The Story of the Flushable Wipes That Almost Cost Me $320!
So as most of you may know by now, my family and I have recently moved to Reno, NV where we’re in the planning stages of renovating a 1950s ranch for our new family home. Coming into this experience, we were so proud of how many of our old belongings we were able to purge so that we could start fresh in this new home! However, we weren’t greeted with the freshest experience…
After moving in, it became clear something was seriously wrong with our plumbing system. 😧 The pictures above are the evidence of the disgusting sewer backups we were experiencing. Excuse me while I go throw up…🤢
Our realtor had gotten us a home warranty on the house (which had really come in handy for our NON-working AC Unit), so we thought, “Great! We’re totally covered!” … NOT. Unfortunately for us, sewer issues aren’t covered by the home warranty at all.
We had never experienced any plumbing problems like this in our old home, but now I’m realizing that may be because we had a bidet system on our toilets.
Let me tell you, bidets are the most incredible investment ever. Seriously, once you go bidet, you NEVER go back to the old way! 😜 It’s like a shower for your butt without having to take the time to actually get in the shower (is that too much info?). 😂 Either way, we’re anxiously awaiting to have them installed on the toilets once the reno is complete.
We called in a plumber to come fix the issue and after troubleshooting a couple different causes, he found the culprit — Flushable wipes. Yup! Something that’s advertised (in the name no less) actually isn’t supposed to be used for its intended purpose — what the heck?!
Naturally, this both confused and upset me, so I gave the flushable wipe company’s customer service a call. To my surprise, the customer service rep was actually so gracious in this situation as they not only refunded me for the wipes that I purchased on Amazon, but they are sending me a prepaid Visa card with the amount we paid to the plumber as reimbursement for the clogged pipes! WOW!
I love great customer service and I was pleased to get that reaction from the company. That’s $320 I don’t need to stress about losing. Luckily, this not so pleasant situation had a happy ending for my family, but that’s not always the case. In fact, this problem is becoming all too common.
One of my team members, Amber, is married to a Public Works Sewer foreman, so he gave us the lowdown on why flushable wipes are so bad for sewer pipes. 🚽
Flushable wipes are bad because they don’t break down as fast as toilet paper when they are flushed, meaning they back up your sewer.
Even if they flush, they cause issues in your actual piping.
It’s even worse if they make it through your private sewer lines. This ends up causing problems in the public sewer lines, meaning it causes plumbing issues for you and your neighbors.
This is actually becoming a well-known issue among consumers and there are groups dedicated to raising more awareness, like nomorewipes.com.
Wipes actually cause 90% of sewer related issues.
Um, YIKES! 😱 Who knew these seemingly safe wipes could cause so much damage. You can bet that my family and I are going to be way more conscious about what we try flushing. Below are the dos and don’ts that our plumbing expert shared with us:
Do flush things that are safe:
- Toilet paper labeled as septic safe
Yeah, that’s it. A good rule of thumb — if it’s not toilet paper or human waste, DON’T flush it! Instead, toss it in a garbage can nearby to dispose of it. If you have a poor plumbing or a septic system, you’ll want to be extra careful with the type of toilet paper you flush. Recommended brands include:
- Scott Rapid Dissolve
- Natural Value 100% Recycled Bathroom Tissue
- Nimbus Eco Extra Soft 100% Bamboo Toilet Paper
Don’t flush things that are not safe:
- Flushable wipes (or any other wipes for that matter)
- Tampons and sanitary napkins
- Tissues
- Paper towels
- Anything that’s NOT toilet paper
Anyway, I’m glad that nightmare is over and it’s certainly a lesson learned. Now we can get back to the renovation so I can start sharing my money-saving home improvement tips! 🏡
You should take a look at this NY Times article published a few days ago, with some more details on what/why/how of flushable/nonflushable items! https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/25/science/do-not-flush-down-toilet.html?smid=tw-nytimesscience&smtyp=cur
Thanks for the link!
Yep. I read horror stories like this. My family is used to “flushable” wipes but I’ve trained them not to flush them in the toilet. I will even write on the actual package “DO NOT FLUSH”. Guests think I’m extra but I don’t care it’s my plumbing and my money that’s gonna be affected. Also, in my opinion, this company needs to do something about this. This is false advertising.
Learned this 3months in as a new homeowner. Never throw flushable wipes in toliet. My plumber said, “yep, as a plumber we loves these companies that make flushable wipes. Keeps us in business and in high demand. “
Yes! We had these and while it didn’t get to a point of the plumber, but we had a clogged toilet quite a few times. I had to remove the wipes from my kids bathroom. The packages we have state to not flush more than one at a time, but teenagers don’t care! Now we mainly use them out and about and for wipedowns of skin or dirty feet during play days.
