Do Flushable Wipes Clog Pipes?
Flushable Wipes that actually disintegrate came out late in the 1970s but manufacturing cost was too high. These handy disposable wipes said to be “flushable” are mislabeled though. While you can flush them down your toilet, are many horror stories of flushable wipes clogging drainpipes and home septic systems. Here are some reasons why you should not dispose of disposable wipes down your drain.
Stop – Don’t Throw Disposable Wipes in Your Toilet!
- Disposable and flushable but… It is true that you can flush disposable wipes down the toilet. However, the “flushable” term here means that it is easy to dispose of them in the toilet because the wipes will fit your drain pipes. The wipes are flushable but an accumulated number of them can clog the pipes. Wipes are disposable, but it did not say that you are to dispose of them down your toilets. Disposable means you throw them into a trash bin.
- Non-woven. The cloth used for disposable wipes is non-woven. It is a combination of many fibers, both natural and synthetic, to make it as thin yet as strong as possible despite its thinness. The cloth is manufactured by pressing together several fibers, such as rayon and cotton, and plastic resins such as polypropylene, polyethylene, and polyester. Disposable wipes use the same non-woven materials used in dryer sheets and baby diapers.
- Not biodegradable. From the materials used in the manufacture of wet wipes, you can see that most of them are used to make plastic bottles and plastic bags, proof that the cloth is not biodegradable or at least will take a long time before it disintegrates. Compare that to ordinary toilet paper that shows partial disintegration while you are still using it or it gets in contact with liquid.
- Attracts other waste materials. A typical residential toilet drain pipe is only about four inches thick. Since the disposable wipes are not so biodegradable and water just passes through them, they can accumulate inside the pipes, trapping other solid wastes, including grease. In time these waste materials can turn into a solid mass, which will clog your pipes, prevent waste from passing through, and in time, you’ll end up with a problem that will require professionals to solve.
How to Dispose of Flushable Wipes?
If you`re figuring out how to prevent the flushable wipes clog, it’s better to not flush them in your toilet. Maybe you have been flushing them down the toilet for a long time, but the best way to prevent wipes from constant clogging is to throw them in the trash.
Flushable wipes clogging depends on how long you’ve been doing this, there is a good chance that you don’t notice any signs of trouble. In many cases, there won’t be any symptoms until it’s too late.
Call for Professional Help to Get Rid of Flushable Wipes Clog
Clogged drains can back up throughout your house, which necessitates toilet repair. If the clog has already become a big problem, drain cleaning is necessary as the pipes may require removing to get to the clog. All these repairs cost money, something that you can prevent by not flushing disposable wipes in the toilet. Throw them in the trash bin instead.
If the clog is already there and DIY solutions no longer work, call for professional service. A plumber will come to your house to inspect and determine the extent of the problem. He may need to use a camera and snake in the drain to find the location of the clog, determine what is creating the problem and what method to use to remove the clog. Avoid costly drainpipe clogs. Do not flush those disposable wipes and call us for an annual drain cleaning service.