During this COVID-19 pandemic we have been experiencing, toilet paper has been a hot commodity. With the toilet paper shelves wiped clean for many months, many people were turning to flushable wipes as an alternative to the long lost toilet paper they were looking for. While flushable wipes may say that they are “flushable,” that doesn’t always mean that you can use them the same way that you would use toilet paper. The Original $49.95 Plumber is here to talk about the dangers that come with flushable wipes for your plumbing.
What to Flush Down the Toilet
When toilet paper was first designed, it was made so that it easily disintegrates when it is flushed down your toilet. The water swooshing around the bowl, agitates the toilet paper enough that it starts to almost immediately fall apart. There are many things that claim they are flushable when they really aren’t. If they are made of synthetic materials like polyester and plastic, they won’t break down and will clog sewers. If you are flushing items down your toilet that were never meant to be flushed, they can cause a sewage backup that poses a serious health risk.
How Flushable Wipes Create a Fatberg in the Sewers
Have you ever hear of a ‘fatberg’ and what it has to do with your plumbing? This is a solid mass that is comprised of things like flushable wipes, tampons, cooking fats and other items that are often flushed down the toilet. As all of these item merge in the sewer system, they are impossible to break down and costly to fix; not to mention, they are unsanitary and gross. In the year 2018, New York City had to get rid of 2000 fatbergs alone. Reports show that 90 percent of these fatbergs are caused by flushable wipes alone.
Why are Flushable Wipes Advertised as “Flushable”?
Even though there are many things that you technically could flush down the toilet, it doesn’t mean that all of them belong there. Flushable wipes are one of them. This leaves consumers wondering why in the world they would be labeled as flushable when they really aren’t. The reason for this is that there are no current restrictions that are keeping them from continuing to do so. Many experts say that if flushable wipes were ever put to a test to see if they were truly flushable and broke down, they would most definitely fail the test.
Drain Pipe & Sewer Line Camera Inspections, Cleaning, Unclogging & More in Staten Island, Maspeth, Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Yonkers, Queens, NYC Boroughs, New York City NY
If you have a clogged drain because of flushable wipes, there is no one more qualified to get rid of the clog at a price you can afford than The Original $49.95 Plumber. We specialized in drain cleaning and can get rid of any clogging you may be experiencing in your plumbing system. We offer fast response times to your call so you are left with plumbing issues longer than you have to be. Call us today!