I use to flush my tampons. But now i use a generic ziplock bag next to my toilet. I know those tampons just don’t dissolve. So owning a home and knowing how expensive plumbers are and plumbing issues are, it is simply not worth the risk. I also agree, those wipes are just too much like fabric. That is amazing that the company payed your bill.
Yes, I was really impressed by their customer service!
Now I wonder how many Hip2save readers will send bills to company to pay for clogged toilets.
I can’t believe the company paid the bill! But I’m wondering if they were aware of this blog/post and that affected their decision.
No, they are not aware of this blog post at all. This happened a couple of weeks ago, and I then decided to write a post about our issues and how we got them resolved.
What exactly have you told them ? Do they ask for proof of purchase ? Even when the house wasnt yours until recently? Could be just that house its too old? Are they that easy to give money away? Could be something else and not only wipes… because i use those wipes but just one from time to time and no more than one but i dont keep the receipts
I dont like old houses..
Not only do they not dissolve, a plumber once told me that the tampon STRINGS cause many clogs, because they get caught inside the pipes, and wrap around other things in the pipe, like tp wads, backing up the whole system.
Hi S.C. – I did have proof of purchase since we purchased on Amazon, so it was easy to pull up my order. They just required a copy of the invoice from our plumber. Also, based on the plumbers feedback, the backup was most definitely from flushable wipes.
I use flushable wipes and I had been flushing them, until now. So glad to read this informative post. The wipes companies should not be allowed to put “flushable” on them. So deceiving. I don’t use the wipes much and I just started using them this year, so hopefully I haven’t damaged by sewer lines.
Glad you found this post helpful, and yes – I would suggest no longer flushing them down the toilet. 😬
I too have trained my kids not to flush the flushable wipes…I would rather take out the trash more than deal with a plumbing situation. After seeing this, I am so glad that I have been so insistent!
Good for you! 🙌 And yes, trips to the trash can is a much better idea then dealing with a plumber and the cost associated with them coming out. 😩
Geez that’s horrible! So glad you were able to figure out the problem. So glad I didn’t listen to my GI doctor! He is recommending to all his patients these flushable wipes. I guess I need to show him this article. I wonder if he’s had any plumbing issues at his house!!? 😂
Also, please don’t flush contact lenses. They may seem like not a big deal, but millions go down the sink and toilet every year and they don’t degrade, but break into micro plastic that enters our waterways and gets into the food chain. It’s becoming a big problem. Please trash or recycle the contacts.
https://theoutline.com/post/5934/straws-have-nothing-on-contact-lenses?zd=1&zi=5sqjttua
I was shocked to read this! I can’t believe people flush contact lenses!
Whhhhhhatttttttttttt??? Flushing your contacts!!! Bizarre. Just take them outta your eye and toss them in the trash LOL!! 🙂
ALSO NEVER FLUSH TAMPONS!
I have lived in old houses – old plumbing, Scott tissue 1000 sheet or off brands similar is the only choice. Luxury brands are for new construction and only the first 10-20 years. It is a no brainier that if you put thick paper in old toilet etc. you get clogs. New plumbing / new development is a bonus. Basically – old plumbing sucks. Old electrical is bad too. Beware. The guts of an old home need to be replaced for the safety of life and sanity.
I learned this the hard way a few years ago. My sister was house-sitting for our aunt and uncle.
Long story short: they clog and if you aren’t paying attention flood the bathroom and attached hallway. *face palm”*
Oh no… 🤦♀️
I am going to stick with flushing my nasty tampons down the toilet. Sounds gross to wrestle to a ziploc? I really have not had any problems with those at old or new construction. FreakingzA-as a woman-I endure enough. Periods/birth/child rearing/work/responsible for every thing in my family. Feakin bloody tampons are going in the toilet.
Why tho? It doesn’t cost that much to wrap it in a piece of toilet paper and throw it in a bathroom bin. Flushing tampons is just so wrong.
You don’t need to bother with a ziplock, rolling your tampon up in TP and tossing in the trash keeps things pretty clean. And if you line your bathroom trashcan with a target bag or something, all the easier to tie up and take out.
I keep old newspaper in the bathroom for this. Rather than waste toilet paper, I wrap in an old newspaper and toss in the bin. It’s thicker than toilet paper, so not as “messy”.
I never even had heard of flushing tampons until this article. I assumed everyone threw them in the trash. They are literally cotton sticks that will clog up a toilet. Seems kind of dramatic to think periods are nasty, when it’s part of life.
