The myth

There are all sorts of wipes currently on the market which serve many various purposes; from baby bottoms to adult cabooses, anti-bacterial hand wipes and everything in between.

Although ‘flushable’ wipes are marketed as such, contrary to popular belief, they are terrible for your sewerage system! Ask any plumber who has been out to a blocked drain job and they will tell you just how unflushable they actually are. Furthermore, if tree roots have made their way into the joints or a crack in the pipework, wipes will become snagged on the roots and cause a big mess.

There’s more bad news for homeowners too. If these ‘flushable’ wipes don’t make it beyond their property boundary and into the Council sewerage system, it may cause a blockage which the homeowner will be left to foot the bill for. To clean the pipes out properly, a plumber with a high pressure jet rodder and a CCTV drain camera will be required. Because an electric eel will only puncture the blockage and not remove it entirely, it will be less effective on a sewerage system clogged with wipes.

The simple solution to save you money? Only toilet paper and sewage should go into the toilet – don’t flush wipes!