Out of all the drains in your house, your bathroom drain is probably the one that sees the most action and the most problems. In addition to soap and water, the bathroom sink drain has the majority of substances or objects flushed down, from hair gel and strands of hair to toothpaste to jewelry. Fortunately, the drain contains a P trap, or curve-shaped pipe, that becomes a catchall for the jewelry. Unfortunately, all the other gunk, like toothpaste, you push down that drain every day can eventually cause problems. Additionally, when the toothpaste does make its way past the P trap and into the sewer system, the harsh chemicals used to make commercial toothpaste end up in that system and eventually make their way into the water system, which affects plant and animal life and may eventually affect people. The Water Environment Federation agrees, to save yourself the hassle of calling a plumber, not to mention doing all you can to protect the water supply, do not flush toothpaste down the drain. The next time you brush your teeth and drop a bit of toothpaste, or catch the kids squeezing half the tube into the sink, take the extra few seconds, grab a tissue and wipe the stuff away.The information party rocks on: At Least My Teeth Don’t Itch