Why Flushing Regular Wipes Will Clog Your Drains

Wet wipes are used for cleaning.

If a person chooses to clean something, then nine times out of ten, they are going to wet the towel if they are using it for cleaning purposes. The reason why a person wets the towel when they want to clean with it is because a wet towel tends to get something cleaner than a dry towel, even if they are simply cleaning dust. The same thing goes for using a towel to clean one’s self.

A person would prefer a wet wipe to dry toilet paper because of the fact that the wet wipe will clean a lot better than the dry toilet paper.

Since many like the feeling that they get after they clean themselves with a wet wipe, some have completely switched over from using toilet paper to using only wet wipes. Although these wet wipes are great for both adults as well as children, they do pose a problem when they are flushed down the toilet, which many of them are not made to do.

The thickness of these wet wipes alone can pose a big problem if they are flushed, especially if they are the very thick ones that are used to clean a child that has a dirty diaper. The wet wipes that are made to clean children tend to be very thick because it helps the person cleaning the child to clean the child properly, without getting their hands dirty and having to touch the mess they are cleaning.

These wipes will generally be put with the diaper to be thrown away, but some adults who use these specific wipes are flushing them down the toilet, which is no different than flushing a thick cloth down the toilet. Anything thicker than toilet paper can have a problem going down the toilet, even if the toilet is flushed and the product is no longer visible.

Adults are now using wet wipes too.

Since adults are using wet wipes as well as children, it becomes an issue because the adults are the ones flushing them down the toilet. A child getting cleaned after having a dirty diaper has no say in where the wet wipe will be thrown away, and usually, the wet wipe goes into the garbage.

Since an adult will use the bathroom and then wipe themselves, they are going to throw the wet wipe into the toilet for disposal. Even though adults are using wet wipes a lot more than they used to in the past, using them is not the problem, how they dispose of them is the issue. Those who are using these disposable wipes on a regular basis should not flush them down the toilet because even the ones that are supposed to be flushable are still not degrading as quickly as they should and are causing clogs within the piping system.

Many have had to get toilet repair after continuously flushing these wipes, and constant clogs in the system may mean that the pipes will need drain cleaning as well.

Why Wet Wipes Are Bad For A Toilet

The reason why wet wipes are no good for a toilet is because of the fact that it may not go all the way through the system and may get stuck somewhere within the pipes. It’s possible for a clog to form close to the toilet, far down in the pipes, or into the septic tank, and clogs are very likely to come from flushing wipes.

Any plumber will tell you that flushing wet wipes is not a good idea, especially when they are extremely thick. Although there are some wipes that have been thinned out in order to be flushed, these wipes are still sturdy enough to get stuck on anything in the pipes, and other things can also get stuck to these wipes as well. Families have had a plumber come to check on a clog, only to find a massive ball of wet wipes along with other waste within the pipes that has caused a blockage and caused a backup of their drains.

You also have to remember that almost anything can be flushed down a toilet, but the only thing that should be flushed down is toilet paper and human waste. If you use a toilet appropriately and do not flush things down there that shouldn’t be flushed, such as wet wipes, then it’s unlikely that you’ll experience a clog and have a need for toilet repair.

Avoid Having To Flush Your Wipes

There is an alternative to flushing wipes, which is throwing them in the garbage. Get a plastic bag that can be disposed of, and put the wipes in there after they have been used, and then throw them in the garbage.

If you have a small child in the home that constantly needs their diaper changed, then dispose of your wipes, in the same manner as you would dispose of the child’s wipes, which may be in a plastic bag. It may even be possible to wrap the dirty wipes with clean ones, and then they can be disposed of with the baby’s diapers.

Your goal is to avoid flushing the wipes altogether, especially if you want to avoid the costly repercussions that will occur if you continue flushing the wipes, which is likely to create very large clogs, which may require drain cleaning.

Are you experiencing clogs in your drains?

If you’ve noticed the following symptoms, then you may have a clog in your drains:

• Garbage disposal won’t drain
• Sink is stopped up
• Toilet is backed up
• A bad smell of sewage comes from the pipes
• Tub or shower won’t drain

These signs are telling you that you may have a clog or several clogs within your pipes, and the biggest culprit may be the wet wipes that have been flushed down the toilet. Get a plumber out to your home very soon.

Unclog your drains by calling Schuler Service Inc. in Allentown, PA at (610) 991-7098.