Consumer Reports: Don't flush flushable wipes
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They promise convenience and a cleaner clean—but those so-called flushable wipes may be wreaking havoc on your plumbing, the environment, and your wallet.
Despite what the label says, many don’t break down like toilet paper —and cities everywhere are footing the bill. Consumer Reports shows us what’s really going down the drain — and how to avoid a costly mess at home.
It may seem harmless to flush a flushable wipe down the toilet. After all, flushable is in the name!
But many of the wipes don’t break down like toilet paper. Instead, they can end up stuck in pipes, creating massive, messy clumps of congealed grease, fat, and -you guessed it- wipes.
They’re clogging pipes and sewers, costing cities and homeowners millions to remove.
Some laws in the U.S. now set standards for labeling non-flushable wipes as "Do Not Flush." An industry trade group maintains that flushable wipes are safe to flush, blaming clogs on non-flushable wipes and other items.
Testing inside Consumer Reports’ labs reveals why flushing wipes, even if they’re labeled “flushable,” can cause plumbing problems.
Testers found that flushable wipes don’t fully disintegrate. And on top of the damage they cause, they pose risks to our water supply and marine life.
So, what can you do about it? First, do the obvious: skip flushing wipes and toss them in the trash or stick to toilet paper. In recent tests, CR found that not all toilet paper breaks down at the same rate.
The two worst dissolving toilet papers took roughly 15 times longer to break down than the best. Charmin Ultra Soft and Quilted Northern Ultra Plush were the slowest to break down.
Amazon Basics bath tissue and Angel Soft did the best in the test. An even more eco-friendly, plumbing-safe alternative: easy-to-install bidet seats, which became popular during the pandemic.
They replace your existing toilet seat, use your toilet’s water supply line, and some plug into a nearby outlet. Most come standard with an adjustable nozzle, a seat heater, and warm water.
Whether it’s a quick-dissolving toilet paper or a bidet seat, both are better for your pipes and the planet than flushing wipes. Because potty humor is funny, clogged pipes aren’t.
If you still want to use wipes and promise not to flush them, Amazon Basics Flushable Wipes were Consumer Reports editors’ pick.
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