Do You Use Wipes?

[weltschmerz]

No wipe is flushable, finds research into 101 products

There is no such thing as a flushable wipe, no matter what a package is telling you, says the researcher behind a new study into flushability.

Disposable wipes, used for a range of personal care and cleaning, have become a problem for municipalities around the world, says Orr. Homeowners face costly plumbing and repair bills when they block their own sewer lines but once out in the municipal system, consumers don’t see the problems they cause.



The wipes, which contain plastics and synthetic fibres, don’t break down in water. They mix with other materials in the sewer pipes, such as cooking fats, hair and dental floss, to create twisted, rope-like masses that clog pipes and pumps at treatment plants. The Municipal Enforcement Sewer Use Group estimates non-flushable materials cause $250 million in annual repairs across Canada.



There is also an environmental cost. Wipes and other non-flushables find their way into streams, rivers and lake when systems are clogged or overloaded.

www.ctvnews.ca/canada/no-wipe-is-flushable-finds-research-into-101-products-1.4366274

[NoNamePerson]

No.

[Blonde Granny]

I use them at times for make up removal, but they are tossed in the waste basket. 

[giramomma]

Yes. Babies, make up removal for when DD1 has cheer, and I use a facial cloth as part of my "beauty" routine.

DD1 uses about 20 cloths a year. My face ones I cut in half because they are too big.

Babies, man.

We've never flushed wipes. And I would like to know who also flushes dental floss.

[NoNamePerson]

Apr 5, 2019 18:17:03 GMT -5 giramomma said:

Yes. Babies, make up removal for when DD1 has cheer, and I use a facial cloth as part of my "beauty" routine.

DD1 uses about 20 cloths a year. My face ones I cut in half because they are too big.

Babies, man.

We've never flushed wipes. And I would like to know who also flushes dental floss.

And I'd like to know whose job it is to fish it out of the sewage to determine that it is dental floss. Now there's the perfect job for some 

[Deleted]

I don't flush wipes or the toilet bowl pad that is disposable.  I don't even flush kleenexes.  Nor tampons.  

We have a septic tank.   That is Care 101.  You don't flush anything except toilet paper and, um, crap.  You go easy on the toilet paper, too. I guess you can crap as much as you like.

[haapai]

I've rarely been tempted to use any type of pre-moistened towelette a.k.a..wipe simply because of costs.  Not having kids, not being particularly tidy, and being frighteningly broke for a good part of my early thirties has made the decision not to use disposable is-it-cloth-or-is-it-paper wipes pretty simple.  

On the other hand, I kinda feel for folks who have gotten used to using those things.  Once those things have become part of your routine, not using them, or making sure that they don't get flushed, has got to be a hard habit to break. 

And yes, they do not break down and they do clog things up.  I don't want to disgrace myself by detailing just how much more durable and cohesive they are compared to toilet paper and paper towels.  Let's just say that TP breaks down wonderfully compared to any type of wipe and that if you are sending wipes down the pipes what you are doing is not that different from dumping sand down the drains. 

[TheOtherMe]

I use wipes.  I have never flushed them.  

I used to flush tampons.  I didn't know better and got lucky.  

On Inside Edition last night, they were showing stuff people flush.  I was amazed.  Mom taught me to never flush kleenex or paper towels.  I never considered flushing Q-tips or dental floss.

The story ended with you should only flush the 4 P's:  Pee, poop, puke and paper.  Nothing else.  

[Deleted]

No- I really try to avoid the use of disposable ANYTHING when re-usable options are available (or, in the case of toilet paper, options kinder to the environment).  

It takes me forever to go through a roll of paper towels because I use them only for wiping down the cast iron pan after use and cleaning up messes on the floor.  I use sponges for the dishes and rags for all of my other cleaning.

[Deleted]

Apr 5, 2019 18:44:59 GMT -5 @athena53 said:

No- I really try to avoid the use of disposable ANYTHING when re-usable options are available (or, in the case of toilet paper, options kinder to the environment).  

It takes me forever to go through a roll of paper towels because I use them only for wiping down the cast iron pan after use and cleaning up messes on the floor.  I use sponges for the dishes and rags for all of my other cleaning.

I do use paper towels for washing dishes, but it is basically one per day.  We use cloth towels for drying hands, dishes, etc.   We use sponges for cleaning and rags for dusting.

[zibazinski]

Yes and I have for years. No trouble with the toilets.

[Deleted]

I used to use baby wipes but never flushed one. I have a septic so it would be idiotic to do it here but I wouldn't on city sewer either. I spent enough time as a biology major at our wastewater treatment facility to convince me I didn't want to contribute to that.

[steph08]

I don't use flushable wipes. I have used baby wipes for my kids, and I use a makeup remover one. They all go in the garbage. 

We only flush the four Ps, as someone else mentioned earlier. 

In addition, we have a sand mound septic system, so we also limit the amount of toilet paper we flush. When the kids go to the bathroom, their toilet paper (for peeing) goes in the trash can, not the toilet. They aren't good at regulating their usage yet.

[msventoux]

I thought for sure this thread would bring back Archie.

[TheOtherMe]

Paper towels are mostly for cleaning up cat puke.  I rarely use them for anything else.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Yes, but we don't flush them. They go in the trash can. 

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Apr 5, 2019 18:17:03 GMT -5 giramomma said:

Yes. Babies, make up removal for when DD1 has cheer, and I use a facial cloth as part of my "beauty" routine.

DD1 uses about 20 cloths a year. My face ones I cut in half because they are too big.

