Wipes may be labeled “flushable,” but they don’t degrade in the system. Flushing them is like flushing a handkerchief or other item made of cloth.
Our sewer systems and treatment plants were not designed to handle wipes. They gum up the system, clog pipes and pumps, and cost taxpayers and residents lots of money in additional maintenance costs.
If you must use wipes, put them in the trash, not the toilet!
Many homeowners have experienced plumbing problems because of wipes, so you may have expensive maintenance issues at home if you flush them.
Flushable wipes might go down the toilet easily, but that’s the whole story. Oftentimes they stay intact further down the pipes and can cause what plumbers refer to as a “fatberg” or “ragging” — a massive blockage.
A standard strip of toilet paper should dissolve entirely within 24 hours. Unfortunately, wipes can take weeks to disintegrate completely. If enough wipes can cling together inside of your sewer system, they can create a massive blockage, which could leave you paying thousands of dollars for plumbing repairs.