Any plumber who has had to snake a mass of clumped-together wipes out of the toilet will just shake their head in frustration at this question: Are flushable wipes really safe to flush?
“But they’re flushable wipes!” you exclaim. “They must be safe to flush.”
That’s a fair point — the wipes are marketed as being flushable, so you would assume that means they’re safe to go down the toilet, wouldn’t you?
But Wait - What’s That Package Say Again?
But before we delve too far into this topic, take a second look at the package to double-check whether they’re really flushable. You might have just assumed they’re flushable because those types of wipes do exist on the market. But unless the wipes are directly marketed as being safe for septic systems and flushable, don’t let yourself be confused or led astray. In fact, some wipes will even explicitly state on the directions and warning label that they are not intended to be flushed.
“But it goes down the toilet just fine when I flush,” you think. “I don’t see how these wipes are any different from toilet paper.”
Some Wipes Can Cause Major Damage.
It’s an understandable mistake for somebody to make, but let’s be clear about this: Just because something can be flushed down the toilet doesn’t mean that it’s safe to do so. Many common items that people send down the toilet can accumulate much farther down the pipes, causing a blockage. If they make it as far as the sewer system, they cause serious damage to wastewater equipment. These common items include things like paper towels, cotton swabs, dental floss, tampons, and, yes, wipes.
Toilet paper is completely different from these items because it is made from loose tree- or plant-based material that is designed to start disintegrating when it comes into contact with water. That’s why you might notice that if you try to wipe up a spill with a wad of toilet paper, you end up with a handful of wet pulp within a few seconds. But when you grab a paper towel or a sanitizing wipe instead — well, they hold up, don’t they? It’s the same thing when they go down your toilet. Cleaning wipes in particular are designed to be especially strong.
Broad Range Of Wipes
Wipes fall into a broad category, one that encompasses baby wipes, hand wipes, makeup removal wipes, and multipurpose sanitizing wipes. Most of these types of wipes aren’t intended to be flushed, but there are some that are. Those that are marketed and labeled as flushable must be safe to go down the toilet, right?
Well, not so fast. In theory, yes — these flushable wipes are specifically designed and engineered to be safely flushed down the toilet. They’re created with the same tree- or plant-based fibers as toilet paper, and they are intended to disintegrate after flushing so that they don’t cause damage to wastewater infrastructure.
It Says They Are Flushable Wipes
The problem is that there isn’t any governing body that regulates these claims or requires these companies to prove their statement is true before putting it on the packaging. It’s all done on the honor of the manufacturers themselves. They could claim a wipe is flushable, but how does the consumer know what kinds of tests these wipes have been put through to ensure the reliability of that marketing claim. This can result in a lot of customer confusion — people buy the wipes thinking they are safe to flush, but then they end up with a clog.
If You Must Flush Them
However, if you are looking for wipes that are reliably flushable, those made by Scott or Cottonelle could be your best choice. According to a 2013 study by Consumer Reports, Scott and Cottonelle flushable wipes disintegrate easily after being soaked in water overnight; on the other hand, the wipes made by Charmin and Equate stayed in one piece even after an overnight soak.
What’s the best option?
But the most reliable option of all? Flush only toilet paper, and discard all other wipes in the trash. Otherwise, you could be unknowingly contributing to what’s known as ragging — that’s the plumbing term used to describe what happens when all of those items that shouldn’t be flushed but way too frequently are (the wipes, the paper towels, the cotton swabs, the tampons, and so forth) all collect together and create a huge blockage. The wipes themselves might not be a problem, but along with the other debris? Well, the result is one that is expensive to rectify, not to mention hazardous for the sewer workers who have to go down and break up the blockage.
If you’ve fallen victim to the marketing myth of flushable wipes, don’t feel bad — it happens to lots of people. If it’s caused a problem within your pipes, a reliable plumber can not only help you solve the issue but also provide advice on specifically what can and cannot be flushed down your toilet. Contact Linthicum Plumbing today by emailing info@linthicumplumbing.net or calling 410-768-5350.