It used to be that wipes were meant to assist in changing a baby’s diaper or sanitizing hands, but now “flushable wipes” have burst onto the scene. These wipes are marketed to assist with bathroom hygiene, makeup removal, and the like.
Unfortunately, most alleged flushable wipes aren’t flushable at all. They don’t degrade once they hit water and they easily accumulate in your indoor wastewater pipes, your service line, in our wastewater mains in the street, and at our wastewater treatment plants. These factors can have huge impacts on your pocketbook and negatively impact the environment through wastewater overflows and treatment plant failures.
Even if a product claims to be flushable, it’s not worth the risk to flush them down the toilet. Toss them in the trash, or have a separate, sealable trash bag for used potty wipes. Of course, you can also use good, old-fashioned toilet paper to do the job. Since we’re on the subject, here are some other items that you should keep out of the toilet:
- Cotton balls and swabs
- Dental floss
- Adhesive bandages
- Personal hygiene products
- Disposable diapers
- Prescription medications
- Paper towels
- Kitty litter
[via Colorado Springs utilities]
What do you think of not so flushable wipes? Let us know in the comments.