Are Flushable Wipes Safe to Flush

What Are Flushable Wipes?

Flushable wipes are intended as an alternative to toilet paper and are often thicker and wetter in texture than their paper counterparts. Though touted as biodegradable and safe to flush down the toilet, many plumbing service professionals hold diverging opinions regarding these claims based on their experience and customers' and plumbers' perceptions.

The Real Problem With Flushable Wipes

One significant drawback of flushable wipes is their slow decomposition rate compared to toilet paper, which was designed for rapid disintegration upon contact with liquid. The toilet paper provides quick relief against plumbing clogs, while more durable flushable wipes may remain intact for much longer before becoming infiltrated by filth.

When wipes don't degrade quickly enough, they can create havoc with your plumbing system. They may get lodged in pipes, causing blockages and leading to an inconveniently clogged toilet repair nightmare. In extreme circumstances, calling in professional help may be required to unclog an obstruction.

Use of Flushable Wipes Can Harm Home's Plumbing

Regular usage of flushable wipes may result in frequent visits from your local plumbing service provider due to build-up in pipes, causing backups or overflows that require costly fixes to restore the proper functionality of plumbing pipes. Drain cleaning companies regularly encounter massive clogs created from the accumulation of these flushable wipes.

Clogs that require extensive plumbing repairs often involve everything from simple snake-oiling and pipe snaking to hydrojetting or replacing entire sections of plumbing.

Environmental Concerns

Flusher wipes pose environmental and municipal sewage systems serious challenges when they fail to biodegrade quickly enough, becoming lodged within larger systems without breaking down and creating blockages, potentially impacting entire communities with costly repairs as well as environmental ramifications if overflows occur.

Many cities have invested in more effective drain-cleaning equipment and implemented public awareness campaigns to discourage flushing wipes down drains. Although flushing them may seem harmless enough, their actions have far-reaching repercussions that will affect all aspects of society.

What Plumbers Say

Any experienced plumber would likely identify flushable wipes as one of their biggest headaches. They are often called out for toilet clogging repair jobs due to build-up wipes in toilet bowl clogs, causing serious blockages requiring their expertise to fix. These professionals have witnessed first-hand what damage wipes can wreak on residential and commercial plumbing systems.

Many plumbing repair service providers advise avoiding flushable wipes altogether and using toilet paper instead. Toilet paper disintegrates quickly in water and significantly reduces clogging issues.

Alternatives to Flushable Wipes

While wipes offer the same level of cleanliness as flushable ones, safer solutions may be available that won't wreak havoc with your plumbing. Instead of flushing them away when unnecessary, why not dispose of wipes in the trash and save time, money, and hassle from flushing wipes altogether? By taking this simple step instead, many issues associated with flushables could be mitigated or prevented altogether.

Searching out wipes explicitly labeled as safe for plumbing systems may also help, although even with these products, it's prudent to exercise care when disposing of them in the trash can.

Mr. Rooter Plumbing

Though flushable wipes might seem convenient, they can create severe plumbing issues in your home if misused. From blocked toilets and drains to major sewer blockages - flushable wipes often present more risks than rewards for plumbing repair service companies. They can quickly add up in costly repair service bills. It would be best to stick with toilet paper instead or dispose of wipes in a wastebasket; your pipes, plumber, and wallet will thank you.

Think twice next time you grab a wipe to flush down the toilet! Even small changes in our habits can enormously affect plumbing systems operating at peak performance.