Are Baby Wipes Flushable?

Cast your minds back to the year 2020. You might remember a little global pandemic that went by the name COVID-19. A pandemic that resulted in, among other more serious things, a toilet paper shortage here in the Adelaide Hills and across Australia.

When we couldn’t find our trusty 4 pack of Kleenex on our supermarket shelf, many of us sought alternative products to see us through. Among those products were wet wipes or baby wipes. As useful and effective as they were though, they did force us to ask the question “Are baby wipes flushable?”

Despite what some packaging and marketing campaigns might suggest, the short answer to this question is NO. Let’s take a look at why these “flushable toilet wipes” are perhaps not as flushable as they suggest, including the damage they cause to your plumbing and to the environment.

What Happens When You Flush Wet Wipes?

When you flush baby wipes down the loo, they don’t break down like standard toilet paper. It’s worth noting that even paper towels and tissues don’t decompose in the same way that toilet paper does. Instead, your everyday flushable wet wipe stays mostly intact, causing blockage dramas for your toilet and plumbing system as a whole.

Unlike toilet paper which easily decomposes when it hits the water, baby wipes and other wet wipes are made from stronger materials that don’t dissolve quite as easily or quickly. When you flush flushable wipes, they travel through your pipes. These wet wipes have a tendency to get stuck in the system, leading to a blocked toilet drain and potentially even larger sewer-related dilemmas.

Over time, these wipes can accumulate and form nasty congealed masses called fatbergs. These fatbergs cause expensive plumbing problems and create blockages in both household pipes and the wider wastewater system. The last thing that anyone needs.

Common Plumbing Problems Caused by Flushing Wipes

Baby wipes and other flushable wet wipes can create a raft of plumbing problems that are as expensive to repair as they are inconvenient. These issues can affect your household plumbing as well as the wider sewer system. Here are some of the most common problems caused by flushing wipes:

• Blocked drains that typically need professional plumbers to unclog.
• Clogged pipes that result in slow drainage or overflowing toilets.
• Damage to sewer pipes that cause leaks and raw sewage backups.
• Expensive repairs to wastewater systems due to congealed masses of flushable products and grease clogging the sewerage system.

Safe and correct wet wipe disposal is the best way to stop these problems before they even occur.

Why You Shouldn’t Flush Wipes: Environmental Impact

Flushing wipes doesn’t just damage your plumbing; it also wreaks havoc on the environment.

We know that when wet wipes of any kind enter the sewer system, they don’t decompose in the same way that toilet paper does. This can lead to severe blockages that cause raw sewage spills, which can harm marine life and pollute waterways. Additionally, wipes that make it through the wastewater system can end up in landfills, contributing to long-term waste.

By choosing biodegradable wipes and disposing of them in the bin, you help reduce their environmental impact and protect both sewer systems and local ecosystems.

How to Safely Dispose of Baby Wipes

Safely disposing of flushable baby wipes is simple and goes a long way toward preventing avoidable plumbing issues and environmental harm.

Yes, flushing wipes down the loo might seem more convenient. But if you’d rather protect your pipes and the greater wastewater system? These are the best ways to dispose of baby wipes and other non-flushable wipes:

• Throw wet wipes in the bin after use.
• Choose genuinely biodegradable flushable wipes that break down more easily in landfills.
• Keep a separate bin in your bathroom for sanitary products and wipes.
• Or simply stick with toilet paper, which is designed to dissolve in water, if you’d rather keep flushing.

These simple steps will keep your plumbing and the environment safe from unnecessary flushable wipe-related blockages and pollution.

When to Call a Licensed Plumber

If you’ve been flushing baby wipes or other non-flushable wipes down the toilet, chances are high that you’ll eventually face blocked drains or clogged pipes. As the Pantene shampoo ad said back in the day, “It won’t happen overnight, but it will happen”.

When the trusty toilet plunger or other DIY drain-unblocking solutions don’t work, it’s time to call a licensed plumber. They’ll be able to quickly identify the cause of the problem, whether it’s a giant fatberg or other debris blocking your pipes. They can safely tackle your blockages, prevent further damage to your plumbing system, and restore your toilet drains and wastewater systems to such smooth operators that even Sade would be proud.

Quick word of advice: don’t wait for the issue to escalate. Licensed plumbers have the right tools and expertise to solve the problem efficiently. Get onto it quickly.

Moving Forward: The Future of Flushable Wipes

As awareness grows about the environmental and plumbing issues caused by flushing wipes, many brands are working to develop truly flushable products.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has raised concerns about misleading claims, urging companies to improve their labelling and create wipes that meet a national standard for safe disposal.

In the future, there’s every chance that we’ll see biodegradable flushable wipes that break down as quickly as toilet paper (don’t quote me on that). Wipes that help to reduce blockages and environmental harm. But until then, it’s important to be cautious and dispose of wipes properly to protect your plumbing and the environment.

Keep Your Plumbing and the Environment Safe

So … are baby wipes flushable?

While baby wipes and flushable wipes are handy, they aren’t safe to be flushed down the loo. Unlike conventional toilet paper, these wipes don’t break down easily, leading to clogged drains, blocked sewer pipes, and even environmental damage.

To avoid expensive plumbing issues and protect our sewer systems, always throw out wipes in the bin and stick to using toilet paper in your toilet system. If you’re dealing with blocked pipes or plumbing problems due to flushing wipes, don’t hesitate to call a licensed plumber.

A few simple changes can help keep your plumbing and the environment in top shape.

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