Flushable Wipes – Should you flush them?
The Dangers of Flushable Wipes to Your Precious Pipes
If you’ve fallen for the hype of flushable wipes and stock your bathroom with these cleansing TP alternatives, beware! There is no such thing as a “flushable” wipe and you’re begging for a sewer line disaster by using these moist towelettes for tushies.
Complete Trenchless can help you deal with sewer line mishaps using our trenchless technology, but the best thing is to avoid a blowout.
Here’s what you need to know about flushable wipes and your precious pipes
Testing wipes proves flushing is a bad idea
Testers then tried a kitchen mixer to break them down but 10 minutes there did nothing to the wipes. The “bottom” line from Consumers Reports was “don’t flush ‘flushable’ wipes.” We agree.
Clogged pipes are something we see regularly at Complete Trenchless and you may find that the “convenience” of a $4 tub of wipes to clean your backside drains hundreds of dollars from your wallet.
Check out the video below from Consumer New Zealand. They spun “flushable” wipes for a whopping 20 hours before they gave up. There was no breakdown at all.
Whether you’re considering flushable wipes for potty-training kids just learning how to do personal clean-up or adult wipes for those that want a fresher feel down there, these items should not be flushed – ever.
Seattle Public Utilities says no to “flushable” wipes
Seattle Public Utilities General Manager Mami Hara advises on Seattle.gov that all types of wipes including “baby, surface, disinfecting, cleaning, flushable” should go in the garbage and not down your toilet.
Hara writes, “They can clog sewer pipes.” The Seattle Public Utility also says not to put these wipes in with recycling, yard waste or food waste.
Across the country in Pittsburgh, one borough has replaced two of its giant water station pumps because they’ve been burned out by “flushable” wipes that did tens of thousand dollars’ worth of damage.
That’s money down the drain, quite literally, but it’s even worse when that cash is coming out of your wallet because your sewer pipes are the ones clogged.
No wipe is “flushable”
Don’t believe the ads you see on TV or what’s written on the package of any wipe that advertises itself as flushable. No wipe should be flushed down the commode.
These wipes do not biodegrade and can fester for a year or more wedged into your sewer pipes trapping other flushed matter as well. “Flushable” doesn’t mean biodegradable so beware.
Cottonelle, Charmin, Scott and Equate (Walmart’s private label brand) all manufacture and promote wipes they say are “flushable” but Consumer Reports put these to the test.
Consumer Reports took standard toilet paper and swirled it in water to show how TP easily breaks up. By comparison, 10 minutes of swirling a flushable wipe didn’t make a dent.
Don’t wreck your sewer by flushing what you should not
In addition to “flushable” wipes, other items to keep out of your toilet that you might be tempted to flush include:
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Dental floss
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Paper towels
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Feminine hygiene products (pads, tampons, etc.)
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Cotton balls and cotton swabs
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Cigarette butts
The only thing that should go down your toilet is what comes out of your body plus toilet paper – and even that can result in clogs if you’re not careful. You may want to flush more frequently if you’ve got a bigger bowel movement and flush between wipes if it’s a bigger clean-up job.
And if you must use a wet wipe of some sort, put it in the garbage, not down your sewer pipes.
If you have a sewer mishap, contact Complete Trenchless for assistance in the greater Seattle area. We use trenchless technology so we can put your pipes to rights without wrecking your lawn.
Call Complete Trenchless in Seattle at (206) 259-0415. We’re family owned, own all our own equipment and are ready to help you today!
