If you’ve ever had to call the plumber for a clogged drain, you know what a hassle it can be, especially if you have an old house or a home with a septic system. For this reason, you may have carefully read the label and bought personal wipes after seeing the word “flushable.” Unfortunately, flushable doesn’t actually mean the same as safe for your drain. Here’s a closer look at why you shouldn’t take “flushable” literally so you can avoid an emergency plumber call. 

What Flushable Really Means 

Wet wipes are becoming increasingly popular in households, but they can wreak havoc on drain systems. These wipes are often labeled as flushable or septic-safe, but all that means is that they’ll be able to travel down your toilet.

It’s true that they will eventually degrade, but the amount of time it takes for a wipe to degrade versus standard toilet paper is significant, and in the meantime, wipes can build up in the bends of your pipes, causing badly clogged drains that often require a plumber’s help.

Furthermore, if you have a septic system, it can lead to a need for more frequent pumping as they build up in your tank. So just like tampons and paper towels, even though they technically flush, personal wipes should never be sent down the drain. 

What Is Safe to Flush

Plumbers will tell you from experience that the best thing to flush down the toilet is as little as possible. If you’ve ever tried to use a piece of wet toilet paper, you know how easily it disintegrates, and that’s by design. Toilet paper breaks up almost instantly in your pipes instead of clumping together and resulting in clogged drains. Anything besides toilet paper and waste should be tossed in the trash instead of down the drain if you want to save yourself from hefty plumbing repairs later. 

Bohannon’s Plumbing & General Repairs in Thomasville, NC, has over 30 years of experience with plumbing repairs and bathroom remodeling. From clogged drains to broken pipes and all the emergencies in between, their experienced plumbers are available to get your system back to working order. They also specialize in water heater installations and repairs and can handle difficult water line problems. To set up your free, no-obligation estimate anywhere in the High Point area, call (336) 561-9444 or visit them online today.