“Flushable wipes” have become one of the most annoying
phrases I hear on a regular basis, and the cause of more than a few headaches
and grey hair for me in recent years...
First off, let’s start with what these really are.
If you use them, then you already know what they are, but
for the rest of the world that knows how to wipe their butt properly with just
toilet paper, please allow me to explain.
These wipes, which are basically baby wipes are fibrous, moist, pleasant
feeling wipes that folks use in place or in addition to toilet paper during their
visit to the porcelain throne.
The manufacturers of these wipes tout them as
flushable. Well yea, hell you can flush
just about anything down the toilet, that doesn’t mean that you should. Flushable only means that it won’t plug up
the toilet, that doesn’t mean that it won’t damage wastewater lines in your
home, or in the utility collection and pumping system that moves the mess from
your home.
Currently there are several large lawsuits aimed at these
manufactures to force the removal of the wording of flushable from the
containers of these wipes. Major cities,
small cities, minor MUD’s etc. are all dealing with the effects of these wipes
on their systems. Millions of dollars
are spent by some annually dealing with the damage and impairment these cause
to the collection systems. The customers
are the ones who ultimately pay that price.
First, they pay for purchasing these ridiculous wipes in the first
place, then they along with the customers that don’t flush them, pay in
increased wastewater treatment costs.
Those costs pass right to the monthly customer bill in the form of increased
baseline connection fees or higher usage fee’s.
So why the wipes? I honestly
don’t know. I assume it’s because some
people just are too lazy to do a decent job with the toilet paper. I could understand using baby wipes on a
baby, but an adult using them just boggles my mind. Perhaps it’s another sign of the continued
lazy way of life that has become the norm for so many people in industrialized countries
around the world.
No matter the reason for their use, they should not be
flushed. Rather, throw them in the trashcan
and then they can’t harm the wastewater system and your butt can be April fresh…
so something.
I’m attaching a few links below so you can see what some of
these wipes are capable of doing.
-Until next time