I hope you don’t flush your tampons down other people’s toilets. That is one of my fears when my daughter has friends over. If I’m not mistaken, the package states, “Do not flush.”
It’s really not that hard to just toss the tampon into a lined garbage can and wash your hands…there’s nothing “gross” or “nasty” about cleaning up after your body’s natural process each month. Yes, we as women endure a whole lot but choosing to have kids and a job still doesn’t entitle us to clogging the toilets up when the solution is incredibly simple lol
I used to for all of my life and moving to a new home and getting a backup made me realize differently. It was really hard at first to switch but when I had to, I had to. It wasn’t something I had ever talked about with friends but I guess I was the only one flushing them haha.
My sister in law gave me a great tip: keep a roll of “doggie poo” bags by the toilet. Great to put used tampons or flushable wipes in, and toss it in the trash. You can even put your hand in side it and flip it inside out with the dirty item, and you never have to touch the mess!!
That’s a really smart idea! We get our dog bags from dollar tree so it’s also inexpensive
Jane – What a comment to make! It’s called using a trash can and tampons are never supposed to be flushed! Once you know better you do better. Your attitude is the real nasty thing here.
As a septic inspector in the state of Minnesota, I want to second what was posted. If it’s not toilet paper or if you didn’t eat it first, don’t flush it. I have seen/heard some really bad stories of wipes costing not only a few hundred dollars (as in this post), but a whole new $25,000 septic system. That’s just the cost to individual people, but you may wish to research “fatbergs” if you want to know what these wipes do on a city-wide scale and the cost to taxpayers (we’re talking millions of dollars).
In a huge loss, one city in Minnesota sued manufacturers of these wipes over the term “flushable”, and the manufacturer won and retains the right to use the term “flushable” on their wipes. I think this case would often be pointed to in the future as people fight to remove the term from wipes and feminine products. All “flushable” means is that it can be forced through a 3″ hole. In that case – many toys and household items could be labeled as “flushable”.
Great PSA! Thanks for sharing! I second your opinion on the bidet. I bought a bidet attachment off Amazon a few months for about $35 and haven’t used TP since. I keep a basket of cheap washcloths and a mesh laundry bag nearby. The washcloths are clean after use because the bidet is so efficient. I just pat my front or back dry and off I go!
Bidets are the BEST! 🙌
Working in insurance, if this god forbid would have happened while you were on vacation and you came home to an awful mess, ask about your homeowner’s insurance policy. See if it has a water and sewer backup endorsement. If it doesn’t, and the type of policy you have would allow you to add it, ADD IT!!! For a small fee, like 50 or 100 bucks a year, you could buy 5k to 10k or more for peace of mind 🙂
Great tip. Thank you.
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Lee that is excellent advice. I would suggest everyone make an appointment with their insurance agent and go over in detail what their insurance does and doesn’t cover. Read those annual change of coverage notices that come in the mail. Ask specific questions. Example: am I covered if Junior forgets to turn off the outdoor hose and the basement floods ? What if the water heater fails while I’m gone and the electronic controls in my new furnace is damaged?
My husband asked our insurance agent if our policy covered his stupidity! We laughed but it was a good question to ask! Also, we have a friend in insurance who explained to us that earth movement, earthquakes, etc. are not generally covered under your regular policy and neither is sewer backup or flooding. We now have policies for all of those things. They are generally quite inexpensive when bundled with your regular homeowner’s policy.
Yes, we added sewage treatment backup coverage to our homeowner’s insurance. $5,000 was the maximum coverage that we could get.
Such helpful advice and info. Thank YOU so much!
We own rental properties and have it in our tenants lease NO flushing anything but toilet paper. And if they clog the pipes, they are $$$ responsible for it. I don’t know why people think the toilet takes things to some magical disposal place….no people, it’s all stuck in your pipes or clogging (adding to city repairs increasing taxes) up the water treatment plant. The toilet is not magical….”flushable” wipes, tampons, condone, etc will kill your toilet.
Yes, an episode of Adam Ruins Everything about hygiene covered this. The wipes pile up in the city sewer systems and cause major damage. They called the blockage a “fatberg”.
Before I had a shredder I would cut up papers in small pieces and flush. Never had issues.
no wipes? yes that’s bad news. The only worse possible news is also needing to use scott tp! that has got to be the worst tp EVER.
Don’t ever buy a motorhome. It is our only option.
