MNHQ here: what do you think about manufacturers marketing wipes as 'flushable'?

I agree

I would like to see this stop as well. I had to replace £2K's worth of wood floor and clean up the raw sewage that flooded half my flat after a neighbour blocked up pipes with 'flushable' wipes.

You can see how people get confused though can't you. Flushable wipes sound pretty flushable to me!

I dint realise they didn't break down. ~wanders off to bin remaining flushable wipes~

I'd never dream of flushing normal baby wipes. Surely it's false advertising if they don't break down in a similar fashion to loo paper?

Every Sodding Year I get this thanks to the people 3 doors down who flush their nappies. And yes I know its them as they have fessed up to it before in a 'oh youve had the drain people out again. Have you got a problem with your drains as we flush nappies and allsorts' kind of way.

Last time it cost me close to £200 to get the fucking drain unblocked. Mainly pampers nappies which isnt me as my kids dont wear nappies and I cant see the elderly couple next door using them either.
I felt like nailing the invoice to her door.

And thanks to the clown that lived here before thinking he was Handy Andy on the cheap the drain pipe from our toilet is an external downpipe NOT a 110mm soil stack pipe like it should be. The toilet blocks on a daily basis so we most definitely dont flush anything other than pi$$, puke, paper and poo down the damned thing. Dont even get me started on the drain pipe from the bath thats actually a washing machine hose

I have watched several of those TV shows on waste treatment as well as other discussions showing that though they make it through the domestic system in house they cause problems downstream at the waste treatment plant. This mean higher costs = higher bills.

There is a flusable test I believe but I am guessing that this is a very poor proxy and perhaps they need to change it.

Oh god, I always assumed flushable meant biodegradable. I'm really annoyed as I use such wipes all the time

Very misleading marketing and yes it should be challenged.

I was told by a plumber never to flush flushable wipes because they catch on the sides of the sewer or add to blockages already there. They should not be labeled Flushable unless they disintegrate.

Having just read back the posts I cross posted with, I agree a campaign aimed at what you CAN flush rather than what you can't would be better - pee, poo and paper (plus the occasional vomit or should that not be flushed? )

I think if you try to list what you can't flush, it becomes too open to people interpreting what they want to read.

It's a fair assumption to make, Foxes. Sadly, it isn't usually so.

Great idea & fully support this. I've never flushed wipes, nappies or sanitary towels, even the toilet training wipes we used which had 'flushable' printed on them.

I'm still bitter about having to pay a £50 call out charge recently when our toilet and shower overflowed. Turned out it was next doors drain not ours, and it was full of wipes of some sort. Think it had come from another neighbour and travelled downhill and blocked at the lowest point in the road.

I'd back this - we had a sewage overflow in our garden thanks to blockage caused by 'flushable' wipes. Combined with my DC's monster turds it was like a mini poonami

Are those moist loo roll thingies bad for the sewers? I didn't know. Will stop immediately. Would never flush a wet wipe or tampon but honestly assumed that something for wiping bottoms would be flushable

Well, having had to call a plumber out to deal with this exact problem, having taken the "flushable" promise far too literally, I would be in favour of getting behind this issue.

Anything that gives this issue more prominence is good with me. They're taking a dreadful toll of the sewage system and their use seems to be increasing.

Nothing except the what comes out of a persons body or toilet paper should go down the loo. Even things like tissue (ones used for noses) shouldn't be flushed.

Very good idea to make manufactures tell the truth and say on their packets that these things aren't flushable.

I'd support such a campaign, and agree that MN should get involved. Broadening it to cover not flushing e.g. tampons makes sense too.

I think MN should support a campaign highlighting how bad for our sewer systems (and subsequently our water bills) flushing anything other than bodily waste and degradable toilet paper is

This^ I fully support a campaign, but I think it may be better to campaign on the basis of only flush urine, faeces and standard toilet paper.

It's not just flushable wipes and moist toilet paper, numerous threads on here have shown that many MNers are woefully ignorant of the fact you shouldn't flush tampons...

I'd be behind it too. I helped on a Thames cleanup earlier this year & saw the kind of crap that ends up in there because people think it's "flushable".

I think MN should support a campaign highlighting how bad for our sewer systems (and subsequently our water bills) flushing anything other than bodily waste and degradable toilet paper is.

If it doesn't break when wet, it can't possibly be safely flushed.

I have to use flushables- the asda ones approved by Mumsnet!!!! .

I have to use quite a few to clean my teenage DC who is disabled and canot manage herself.

In our last place they used to clog up the drains (in my garden) and HA told me Id be fined if this kept happening so I had to buy nappy sacks to get rid of them.

In current place AFAIK they seem okay, people will block drains with pads and nappies and things, so if a product says flushable they should BE flushable.

I'm not sure those who do flush these things will stop even if wording is changed.

Take tampons for example, the packaging does state not to flush but from threads here it's a revelation to some that they shouldn't be

It should be made clear on the packaging that they are not flushable. Reading the packaging of toilet training wipes it says no more than two to be flushed at once. I nappy sack them and bin them. Our sewerage pipes wouldnt cope with flushable wipes they block easily enough as it is.
There should be a campaign against them. Use them bag them bin them.
Too many people think that once something is flushed its just gone.

I bought some 'flushable' toilet wipes for my toddler after he was potty trained.

I have a septic tank and the fucker blocked in epic style thanks to the Actually Non Flushable Wipes. I wanted to send them the bill. Bastards.