Are wet wipes flushable?
Are wet wipes flushable?

Baby wipes, makeup wipes, moist wipes, wet wipes… whatever type the wipe may be, we beg you to not throw it down the toilet.

“But I bought flushable wet wipes.”

Ahh… no you didn’t! Let us tell you why:

Labels Are Not Trustworthy

So you picked up a tub of wet wipes for your baby, and it says “flushable wet wipes”. Let’s assume that it is a well-known brand and it’s on sale, so you buy two tubs. At the checkout counter, you are all smiles, but wait till you start using them.

One of the reasons the use of wet wipes increases in winter is because people don’t want to dip their hands in cold water. Moreover, this water is too cold for the baby’s skin, which is why many mothers use wet wipes for wiping their baby’s bottoms when changing diapers. After cleaning, you may throw the wipes in the toilet when you are in a hurry.

Those wet wipes can come back to haunt you!

Why Flushable Wet Wipes Are a Myth

The truth is that flushable wet wipes are not really flushable. Most brands claim that their wet wipes are just like toilet paper. One major difference between these two materials is that the former is made of a material known as “air-laid paper.” This paper often contains disinfectants, cleaning chemicals, and cosmetic scents. While the packet may say “biodegradable”, these wipes do not decompose. In fact, some of them contain traces of plastic resins like polyethylene, polyester, and polypropylene.

How Flushable Wet Wipes Block the Drain Line

Imagine washing your clothes and then trying to transfer them to the dryer. You will find a huge knot that locks all the clothes together, which makes it difficult for you to take them apart. When flushable wet wipes get stuck in the drain pipe, something similar happens. It takes months for a wet wipe to disintegrate and when the number of wipes thrown down the toilet increases, they accumulate together and form a hard ball.

If you do have a clog that you think has occured from something other than a wet wipe, give these tips a try. Otherwise, call the pros to help you.

Plumbers all over the world advise people to not throw flushable wet wipes down their toilets because clearing up the blockage caused by them is quite difficult. It’s unsavory work, which is not at all sanitary and most of the blockages are removed by hand. So NO, there’s no such thing as flushable wet wipes!