Why Flushing Regular Wipes Will Clog Your Drains

Use Wet Wipes When You Need Them

You’re on the road, maybe in the park, or maybe even in the mall, and the baby has a dirty diaper, so you grab for a diaper and their wet wipes to clean them up. If you see markings on your wall, then you may also grab a wet wipe to clean it up. Your coffee table is dusty, so a wet wipe can help to clean that as well. You may even have sanitizing wet wipes that can clean your countertops after you’ve cut up chicken or other things to make it germ-free.

The point is, wet wipes have so many uses that they are ever becoming more and more popular, especially among the adults. No longer are wet wipes only sanctioned for cleaning a child, but anyone who wants to feel clean can grab a wet wipe to use it after they’ve gone to the restroom.

Many people love the fact that they can take wet wipes with them anywhere, especially if they are somewhere that doesn’t have toilet paper but has a bathroom. Wet wipes are very convenient to use, they are easy to pack, and you can use them anytime you need them.

Even though wet wipe sales have exploded over the years and will only continue to go up, it’s how the wet wipes are being disposed of that has become such a major problem that it needs to be addressed. Wet wipes can be used, but unless the wipes are thrown into the trash, then they become a problem when people choose to flush them instead of throwing them away.

Here’s Why You Should Never Flush Wet Wipes

Some people are really uninformed about using the toilet and think that anything that goes into the toilet and disappears after it's flushed is okay to flush. There are only three P’s that go into the toilet, which is pee, poop, and paper.

Unless these three items are going through the toilet, then you’re risking damaging your toilet, which would then need toilet repair, and your drains may also suffer as well, which may result in the need for drain cleaning.

If you want to keep the plumbing in your home functioning properly for years, which is supposed to be the case, then don’t damage it by flushing certain objects down the toilets. There're several things that should never be flushed, and at the top of that list is wet wipes, but here are some other things that you don’t want to flush down your toilet:

• Any kind of toys
• Large masses of toilet paper
• Anything metal
• Feminine napkins
• Tampons
• Anything that can expand in the pipes
• Disposable toilet cleaning heads
• Clothing of any kind
• Medication of any kind
• Plastic
• Wadded up printing paper
• Any kind of drugs

As long as you know what should go into your toilet, then you are less likely to experience clogs, but if you didn’t know that wet wipes shouldn’t be flushed, then you may have already come across a clog that has been such a problem that it’s not allowing your toilet to flush, or maybe other drains in the home have become affected too.

When you come across a clog in your toilet, most people go for a plunger to try and pull it up, but wet wipes can be such a problem and cause such large clogs that even a plunger or a snaking tool or machine may not fix the clog and get rid of it for good.

You’ll have to call out a plumber once you discover that there’s a clog in your toilet, and toilet repair may be the next step, and that’s if the clog can ever be removed. Things can get even worse than this because the clog may not even be within your pipes but in the sewage system, and this means that others will have to suffer because of your mistake in flushing the wet wipes.

Flushing Wet Wipes Can Cause Problems For You And Your Neighbors

If you have flushed any amount of wet wipes before, then know that getting a clog is possible. Certain areas have taken the time to print out notices or flyers to give to people in their area to let them know that flushing the wet wipes can be hazardous to the sewage system as well as causing clogs. It’s possible that many people in a small vicinity will suffer sewage problems if one household alone is flushing wet wipes, and that’s because everyone eventually shares the same sewage treatment center within an approximate area.

A great example of wet wipe clogs is what has happened in several cities, including New York, but especially in London, where they had the biggest clog in history that weighed about 15 tons and consisted of mainly wet wipes as well as grease.

Imagine the amount of time and effort it took to dislodge that clog, which sources say it took three weeks and a lot of manpower and machines to get the clog loose. At the time that the clog was stuck in the sewage system, no one could flush their toilets and couldn’t even use their plumbing properly, simply because of this massive clog.

It’s okay if anyone wants to use wet wipes, but those are one of the things that should never be flushed, and flushing them may not only cause problems for the plumbing in and around your home but also for the neighbors too, so please be considerate.

How To Get The Plumbing Repaired

If you’re suffering from a clog that is really affecting the plumbing in your home, then get it fixed by calling a plumber. Some plumbers can make emergency appointments, which means they can possibly come out the same day, so get a plumber asap for clogs and other plumbing problems.

Quality plumbing and drain cleaning services can be found in Colonial Heights, VA from Colonial Plumbing & Heating Co., Inc. at (804) 526-8415.