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Are Flushable Wipes Safe For Your Plumbing?

Posted on September 28, 2020 by Melbourne Plumber

Flushable wipes became popular on the market about 15 years ago or so. They offer “extra cleanliness” to the user. Many companies that make these products tout that they are just as safe as regular toilet paper to flush down your toilet. But are they?

The bottom line is that regular toilet paper is made thin and is fully biodegradable. The flushable wipes are made thicker and have chemical additives that keep the wipes together and moist. They will eventually break down in the sewer or septic system but they do not break down right away. If there is a clog caused by these wipes, it will be much more stubborn.

Alternatives

You can moisten regular toilet paper in the sink and use this instead of flushable wipes. In fact, some brands are made extra tough for this specific purpose.

Some people install a bidet to get the extra fresh cleaning. Bidets are huge in Europe and Japan. They just haven’t really caught on here for some reason. But they really offer the best cleanliness you can get short of taking a full bath after you use the restroom.

What Your Flushable Wipes are Good For

If you have wipes and wonder if you should just throw them away, the answer is probably not. You can use they for other purposes.

-You can use them on camping trips.
-You can use them in the car for sticky hands.
-You can use them to remove eye makeup.
-You can use them to clean scuffmarks off your shoes.
-You can use them to clean surfaces in your home that won’t come clean with regular dusting.

Just don’t throw them into the toilet.

Here is a list of other items not to flush down your toilet:

-facial tissues
-baby wipes
-dental floss
-napkins/paper towels
-sanitary napkins
-cotton balls
-q-tips
-fats, oils and greases
-plastic of any kind