8 hours ago
I was perplexed after finding a filthy ribbed plastic thing flushed down my toilet - it has a very simple use
A homeowner was left confused after discovering a mysterious filthy plastic object wedged in their toilet - but Reddit users quickly solved the puzzle.
The perplexed homeowner turned to Reddit for help after making a disgusting discovery in their clogged toilet this week.
User charlesira66 shared photos of a thin, ribbed plastic object they found stuck in the wax ring after removing their toilet, which was frequently clogging.
'What is this thin, ribbed plastic thing someone flushed down my toilet?' they asked the popular r/whatisthisthing community in the caption.
The user described the mystery item as 'fairly rigid but does bend slightly'.
They also noted it appeared to be broken off at the ribbed end, with a smooth back surface.
'I'd love to know what this thing is so that I can maybe understand who (and why) this plastic thing was flushed down my toilet,' the user wrote.
'The toilet started clogging quite frequently so was removed and this object was stuck into the wax ring. Sorry I didn't clean it better for the picture because ew.'
Reddit users were quick to solve the mystery, even sharing an example of the product sold on Home Depot's website.
User charlesira66 shared photos of a thin, ribbed plastic object they found stuck in the wax ring after removing their toilet, which was frequently clogging
Multiple users quickly identified the object as a plastic shim - a simple construction tool used to level surfaces or fill gaps.
'Hard to tell from the pics but if it has a tapered wedge shape to it, it is a plastic shim,' one commenter explained.
Another user confidently wrote: 'Definitely a plastic shim. Possible it was used during toilet or flooring install and made it's way into the pipe after a while.'
Another user attempted to explain how the shim likely ended up in the toilet.
They suggested it wasn't actually flushed on purpose.
'I could imagine a handyman using a shim to level a toilet or stop it from wobbling during installation,' the Reddit user wrote.
'Having it migrate into the line/wax ring is kind of weird in my mind.'
The user suggested the shim may have been stuck to the floor before toilet installation and accidentally attached to the bottom of the toilet when it was positioned.
'But it is completely possible that there was a sticky shim on the floor prior to installation of the toilet.'
'The toilet was set on the floor after being taken out of the box, and the shim stuck to the toilet.
'Or maybe the flange needed to be shimmed up.'
