DIY Wet Wipes (Why Flushing Regular Wipes Will Clog Your Drains)
The Demand for Disposable Wipes
Flushable or disposable wipes are in high demand, and this shouldn’t be a surprise, especially since almost every household that has small children or infants will be using them. Demand for these wipes has gone up even higher because of the fact that adults now like to use them on a regular basis.
Adults like to be clean, and since most homes don’t have a bidet, and most people don’t want to jump in the shower after every time they use the bathroom, wet wipes are the closest thing to feeling the cleanest after using the bathroom. Everyone wants to feel clean, but no one thinks to throw the wet wipe into the garbage after they’ve used it.
Adults never think twice about throwing the same wet wipes into the garbage when they use it on their child, but it may be because it’s embarrassing or not wrapped in a diaper why they will not throw the same wet wipes that they use into the trash.
All of this causes a problem because the wet wipes that are flushed down the toilet tend to linger around and get caught in the pipes, which will then snowball out of control when other wipes get stuck to it, as well as everything else that goes down the drain.
Wet wipes are used for a host of things, such as:
Cleaning hands
Wiping a baby's bottom
Cleaning makeup from the face
Cleaning a baby's face
Cleaning an adult's bottom
Cleaning CD's or DVD's
Household cleaning
Applying sunscreen
Don’t Bother Flushing Your Wipes
You may feel it’s perfectly okay to flush your wipes, especially if you read on the label that it can be flushed, but consider this: there are certain cities that are pushing for better labeling that is clearer to the consumers, which particularly affects wet wipe companies.
Many producers of these wipes have labeled them as flushable or disposable, but they do not indicate where they can be disposed of. Since many choose to use the wipes while they are sitting on the toilet, the first thought is to flush the wipes, which then causes a problem because the wipes will not biodegrade as fast as the toilet paper will. When the wipes are thicker, which many of them are, they can easily become a clog in the sewer system, especially if several of them are used at once.
Although some can use only one wipe at a time, those that use several wipes because they don’t feel clean enough are more likely to experience a clog in their sewage system a lot faster. New wipes are being made all the time, so it’s likely that they will finally make one that’s flushable and will not cause damage to the toilets or drainage system.
If you want to avoid needing toilet repair, then it’s probably best to throw the wipes in the garbage instead of flushing them. Be aware that drain cleaning may also be necessary if you’ve been flushing the wipes for a long time, and this may be something you should get before you have a clog that is out of control.
Clogs Caused by Disposable Wipes
If you really want to know what wipes have done when it comes to clogging a sewage system, then simply look it up online because it’s unbelievable the kinds of damage that these wipes have caused in cities in the United States as well as around the world.
With some of the problems that the wipes are causing, lawsuits have sparked, and new bills are being introduced. All of this is the result of the millions of dollars in damage that these wipes are causing when they clog the sewage system.
The problem is, your sewage system is your own personal problem if you live in a home, and this means that you’ll have to pay to fix the problem once the wipes overwhelm your system and clog your toilets to the point where you cannot flush them at all.
You’ll want to avoid this problem, but in some cases, it may already be too late to avoid the clog because you’ve been flushing the wipes for a long time. If you know that you’ve constantly been flushing the wipes but don’t yet have a clog, get your plumber out to your home for drain cleaning, which will give you a chance to start over with clean drains.
If you see that your toilet is clogged, then toilet repair may be necessary, but it’s also possible that the clog is causing other drains in the home to clog as well.
When wet wipes clog the drain, the clog can be far down the drain where no plunger can possibly get to it. It may be necessary for a plumber to get an electric snake that goes far into the drainage system to get the clog, and even then, it still won’t come up.
Hydro jetting is also a possibility, which means the plumber will have to shoot a high pressured stream of water through the pipes to help clear them. Once you know you’re dealing with clogs that are caused by disposable wipes, don’t put off getting the problem rectified, and schedule a visit from your plumber immediately.
Get The Toilet Repair You Need
If you’re sick and tired of standing back every time you flush the toilet because you're certain that it will overflow, then you obviously need repair on your toilets and/or drains.
Your plumber can do some drain cleaning that will not only clean the toilet drains but also the other drains in the home, which means you will no longer have to worry about clogs, especially clogs that are caused by wet wipes. Drain cleaning is required in every home once a year, and this can help to prevent wet wipe clogs as well as other clogs.
Get your drains cleaned or toilet repaired by calling Falcon Plumbing in Miami, FL at (305)-251-7333.
