At first blush, this might seem like a silly question. Of course you can flush flushable wipes. It’s right in their name!

Right?

In reality, no.

Flushable wipes have been creating quite a problem in recent days, both on a smaller scale within homeowners’ systems, as well as on a larger scale within municipal city sewers. Here in Northern Virginia and the DC Metro area, we have personally encountered (and unclogged) issue after issue, and feel badly for well-intentioned homeowners. And, a little bad for ourselves, too.

Money Down the Drain: Why Can’t You Flush Wipes?

It really all comes down to the ingredients.

Being made from a combination of hard and soft wood fibers, toilet paper is very natural. It’s just a soft paper (as the name implies). This simplicity, combined with its thin makeup, makes it quick to break down and biodegrade once exposed to moisture.

Flushable wipes are much thicker! This makes them more comfortable to use, of course, and that’s one the most attractive components (in combination with the moisture, scented options, lotions, etc.). There’s no doubt about it: they offer your low end a high-end experience!

A wipe’s thicker material may technically break down, so their packaging doesn’t lie, but it breaks down at a much, much slower rate than toilet paper. This creates a traffic jam, which inevitably turns into a large, and expensive, clog.

What Kind of Risk Do Flushed Wipes Create?

Here are a few of the most common problems:

• Clogged sewer lines
• The need for much more frequent septic pumping
• Blocked pipes
• Sewage back-ups (even causing basement flooding)
• Catastrophic strain/damage within a city’s sewer system, and this causes widespread service/water issues for local residents

What’s the Solution?

Well, it’s a simple one, but not necessarily fun to hear: don’t flush your flushable wipes! Toilet paper is still the best option, and wet wipes used on your hands or face should just go right in the trash.

You may sacrifice a little comfort, but at least you won’t incur the unnecessary expense of clearing a massive clog or doing damage to an expensive septic system.

The ONLY things that should go down a toilet are toilet paper and whatever you’ve naturally created, if you catch our drift.