Why Flushing Regular Wipes Will Clog Your Drains

Have You Gotten On The Wet Wipe Bandwagon?

There are certain trends that become so popular that they catch on everywhere, even in different parts of the world, and using wet wipes is one particular trend that is growing tremendously. If you’ve jumped on the bandwagon and started using wet wipes as an adult, then you’re one of many that are out there doing the same thing.

Many say that they get cleaner when they use wet wipes as opposed to cleaning themselves with toilet paper. Those who use wet wipes can clean themselves as well as getting rid of any smells that would be left behind if a person simply used toilet paper. There are also other great uses for wet wipes, and those who have children can think of a lot of uses for the wipes, and there are other uses for the wet wipes around the home.

It’s wonderful if you’ve found a better way to clean yourself by using wet wipes, but be aware that you should dispose of your wet wipes in a proper fashion, which means not flushing them as many people around the world are doing. When you start to flush your wet wipes, you open up a whole host of problems for your home as well as any other toilets that you may be flushing the wet wipes in.

Why Flushing Your Wet Wipes Isn’t A Good Idea

You’ve cleaned yourself and are ready to get off the toilet, so you simply flush your wet wipe, but this is a very bad idea. Not only have statistics proven that flushing wet wipes are bad for the toilet and the sewer system but many cities have constantly levied complaints against wet wipe flushers as well as the creators of the disposable wipes.

The manufacturers of the wet wipes may be more to blame because they are leading their customers to believe that they can flush their wipes without harm to the toilet or the piping system within the home, and this has proven time and time again to be untrue. Here's some of the problems that flushing wet wipes can cause:

• They can damage your toilet
• Wipes can damage pipes
• Wipes can cause clogs in the pipes
• The sewage treatment centers have problems with wipes
• Clogged sewer drains can affect the neighbors too
• Removing clogs can be costly and even time consuming
• The clogs caused by wipes can affect other drains in the home
• Wipes may not degrade for weeks

You may feel that since you’re flushing the wipes within your own toilet that you’re not hurting anyone else, but think again. Your pipes lead to a larger sewer system, which connects to the neighbors, as well as to people that are in the same city, so there is no telling how many homes will be affected when you choose to flush your wet wipes.

If you're fortunate enough, you will only be doing damage to the pipes in your home, but why would you want to damage your pipes, especially when the cost of toilet repair and repairing pipes can be very high? Even if you choose to get drain cleaning and clog removal to fix the damage that flushing the wipes have caused, then you’re still going to pay a pretty penny for something that’s completely avoidable.

Are There Better Ways To Get Rid Of Wet Wipes?

Yes, there are better ways to get rid of your disposable wipes, other than using your toilet to flush them away, especially since they never go away when they are flushed. Since wet wipes on the market have a hard time degrading, and some wipes may stay intact for many weeks, flushing them down the toilet means that someone else, somewhere else, will have to deal with the problem.

Sewage treatment centers have had the biggest issues with these wipes, and if they don’t cause large clogs along the way, they may cause damage to any machines that are used in the treatment center, especially if the wipes aren’t caught ahead of time.

What you want to do is to utilize any trash you have in your home, especially if you have one in the bathroom. Almost every bathroom has a trash can, and if it doesn't have one, then a trash can should be added to the bathroom to throw away disposable items, such as feminine napkins as well as tampons. Make use of the trash when you want to get rid of your disposable wipes, and you’ll save yourself the problems of having a stopped up toilet and drains that are backed up because of disposable wipes.

The Fight Against Wet Wipes

Cities around the globe are taking a stand against those who are flushing wet wipes and are sending notices, and cities are even bringing about lawsuits against the creators of the wet wipes. Since the wipes can be very bad for the sewage system, everyone is urged not to flush them, and the creators of the wipes are being urged not to put a “flushable” label on the packaging for the wipes because it’s very misleading.

Even if you know you buy wet wipes that degrade a lot easier than other wipes, and you still have to consider that flushing the wipes get rid of them very fast, and the wipe is unlikely to degrade in the short period of time that it’s being flushed, so it’s best to simply throw it away.

Tell Your Plumber If You Have A Clog

If you discovered that a clog is keeping your pipes or toilet from working properly, then get your plumber involved to have the problem corrected. Toilet repair can be done by a plumber, and your plumber can also conduct drain cleaning, which should clear up your drains to allow them to work normally again.

Contact the great plumbers at B & D Plumbing, Heating & A/C in St. Michael, MN at (763) 497-2290 for your plumbing service needs.