When you have a clogged drain pipe on your hands, you probably assume something simple like soap scum or hair is the reason behind the blockage. While this is usually the case, some plumbers tell amazing stories about the crazy things they’re found in pipes.

What are the wildest things you can think of that could clog a toilet or sewer drain? Toys? Cell phones? Coins? Sure, but it gets even weirder. Take a look!

Clothing

What do you do when you have old underwear you no longer want? In one particular instance, a man flushed his briefs down the toilet. It’s unclear why he wanted to get rid of 14 pairs of underwear at once – or whether he chose to wear the briefs once a plumber recovered them.

In another case, a plumber was called in to tackle a clogged plumbing system in a commercial business in Plainfield, Illinois. He cabled the toilet in the men’s restroom, and much to his surprise, he discovered the cause of the clog was a training bra!

The most bizarre example yet of clothing down the drain was in the Ottawa County Jail in Toledo, Ohio. The plumber couldn’t unblock the stubborn toilet clog and eventually discovered the source to be a pair of orange prisoner pants. The jailbird guilty of pulling the prank, who was set to be released in just four days, had 30 days tacked onto his prison sentence for criminal mischief.

Live Badger

In Scotland, plumbers found a poor badger in the sewer line during a routine drain cleaning. Fortunately, he made a full recovery after his rescue. Other live animals have been found in drains around the world, including fish, snakes, turtles and even kittens.

Six-Pack of Beer

How one customer was able to flush a complete six-pack of beer down the drain was beyond the flabbergasted plumber who unclogged the pipe. It’s unclear whether the customer drank the beer after the six-pack was recovered.

Jewelry

As you can imagine, it’s easy for something small like a piece of jewelry to fall into the toilet, though it doesn’t usually cause a clog. Plumbers get involved because desperate customers call for help retrieving their expensive keepsakes.

In one instance, a woman’s $7,000 engagement ring was unintentionally flushed down the toilet. The plumber used a fiber optic sewer camera and coat hanger taped to a cable receiver to recover the ring. The male customer was perturbed by the plumber’s service fee, but his fiancé ignored the complaints and tipped the plumber $20 extra.

In another example, an elderly woman using an airport restroom lost her $10,000 charm bracelet in the toilet when the clasp came loose and the auto flusher sent the jewelry zipping down the drain pipe. The airport plumber went to work, disconnecting the toilet from the pipe to recover the bracelet. The woman was beside herself with relief and gratitude, but the airport’s policy forbade the plumber from accepting tips.

Do you have a clogged drain pipe? Whether the cause is ordinary or bizarre, call a friendly Mr. Rooter® plumber for help. We’ve got the tools and know-how to tackle your clogged plumbing system. Give us a call today!