Free Printable Septic Signs for Your Bathroom
Our lakefront Airbnb in BC runs on a septic system. Guests mostly come from the city and have never thought about what goes down a toilet. One sign by the toilet fixes most of that. Here are the free, print-ready signs I use.
Free download · V2
5 “Toilet Paper Only” septic signs (PDF)
- Bold, classic and minimal designs, one of them gently funny
- Full-page, half-page and quarter-page sizes
- Print at home and drop into a frame
Why a septic sign matters in a rental
A septic system is basically a tank that has to break waste down. Toilet paper breaks down quickly. Wipes, pads, paper towels, floss and cotton swabs don’t, so they collect in the tank and lines until something backs up. In a rental that usually happens at the worst possible moment: a full house, a long weekend, and an emergency plumber or pump truck charging after-hours rates. Then there’s the review.
Most guests aren’t careless, they just don’t know. A clear, friendly sign at eye level tells them before the problem starts.
What not to flush (what the sign covers)
- Wipes, including the ones labelled “flushable”
- Pads, tampons and applicators
- Paper towels and facial tissues
- Cotton balls, swabs and dental floss
- Condoms and diapers
- Food, grease and cooking oil (that one is for the kitchen sink too)
Where to put it, and what to put next to it
- Eye level, facing the toilet, or on the back of the bathroom door. A sign behind the toilet gets missed.
- A lined bin with a lid right beside the toilet. The sign only works if guests have somewhere else to put things. Our cleaner leaves it empty and freshly lined at every turnover.
- Every bathroom, including the powder room. The quarter-page size fits small spaces.
- A line in your house manual and check-in message, e.g. “We’re on septic, so only toilet paper in the toilets. Thanks!”
- A check on your cleaning checklist to make sure the sign is still up. Ours is in the bathroom section of my free Airbnb cleaning checklist.
Septic sign FAQ
Can you flush toilet paper on a septic system?
Yes. Regular toilet paper is designed to break down and is fine for a properly working septic system. Everything else should go in the bin.
Are “flushable” wipes safe for septic?
No. They don’t break down like toilet paper and are a common cause of clogs. That’s why the sign calls them out.
Is the sign really free?
Yes. Enter your email above and you’ll go straight to the download page. Print as many as you need for all your properties.
Will the signs fit a standard frame?
The full-page designs are standard letter size. The half- and quarter-page versions fit smaller frames or can be mounted on their own.
Get the free septic signs
All 5 V2 designs in one PDF, plus my room-by-room Airbnb cleaning checklist.