# Flushing baby wipes **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 9, 2016, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flushing-baby-wipes/754370 "2016-05-09T03:02:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![UCBearcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/77aa72/32.png) [@UCBearcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UCBearcats)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2016, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flushing-baby-wipes/754370/1 "2016-05-09T03:02:08Z")
I like using baby wipes to clean up in between showers. I have been flushing them one at a time. My wife says this will cause damage to the sewer lines and and an expensive repair. Will this really cause any problems? ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2016, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flushing-baby-wipes/754370/2 "2016-05-09T03:09:48Z")
Yes: > **[Fears giant wet wipe 'fatbergs' could destroy sewage systems](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-06/fears-giant-wipe-filled-fatberg-could-destroy-sewage-system/6597592)** > > They might be cheap to buy on supermarket shelves, but disposable wipes are costing authorities tens of millions of dollars as more people flush them down the toilet, clogging pipes and polluting waterways.  > **[Monster wet wipes blockage pulled out of sewer pipe](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-25/monster-wet-wipes-blockage-pulled-out-of-sewer-pipe/7199230)** > > A massive blockage made up of wet wipes and sewage is pulled from an underground pipe near Newcastle. > **[10-tonne fatberg removed from west London sewer](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/apr/21/huge-10-ton-fatberg-removed-chelsea-sewer-london)** > > Lump of congealed fat and household waste was 40 metres long and so heavy it broke Chelsea sewer, costing Thames Water £400,000 > **[Enormous 'fatberg' the size of an AEROPLANE found blocking sewers in London](https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/enormous-fatberg-size-aeroplane-found-4145785)** > > The sewer blockage, made up of waste fat, wet wipes, old food, tennis balls and even planks of wood, was eventually cleared a few days ago by high-powered jets And many more. “Flushable” is technically correct - they \*can \*be flushed - they just \*shouldn’t \*be. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Downtown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mr\_Downtown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Downtown)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2016, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flushing-baby-wipes/754370/3 "2016-05-09T03:44:18Z")
Depends a lot on your local plumbing. If you’re in a single-family home with a four-inch waste line to the street sewer, and it’s been compromised by tree roots through the years, then trouble lies ahead. If (like me) you live in an apartment building with an eight-inch waste stack and outfall line that’s rodded every couple of years, less to worry about. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2016, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flushing-baby-wipes/754370/4 "2016-05-09T03:48:10Z")
Note that toilet paper will essentially dissolve but baby wipes as a rule won’t. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2016, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flushing-baby-wipes/754370/5 "2016-05-09T03:56:00Z")
> [@Mr\_Downtown](#): > > If (like me) you live in an apartment building with an eight-inch waste stack and outfall line that’s rodded every couple of years, less to worry about. [Here](http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/15/nyregion/the-wet-wipes-box-says-flush-but-the-new-york-city-sewer-system-says-dont.html)’s an article from The New York Times about the problems at the wastewater treatment plants caused by these wipes. (So even if there’s no problem with your building’s waste stack, there might be further down the line.) The article links to others, about issues with these wipes in Hawaii, Alaska, California and Wisconsin, and mentions problems in other cities. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2016, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flushing-baby-wipes/754370/6 "2016-05-09T03:58:16Z")
I’m recovering from hip surgery and have to use them occasionally. I have a plastic bag lined trash can within reach so I don’t have to flush them. But I’m on a septic system, so if I do flush some all I’m doing is decreasing the time between tank pump outs. Of course that’s assuming that they don’t hang up in a pipe. But the house is built with PVC drain pipe of adequate size so I’m not really worried about it. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2016, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flushing-baby-wipes/754370/7 "2016-05-09T05:48:56Z")
> [@Mr\_Downtown](#): > > Depends a lot on your local plumbing. If you’re in a single-family home with a four-inch waste line to the street sewer, and it’s been compromised by tree roots through the years, then trouble lies ahead. > > If (like me) you live in an apartment building with an eight-inch waste stack and outfall line that’s rodded every couple of years, less to worry about. All the above examples happened outside the property lines, in the public pipes. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2016, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flushing-baby-wipes/754370/8 "2016-05-09T10:59:27Z")
Why are you flushing them? Because you want to? Like the idea? Don’t get garbage pick up? It’s a silly risk to take. Could end up costing you big money for plumbing repairs. Why risk it? Just to be contrary to the wife? Why so invested in needing to flush them? Can you explain? ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2016, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flushing-baby-wipes/754370/9 "2016-05-09T13:55:37Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > Why are you flushing them? Because you want to? Like the idea? Don’t get garbage pick up? > > It’s a silly risk to take. Could end up costing you big money for plumbing repairs. Why risk it? Just to be contrary to the wife? > > Why so invested in needing to flush them? Can you explain? I don’t use them, but where else would you recommend putting a wet-wipe that probably has a non-trivial amount of feces on it? I suppose the OP could get [one of these](http://www.playtexbaby.com/products/playtex-diaper-genie-essentials-disposal-system), and use it like new parents do, but that would look weird in the bathroom I suspect. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2016, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flushing-baby-wipes/754370/10 "2016-05-09T14:03:58Z")
Very very very bad idea. We once had a massive backup in our office sewer line. The plumber found over 100 baby wipes in it. When we asked the only tenant with a baby about it, she said “I thought they could be flushed.” ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2016, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flushing-baby-wipes/754370/11 "2016-05-09T14:23:51Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > Why are you flushing them? Because you want to? Like the idea? Don’t get garbage pick up? > > It’s a silly risk to take. Could end up costing you big money for plumbing repairs. Why risk it? Just to be contrary to the wife? > > Why so invested in needing to flush them? Can you explain? Why coming down so hard? Where the heck did the notion come from that he’s “so invested” in flushing them? He just asked a question. ---
