Should You Flush Disposable Wipes Down Your Toilets?
Baby wipes make changing diapers a lot easier, but most people know that they should know throw used baby wipes in their toilets, but what about flushable wipes? Today, you can purchase flushable wipes, which are designed for people of all ages, and many of the products you can purchase state that they are safe to flush. Are they really safe to flush, though? If you use disposable wipes and are flushing them down your toilet, here are several things you should know.
Disposable Wipes Are Not Typically Biodegradable
The first thing to understand about disposable wipes is that they are not biodegradable. Throwing anything into a toilet that is not biodegradable can result in problems, and this is because items like this do not disintegrate. Instead, they remain intact, just as they are. Toilet paper is biodegradable, though, and you can see that this is true by the way it reacts when it touches liquids. Toilet paper starts breaking down almost instantly when it comes in contact with liquids, and that is why it is safe to use toilet paper in your toilets.
The Labeling Is Not Always Accurate
You might be wondering, though, why disposable wipes advertise that they are flushable. While there may be a brand or two that are safe to flush, most are not. Most of these products are mislabeled if they say they are flushable wipes, and you should also take the time to read the labels carefully. Just because a label says it is disposable does not mean that it is flushable. There is a difference, and you should recognize this if you decide to use these types of wipes.
The Problems They Can Cause
The main issue you could experience if you flush disposable wipes down your toilets is clogs in your pipes or septic system. These wipes can easily get lodged in your pipes or components of your septic system and eventually this will lead to clogs. Fixing a clogged pipe is not fun or easy, yet you might be able to prevent problems like this by throwing your disposable wipes in the trash and not in the toilet.
If you currently use disposable wipes in your bathroom and regularly flush them down your toilet, you should not be surprised if you develop a clogged drainpipe somewhere in your plumbing system. If this happens, you will need to call a plumbing company to fix the problem, and you should aim to stop flushing these types of wipes down your toilets.