Here’s Why Baby Wipes Should Never Be Flushed Down the Toilet

Septic and sewer experts are no strangers to clogged plumbing pipes in Bethel, OH. They’ve seen it all—toilet trouble, busted pipes in the walls, septic leaks in front yards, even tree roots growing through plumbing. Let’s say your particular issue is drain related. It could be that your toilet is gurgling, slow to flush or clogged. A plunger is unable to remedy the situation, so you call a plumber for help. If the cause of the drain issue is not due to cracks, breaks or corrosion, then the next usual suspect is a buildup of whatever it is you’ve been flushing.

Unfortunately, not everything people might flush down the toilet is truly flushable—including wet wipes and baby wipes. The stuff that is not flushable can collect inside a toilet drain, eventually stopping toilet function altogether as well as cause problems elsewhere in your home’s plumbing system.

Wet wipe manufacturers might have you believing that it’s fine to flush their products down the toilet when it’s actually not. The reality is that these types of wipes can pose a serious threat to your plumbing system when flushed regularly. Here are a few reasons why baby wipes should never be flushed.

Wet wipes don’t break apart

Can baby wipes be flushed down the toilet? They can be… but they really shouldn’t be. While you’d think a moist wipe would disintegrate once flushed down the toilet, they actually almost never do. Many plumbers have found baby wipes completely intact and stuffed within drain pipes months after being flushed. A collection of wipes can clog toilets and back up entire systems.

Fatbergs

Wet wipes contribute to the fatberg effect, which is when wipes that have not broken down combine with the fat, grease and other debris caught in plumbing pipes to create an iceberg-like formation. Fatbergs create massive clogs in plumbing pipes, drains and city sewer systems. Fatbergs can be 10 feet or longer and weigh more than 100 pounds!

Sewer system damage

Can baby wipes clog a toilet? Yes. Can a collection of flushed baby wipes cause sewer system damage? Also yes. Once the wipes that make it through your home’s plumbing pipes reach the city sewer system, they can wreak havoc and create damage. A clogged sewer system can push sewage into your home and others on the same system through toilets, sinks, bathtubs and other drain openings. Baby wipes can also damage machinery at wastewater treatment plants. The cost of damages can reach into the thousands of dollars.

Wall of flushed wipes

The older your home, the greater the odds that you have a fragile plumbing system. Pipes in older homes may already be corroded and brittle, meaning you shouldn’t be surprised if you learn your drain lines are full of small holes or have been damaged by invasive tree roots. When you flush baby wipes, over time they build into a wall of wipes. This wall is difficult to penetrate, which means anything else you flush can’t reach the sewer system.

A persistent clog in your home plumbing system needs immediate attention. Contact the experts at Gullett Sanitation Services Inc. in Bethel, OH today to schedule an appointment.

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