**Author:** ![MindsEye\_Watering](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindseye_watering/32/3619_2.png) [@MindsEye\_Watering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindsEye_Watering)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2016, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flushing-baby-wipes/754370/12 "2016-05-09T14:24:42Z")
So…everyone here is saying that wipes advertised as being flushable, as opposed to wipes that are _not_ flushable (and say so on the package), are bad? “Flushable” wipes don’t break down in a septic system? ETA: Just found this from Consumer Reports: > [@](#): > > You don’t want a flushable wipe that’s wimpy, because … well, it needs to do the job. But you also need a wipe that’s weak enough to fall apart when flushed. > > The four tested products were all strong enough to stand up to everyday use based on the force required to push a metal ball through layers of wipes. When we put them in a stand mixer filled with water and pushed the slowest speed (more churning than your waste pipe will provide), it took at least 10 minutes to break each into small pieces. That means you may not want to flush “flushable” wipes. > > After we let intact wipes sit in water overnight, we saw differences. The Charmin and the Equate stayed in one piece, **but the Cottonelle and the Scott disintegrated easily**. (Bolding mine) ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2016, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flushing-baby-wipes/754370/13 "2016-05-09T14:32:49Z")
Er, um, if your only ‘acceptable’ response to something with feces on it, (And where did he even specify that?), is to flush it, then you should use a product that flushes without damaging your plumbing. (Like toilet paper!) However, new parents routinely use wipes, for feces, without needing to flush for disposal, so clearly there ARE other disposal choices. I’d suggest choosing to avoid future expensive plumbing issues myself. ---
**Author:** ![Me\_Billy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Me\_Billy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Me_Billy)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2016, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flushing-baby-wipes/754370/14 "2016-05-09T15:24:55Z")
How long have you been doing this and HAS it ever caused any problems? If not, then obviously it is not a problem with your particular plumbing system. That is so long as you do not have a septic tank. ---
**Author:** ![Clark\_Cello](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@Clark\_Cello](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clark_Cello)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2016, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flushing-baby-wipes/754370/15 "2016-05-09T15:39:14Z")
> [@MindsEye\_Watering](#): > > So…everyone here is saying that wipes advertised as being flushable, as opposed to wipes that are _not_ flushable (and say so on the package), are bad? > > “Flushable” wipes don’t break down in a septic system? > > ETA: > Just found this from Consumer Reports: > (Bolding mine) OP didn’t say anything about flushable; he just called them “baby wipes”. AFAIK, no baby wipes are flushable (my info is a few years out of date, so feel free to correct if I am wrong). If OP is using flushable wipes, I don’t think anyone has a problem with it. But then I think he wouldn’t be asking if he were using flushable wipes. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2016, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flushing-baby-wipes/754370/16 "2016-05-09T16:12:31Z")
> [@Clark\_Cello](#): > > OP didn’t say anything about flushable; he just called them “baby wipes”. AFAIK, no baby wipes are flushable (my info is a few years out of date, so feel free to correct if I am wrong). If OP is using flushable wipes, I don’t think anyone has a problem with it. But then I think he wouldn’t be asking if he were using flushable wipes. If you read the linked articles upthread, a lot of utilities do in fact have a problem with so-called “flushable” wipes. The problem is that there is no real consensus on what makes a wipe “flushable” or not, and no accepted test for flushability that has been accepted by the manufacturers as well as the wastewater treatment plants. Many, if not most, wastewater treatment plants would greatly prefer that nothing other than human waste and toilet paper be flushed down the toilets. This means no food and no trash. (Some utilities even discourage the use of garbage disposal units, but that is a separate topic.) As for me, I have a septic system for my house, so I follow this practice because I don’t want to cause issues with my system. Not to get into too much detail, but I personally use toilet paper followed by a wipe just to ensure the job is completely done. The TP is flushed, whereas the wipe is wrapped in a tissue and disposed in the trash. If there is anything at all significant on the wipe, then not enough TP was used. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flushing-baby-wipes/754370/17 "2016-05-10T02:44:13Z")
> [@UCBearcats](#): > > I like using baby wipes to clean up in between showers. What’s wrong with a damp sponge? Easily available, cheap, reusable, no plumbing risks, less damaging to the environment, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Ornery\_Bob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/da6949/32.png) [@Ornery\_Bob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ornery_Bob)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flushing-baby-wipes/754370/18 "2016-05-10T02:59:38Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > What’s wrong with a damp sponge? Easily available, cheap, reusable, no plumbing risks, less damaging to the environment, etc. It depends on where you’re “cleaning up” with the wipes, eh? ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flushing-baby-wipes/754370/19 "2016-05-10T03:01:13Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > What’s wrong with a damp sponge? Easily available, cheap, reusable, no plumbing risks, less damaging to the environment, etc. I’m pretty sure by “cleaning up” he means “cleaning shit off my arse after doing a poo.” If you want to use a sponge for this and reuse it, then go for it, but don’t blame the OP for wanting a disposable solution. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flushing-baby-wipes/754370/20 "2016-05-10T03:06:45Z")
If you are toiletizing with the wipes I’d suggest you put it/them in a baggie afterward and seal it up. Then the wipe won’t stink or give off bacteria and you can toss it into the trash (or perhaps into a flip-top wastebasket that you and not your wife empties) where it will keep happily until trash pickup day. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flushing-baby-wipes/754370.md?page=2)