Are wet wipes OK to flush?

No, nope, nada, never. Don't do it. If you're reading this on the toilet, save your drains DON'T FLUSH.

Wet wipes are a huge problem for homeowners and councils across the country, and around the world. They don't break down in the sewage system like toilet paper does and are a major contributor of blocked drains. The cost to residents directly and local councils (who pass on the costs through rates and charges) reach into the millions each year. Sydney Water alone removed 1000 tonnes of wet wipes from drains across the city in only two years.

Our plumbers unblock drains each week which have become clogged with so-called 'flushable' wet wipes.

Are wet wipes really flushable?

Despite what manufacturers claim in advertising and on packaging wet wipes are not flushable. The team at Choice tested flushable wet wipes and found that after 6 hours in agitation the wipes had not disintegrated at all.

If you use wet wipes (even the ones which claim to be flushable) put them in the rubbish bin.

What are flushable wet wipes made of?

Many wet wipes contain plastics which are non-biodegradable and can take over 100 years to breakdown in landfill. 

Manufacturers are quickly coming on board with biodegradable wipes for all uses, however, these should still be thrown in the bin rather than flushed as they don't immediately degrade and will still clog up your drain and potentially make their way out into the ocean before they have time to breakdown.

Just in case you were wondering here are some other items which are not flushable but which still seem to find their way into the sewers.

• nappies
• sanitary items - tampons, pads
• cotton balls and buds
• hair
• condoms
• food
• toys
• deceased pets

More information on flushable wet wipes can be found on our blog post - Is it OK to flush flushable wet wipes?

Reference

The messy truth about flushable wipes