Yes! I NEVER flush ANY wipes!! But also on the contrary, with my first child, I tried saving money/ help the environment by using cloth diapers and a diaper sprayer attached to my toilet. One night, in the middle of the night, my husband thought he heard water, we immediately went to our daughters jack and Jill bathroom to find the whole bathroom, her bedroom, and our guest bedroom was flooded! 😑😑😑😑 The tubing inside of the sprayed somehow started leaking. $500 home owners insurance deductible and 3 months later we finally had all flooring and flood boards on half of the house replaced. I mean thank goodness for insurance, but man $500 lost for trying to be frugal!
Oh my… 😩
We cloth diaper and use a sprayer but I always turn off The shut off valve to the sprayer after using to avoid this issue. I tried to use it as a bidet (because it actually is one), but oye that cold water on my who ha was NOT something I want repeated 😂
You get used to it lol. We’ve been using bidets for 30+ years (in many cultures that’s just the norm), and even in the dead of winter the cold water doesn’t faze us. They do have heated bidets or you could buy a peri bottle from Amazon and fill it w/ warm water…lots of ways to use water and work around the cold water issue!
We had a similar problem with our house’s septic system. Outcome was to have the septic tank pumped to the tune of $400! And when the tank was pumped, the hose bucked around like a wild horse and took 2 grown men to hold it still. And by the estimate of the septic men, the hose ended up sucking up at least 1 to 2 feet deep of just flushable wipes from the bottom of my large tank thereby filling up their truck. And since my son and I had already dug up the septic tank and its failed pipes out ourselves, we know that each used flushable wipe was still a perfectly shaped 5×7 inch square that was now black. And this was after living in the house for a few years. My family never uses these and try not to. These were all from the previous owners. Yuck!
One plumber told my mom that Charmin is about the worse toilet paper you can use for the same reason. Because it is cloth-like when it hits water it clings to itself and causes clogs. I won’t go so far as using the regular Scott TP, but I use Angel Soft or Cottonelle regular brand, and I try to use as little as it takes to get the job done. Going to check on adding a bidet, though.
Yessss ma’am we heard that too about Charmin. No wonder, cause its so thick lol.Angel soft isn’t a bad paper, we alternate between that and a few brands 🙂
O I understand your pain. Mine was about $500 something odd dollars.
In my house you’re not allowed to flush anything down the toilet no matter how “septic safe” or “flushable” it’s advertised to be. We had an incident when my 3yo niece tried to flush a normal amount of TP and the water kept flowing out.. out the bathroom.. down the hall.. didn’t see it til it reached the kitchen 🤢 I had to clean it up but now I tell everyone, if you flush TP, *YOU* are going to clean up the mess! Cuz I’m not..
We learned the hard way too :-/ Luckily we have a mr.fix it family member who was able to do the work a plumber would have done. We don’t even put tp in the toilet anymore and it still gets clogged up. I take the bathroom garbage out 1-2 times a day.
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I wonder if there might not be tree roots in the sewer line. Have a plumber run a camera down to check. Catching it early can save you big bucks. I know this from personal experience. You don’t have to have a tree in your yard. Could be from neighbors across the street or 3 doors down.
Had the same experience with a renter who was in denial of her”flushable” wipe usage.
This should be addressed by the FDA or some consumer governing group.
Wow!!!! Didn’t know you and family had moved to Reno Collin. Ostrich with my head in the sand moment for me lately I guess, lol.
Congrats on the move. Nothing beats turning a diamond in the ruff into something that sparkles.
Thanks so much for the comment! 😃
There’s gotta be a lawsuit brewing for all this false advertising.
We are looking at a house this afternoon and I will be looking for those wipes packages! Thx for the reminder.
Collin, can u share any info on what bidets you are having installed? Interested in doing this at my home. Thank you!
I have 2 different budgets. Both work great. They were purchased from Amazon. Easy to self install unless you want it hooked to hot water. We use cold. Took 5 minutes to install them. Cost approx. 35.00 each. Brands are Greenco and Chrider.
Hi Geri!
In our prior home, we used TOTO bidet toilet seats and were very pleased with them. Here’s a link to the ones available on Amazon – https://amzn.to/2PG9NKB
We miss you, why did you leave the Boise area??? No wonder you haven’t been posting. With a septic sytem I have heard you can’t use a disposal either, and need to monthly add those tabs to your system. Our 1959 Meridian’s oldest subdivision had used Orangeburg in the pipes outside. 17 year ago we had basement flood from this and ended up spending $18,000 to put pipes in not just to closest road hookup but to the 2nd hook up farther onto the road. Dr Oz, who had recommended fluhable wipes, had to go withthe NY sewer people down and see the huge huge backlog of non broken down wipe that the sewer people have to deal with. Had never heard you couldn’t flush tampons, tho. We miss you.
