DIY Wet Wipes (Why Flushing Regular Wipes Will Clog Your Drains)

Are wet wipes a part of your cleaning routine?

If you clean with wet wipes, then maybe you have a routine or use them on a weekly or even daily basis, and you know exactly what to use the wipes for. Wet wipes are absolutely wonderful in the fact that they have a lot of cleaning properties, especially for the human body.

Since many people love wet wipes, they have switched from using cloth or paper of any kind, whether it’s for cleaning things around the home or for the body, and they simply use wet wipes. These disposable wipes have many cleaning uses, and they can be thrown away after they are used.

Here are some of the cleaning uses that people have for wet wipes:

• Walls
• Countertops
• Cabinets
• Monitors
• Keyboards
• Discs
• Stereo equipment
• TV’s
• Electronics
• Bathroom uses
• Mirrors
• Ceiling fans
• Standing fans
• Light fixtures
• Hands
• Faces
• Remove makeup

Just because wet wipes can be used on just about anything doesn’t mean that when they are disposed of, they should be flushed, even if they are used to clean the buttocks. Many are extremely misinformed about how to dispose of wet wipes if they are not using it for cleaning purposes.

Sometimes, only clogged pipes or a warning from the city will alert the person about the negative effects of flushing wet wipes. Again, wet wipes can be used all the time for anything, but never ever flush them under any circumstances, even if you read a label that says “flushable.”

Why You Should Be Cautious of Wet Wipes

Although disposable wipes can be great, you should be cautious of them because of the fact that they can not only clog up pipes but actually damage them. Plumbers will often warn households that have been suffering from clogs not to flush wet wipes, especially if they found a clog filled with wet wipes within the plumbing system.

Although a plumber may have to come out to a home to remove a clog, it’s not something they love doing, especially when the clog is mostly made from dirty wet wipes that have been flushed down the toilet. Imagine if a person has pipes that run on the outside of their home and has a tree growing close by. The tree can have roots that end up finding its way into the pipes, and this alone can cause a problem, especially leaks, but what if a wet wipe goes through the drains and tries to surpass the tree roots?

The likeliness of the wet wipe passing the tree root is nearly impossible, especially since the wipes are so sturdy and are likely to latch onto the tree roots. That single wipe that has caught onto the roots of the tree within the drain is now going to start collecting other wipes and other objects that go down the drains, and eventually, a large clog will be created, which will need a plumber to not only dislodged the clog but also to work to remove the tree roots that have grown into the pipe.

With all the problems that can easily be caused by flushing wet wipes, hopefully, you’ll now know that you shouldn’t do it and should only throw the wipes away.

Wet wipe clogs are a real problem.

Removing clogs that are caused because wet wipes have formed the clog inside a pipe can be a real problem.

If a plumber comes out to remove the clog, then one of the first things they’ll want to do is try to use a snake. If an electric snake goes into the drains, then it should pull up the clog, but if the clog is thick enough and very large in size, then the snake may not be able to get the clog, even if it’s an electric snake.

Some plumbers may try their luck at hydro jetting, which shoots a very powerful stream or jet of water through the pipes, which should be able to dislodge many clogs, but this only works in certain cases, and the clog has to be easy enough to remove.

If the clog has been there for a long time and has even clung to the sides of the piping, then removing it may mean taking apart the pipes to get to the clog, and the pipes will then have to be put back together, or a replacement pipe that doesn’t have a clog in it may need to be put in the other pipe’s place. It’s amazing the kind of problems can be caused by wet wipe clogs, so the lesson is never to flush the wipes.

Should you use wet wipes in the bathroom?

Don’t be afraid of using wet wipes in the bathroom, even if you’ve been forewarned about the clogging problems that they cause.

No one’s telling you that you can’t use wet wipes or disposable wipes when you clean yourself after you’ve used to the toilet, but it’s how you choose to dispose of the wet wipe that becomes the problem. Don’t choose to flush it because there are other ways to get rid of the wipe.

If you’re cleaning around your home with the wet wipe, then you should always throw it away, so you should do the same thing when you clean yourself because the garbage can handle anything as long as it’s not oversized, and wet wipes are not very large in size. Use your trash for any wet wipes you have to throw away.

Plumbing repairs are available.

Toilet repair and also drain cleaning are two methods to help get rid of clogs that originate from flushing wet wipes. There may be several ways to do toilet repair, but it depends solely on the plumber. Drain cleaning is a yearly project that should be done by every household, and it’s useful for all types of drains.

Call a reliable plumber at Powell’s Plumbing in Winchester, VA by dialing 540-665-8196 for great plumbing services.