Babies, man.

We've never flushed wipes. And I would like to know who also flushes dental floss.

Um...I did for like a six-month time frame a few years ago. It made sense in my head. Then DH realized I was doing that and told me stop it. 

[weltschmerz]

Apr 5, 2019 20:16:28 GMT -5 zibazinski said:

Yes and I have for years. No trouble with the toilets.

Well, of course you do. If there's no trouble with your toilets, it's all good.
What about the sewer system?

[busymom]

I learned when my kids were in diapers that they were great for quick cleaning around the toilet.  Especially when my in-laws would give me a last minute phone call that they were stopping by to see their grandkids.  And no, I've never thrown them in the toilet.  They've always gone into the garbage.  

[MJ2.0]

I do use them for when extra wiping power is needed and sometimes to “freshen up”. They’ve always gone in the trash though.

[Lizard Queen]

My kids do. Didn't know they were such a problem to flush, as they are marketed as flushable. We may have to figure out an alternative.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

For certain things I do.....I never even considered flushing them though.

[weltschmerz]

I use disinfecting wipes on the counter tops when I handle raw chicken.
Never flushed them down the toilet, though. It's a no-brainer.

[TheOtherMe]

A notice comes every month with out water bills that if it is determined that a problem originated in the sewer system because of so-called flushables (because they really are not flushables), you will be billed.  Anything outside of the house to the street that has a problem will become my problem, on my money.  I do live in a townhouse.  I know I am not flushing that kind of stuff so I would be having discussions with neighbors if there is a problem.

Of course, plumbing problems inside my house are my problem.  

[weltschmerz]

Apr 6, 2019 16:01:07 GMT -5 TheOtherMe said:

A notice comes every month with out water bills that if it is determined that a problem originated in the sewer system because of so-called flushables (because they really are not flushables), you will be billed.  Anything outside of the house to the street that has a problem will become my problem, on my money.  I do live in a townhouse.  I know I am not flushing that kind of stuff so I would be having discussions with neighbors if there is a problem.

Of course, plumbing problems inside my house are my problem.  

With some people, it's "Out of sight, out of mind!"

[zibazinski]

Oh well.

[Lizard Queen]

Apr 6, 2019 17:07:00 GMT -5 weltschmerz said:

Apr 6, 2019 16:01:07 GMT -5 TheOtherMe said:

A notice comes every month with out water bills that if it is determined that a problem originated in the sewer system because of so-called flushables (because they really are not flushables), you will be billed.  Anything outside of the house to the street that has a problem will become my problem, on my money.  I do live in a townhouse.  I know I am not flushing that kind of stuff so I would be having discussions with neighbors if there is a problem.

Of course, plumbing problems inside my house are my problem.  

With some people, it's "Out of sight, out of mind!"

Well, if it says. "flushable", it's logical to think they are.  I suspect some people here are talking about other kind of wipes.  I don't know why you'd use special butt wipes in your kitchen, for instance.  There's a difference between those, and the Lysol ones, and the regular baby wipes as well.

[TheOtherMe]

It's been in the news for years that flushable wipes are not flushable--in that they are not good for sewer systems.  

It's like until I saw the Inside Edition show, I didn't know tampons should not be flushed.  Kotex I knew about and I've heard of people having clogged toilets in apartment complexes where either diapers, wipes or kotex were pulled from the plumbing and the people in the unit were of an age where they may have used wipes, but not diapers or kotex.  

Shared plumbing is a different animal.

The church where I worked had a note on the wall about not flushing wipes when I started working there--in 2010.  That city also sent a notice with every water bill.  

Find some videos online of what those things do to plumbing and I would hope you would see the reasons not to flush anything besides the 4 p's.

Note:  I have flushed dead bugs, but not the kleenex or paper towel I used to kill them.

[Deleted]

Apr 7, 2019 9:22:30 GMT -5 Lizard Queen said:

Apr 6, 2019 17:07:00 GMT -5 weltschmerz said:

With some people, it's "Out of sight, out of mind!"

Well, if it says. "flushable", it's logical to think they are.  I suspect some people here are talking about other kind of wipes.  I don't know why you'd use special butt wipes in your kitchen, for instance.  There's a difference between those, and the Lysol ones, and the regular baby wipes as well.

They really need to stop labeling them as flushable.  Just because they make it through your toilet and out of your house does not mean they belong in the sewage system.  All the people that deal with sewers and waste water treatment plants have been begging people for years to stop flushing those.  

[Lizard Queen]

Apr 7, 2019 9:38:44 GMT -5 TheOtherMe said:

It's been in the news for years that flushable wipes are not flushable--in that they are not good for sewer systems.  

It's like until I saw the Inside Edition show, I didn't know tampons should not be flushed.  Kotex I knew about and I've heard of people having clogged toilets in apartment complexes where either diapers, wipes or kotex were pulled from the plumbing and the people in the unit were of an age where they may have used wipes, but not diapers or kotex.  

Shared plumbing is a different animal.

The church where I worked had a note on the wall about not flushing wipes when I started working there--in 2010.  That city also sent a notice with every water bill.  

Find some videos online of what those things do to plumbing and I would hope you would see the reasons not to flush anything besides the 4 p's.

Note:  I have flushed dead bugs, but not the kleenex or paper towel I used to kill them.

What news? The radio? The internet? Maybe it's more of a problem in some municipalities than others?

I mean, when I had cable years ago, and when my mom still read the paper, I might have seen that kind of news, but that pre-dates the popularity of flushable wipes. You're assuming people are getting the same news you are.