SAVE YOUR PIPES: DON'T FLUSH WIPES!

There are many products promoted these days that are marketed as “flushable”. Although there are health benefits from using these products, they should not be labeled as “disposable”. Most of these wipes do not break down in water as shown in the following picture.

On the left, you can see how toilet paper breaks down after just 5 minutes – on the right, a “flushable” wipe after 24 hours. Clearly, you can see the difference. Since the wipes are not dissolving in water, they are causing significant damage to pipes and municipal systems’ pumps, valves, and equipment.

Dr. Mehmet Oz, host of the Dr. Oz Show, was a big promoter of “flushable” wipes, until he read an article on the damage they are doing to wastewater treatment plants and sewer systems. So, on the Tuesday, September 9 episode of his show, Dr. Oz took his audience on a tour of the Newtown Creek Waste Water Treatment Plant in New York to see the damage first-hand. Dr. Oz had a change of heart after climbing into a dumpster full of dried wipes that had been separated from the waste system.

“After seeing all of these wipes, I’m officially switching back to toilet paper,” Dr. Oz said.

We, as consumers, need to adopt the policy “when in doubt, throw it out” – don’t flush it. For more information on this topic, please visit saveyourpipes.org and