straining bathroom habits.
"Our goal is to revolutionise public education by keeping it highly engaging, memorable and fun," says Lara Wyss, president of the Responsible Flushing Alliance. "We are challenging the public to rethink their everyday habits."
Research from RFA shows that 50% of Americans are still flushing things they shouldn't. RFA research also reveals that, while there has been improvement in flushing knowledge over the past five years, there is still widespread confusion about what is actually safe to flush. Many consumers admit they still think non-flushable items - including paper towels (18%), baby wipes (16%), cleaning wipes (10%), and tampons (15%) - are perfectly fine to flush – when they’re not.
To help save both pipes and partnerships, this year's #FlushSmart campaign launches Bathroom Bootycamp to educate consumers about responsible flushing and other excellent bathroom etiquette. It builds on a successful history of highly creative public education efforts to change behaviour at scale. A dynamic roster of influencers across Instagram and TikTok will help spread the word through a series of high-energy, interactive challenges aimed at curing bad bathroom behaviours.
RFA has also created an interactive quiz to help audiences gauge their bathroom etiquette and a fun seven-day challenge to help them improve habits. Follow @FlushSmart on social media during Flush Smart Month in July to see the Bathroom Bootycamp content in action.
25th June 2026