Don’t Believe The Label –’Flushable Wipes’ Clog Sewers

They completely block the sewer and then people wonder why they get a backup and have to call a plumber. Wipes can actually damage wastewater equipment.

“Even wipes labeled as ‘flushable’ can lead to toilet and pipe blockages,” the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County said in a recent tweet.

Even when manufacturers say the wipes are flushable, they actually increase drain and septic tank clogs. Wipes do not disintegrate easily or quickly.

Avoid flushing any type of wipe, flushable or otherwise. It’s not a pretty site when we pull back wipes when clearing a clogged drain even when tenants tell us they don’t flush anything other than toilet paper.

Their landlord is not happy when having to pay the bill. We know we could run into trouble when trying to clear drains with wipes.

They get hung up on any roots or ridges in the sewer line.

The job is a lot of work and will take much longer than normal dredging up wet wipes from blocked sewers.

The Real Damage Wet Wipes Can Cause

Wipes can actually damage wastewater equipment. They can cause the pump to burn out by latching onto the impellers inside the pump.

There are a few flushable wipes that are known to break down once wet:

• Cottonelle FreshCare Flushable Cleaning Cloths
• Charmin Freshmates Flushable Wet Wipes
• Kandoo Flushable Biodegradable Training and Kids Cleansing Wet Wipes
• Scott Naturals Flushable Cleansing Cloths

According to Plumber Magazine, “Flushing wipes, paper towels and similar products down toilets will clog sewers and cause backups and overflows at wastewater treatment facilities, creating an additional public health risk in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.” Anything and everything is flushable, but it doesn’t mean that it’s OK to put it down the toilet,”

As a rule, even though accidents happen, don’t flush anything other than toilet paper down the toilet.