24/7 Emergency ServiceWarwick Rhode Island - Wipes clog pipes!
6/17/2020 (Permalink)
It's best to stick to flushing only toilet paper to preserve your septic system and city sewage systems!
Wipes
When you go to the store, you might pick up some flushable wipes or baby wipes, while they may say 'flushable', you really shouldn't flush them! Even if something is labelled as flushable, it can cause damage to your pipes, the sewage treatment facilities, and your septic system (especially septic systems).
Recently, more wipes have been flushed down toilets due to the coronavirus. With the lack of toilet paper, people were turning to wipes/baby wipes and flushing them. Even flushing paper towels!
According to nytimes.com, this has resulted in a surge in backed up sewer lines and overflowing toilets...yuck! These clogged sewer lines are not good for the environment either! Sewage is spilling into natural bodies of water and overflowing toilets can be harmful to your health if not taken care of right away!
While flushable wipes may go down the pipe initially, they don't break down as well as toilet paper is designed to do.
There are some criteria that wipes need to pass in order to be considered "flushable":
- Disintegrates quickly
- Must not float
- Contains biodegradable material, no plastics.
Remember the 3P's- Pee, Poo and toilet Paper
The only things that should be flushed!
Wipes and your septic system
Since your septic system receives less waste than the city's system, wipes and sanitary products will cause a little less damage, but it's still not recommended to flush anything except toilet paper and waste through your septic system. Typically the most recurring reason to get your septic pumped more than usual is wipes and sanitary products being flushed.
If you still prefer to use wipes, you can still use them, but the pros suggest not flushing them, putting them in the trash. Or if you would rather flush, Scott Flushable Wipes broke down the best in a test.
Let us help you clean up your disaster sewer damages and water damages in your Warwick commercial office building We will clean up with care and can be your single source for all your cleanup needs. If you experience a sewage backup, call SERVPRO of Northern Rhode Island right away to get that cleaned up! We're experienced and trained to handle sewage the safe way. Warwick disaster cleanup will be on the way fast.