Thanks for the comment Helen. You can read more about why we moved here – https://hip2save.com/2018/08/14/moving-grateful-having-less/
Since I’m on a septic system I decided a year ago to stop flushing them too. I keep one of those stainless steel garbage cans with the automatic closing lid to throw used wipes in. Nice not seeing used wipes in the garbage. lol
Also I write on the package DO NOT FLUSH!!! for family & guests.
That’s for sure! My husband is a master plumber and told me the same about these flushable wipes. Another one from my plumbing husband is about the disposal in our kitchen sink, he tells me it’s only for that tiny little left over food you can scrap off your plate in the trash. In sum, he doesn’t like when I dump any other foods down the disposal.
I saw a tv special that all those wipes have to be picked out of the system because they do not dissolve. Also please do not throw contact lenses in the toilet as those cause issues too!
We buy the two ply toilet paper from Sam’s club and I cannot get my 5 year old daughter to stop using wads of it every time she goes. anyone have any suggestions how I can convince her to use very little? Feel like we’ve talked to her til we’re blue in the face but just don’t think she thinks about it. We’ve even tried threatening to collect all the rolls and she would have to come ask for some every time she needs to go….? 🤷♀️ TIA.
Remove her paper. Then monitor when giving paper. Other siblings can help give the squares needed.
I don’t understand why anyone even chooses to bother w/ toilet paper and “flushable” wipes anymore, when we have bidets? NOTHING will ever clean you as well as water, folks. Bidets are greener and cleaner, and you never have to worry about plumbing issues due to clogs caused by toilet paper or wipes!
I make sure all flushable wipes go in the trash because of crazy expensive plumbing bills. Also teaching my preteen daughter if she uses tampons to throw them in the trashcan. I also wanted to welcome Collin to Reno, Nevada. I have lived here for 38 years and love it.
Hi neighbor! 👋 Thanks so much for the welcome!
I completely agree on bidets, they are the best thing ever and more hygienic. Our bidet attachment cost about $30 online, now our toilet paper lasts much longer, we just use it to dry off.
Never flush cat litter down the toilet either! My husband occasionally does plumbing and has encountered this problem!!!
It cost her $850!!!
My sisters friend works for the city and he said the two most issue causing products for the sewer systems is wipes and pills/vitamins!! Wipes don’t break down in the toilet and pills don’t break down in our digestive systems.
That being said, this is customer service at its best!!! What above and beyond stellar service! Thanks for sharing!
Yes, I agree! I was so very impressed with their customer service.
Wow–many thanks for the heads up. I have been routinely flushing wipes, assuming it was OK to do so. I will never do it again–just saved two septic systems!
You are so welcome!! Glad you found the post helpful.
We had the same issue! The plumber said DO NOT USE!!! We never thought of calling the company, Good thinking! Bc the fix is never cheap.
Two years ago our condo complex had a major sewage backup with two big insurance claims and doubling the HOA. Well it just happened again! This time ruining 4 condos. Both caused by flushable wipes 🙈
OH NO! 😳
We have not had the incident of clogged pipes. Thanks to many commenters here, I learned over a year ago not to flush the “flushable wipes.” Lots of those I read here are wives/SO of plumbers and all had warnings not to flush the wipes. So thank you, all hip2savers!
The Momwasher is so amazing for this reason! I use it as a travel bidet so I always have that freshly showered butt 🙂
Thank you for sharing your experience and educating your readers. I am happy your plumbing didn’t suffer irreparable damage. I hope you and your readers will watch this 5-minute 2015 investigative report on the effects of disposable wipes on sewer systems. Shame on companies for continuing to manufacture these products AND for coninuing to market them as flushable. I’ve had a “portable bidet” – a nozzle that fits on the top of a water bottle – for about 5 years.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqCEGVowbog
Any recommendations for bidets that you can put on an existing toilet?
I’m not aware of any that require replacing your toilet…most just work w/ what you already have. I have the Bio Bidet Elite 3, which goes on sale on Amazon every now and then. Best $35 I ever spent…highly recommend it!
Also don’t flush qtips. I flushed some a couple of months ago and forgot about them. And then the toilet started making a funny sound a not flushing all the way.. luckily I have a handy husband and he removed the toilet and the qtips were lodged in the neck of the toilet where it hooks to the floor so things weren’t going down the way they should. Yuck!!
Good to know! I bought them from Amazon when you posted a deal. I tried them a couple times and hated them and am stuck with the whole case. They had a strong fragrance and burned my sensitive areas “down there”. No thanks! Was going to donate them or may just use for quick cleaning!