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

Over the years someone has managed to block our shared drains twice and the worker clearing it has said he sees it regularly ie so called flushable wipes blocking and causing huge expense and horrible inconvenience to residents. The manufacturers should be made to compensate people.

Please do it.

baconyum, how true. A;though I suspect 'Back in our day, we used to leave our pooey flannels on the side of the bath to go crusty next to our children in the bath' might have lost a few readers.

Does moist "toilet paper" not actually function and break down as toilet paper?

It doesn't. If you think about it, it can't, think about what happens when you moisten normal toilet paper - to be sold, and be useable as moist it needs to be much stronger.

Tilden my grandparents used that toilet paper. No idea why. My grandad used to wrap it over a comb to make a musical instrument to entertain us with

I had not applied this knowledge to moist toilet tissue. It says flushable so I flush it. Of course. Which is why I find it really frustrating; that a company can put this on their packaging seems quite wrong. If their product causes a blockage then it isn't their problem I suppose.

Ok, so perhaps I asked the wrong question. Does moist "toilet paper" not actually function and break down as toilet paper? I'll have to run a test I suppose.

I use cloth nappies and recently the "flushable liners" have been changing their names to "disposable liners" because the liners don't break down like toilet paper does. This is easy to test. When a liner goes through the wash and comes out of the washing machine intact it is definitely not flushable.

catsize I guess everyone did that before loo paper was invented/affordable.

Having been a bit scathing about those squeamish about disposing of wipes in a bin, am now squeamish about reusable bum wipes...

My Nan used to use izal. The shiny stuff that looked like tracing paper and had the absorbancy of clingfilm. I was always told she used it because they were on a septic tank. We now own our own septic tank and finding out that izal wasn't necessary was actually a major factor when we were buying the house

You know if something is safe because it will disintegrate in water.

Catsize your post reminds me of

www.democraticunderground.com/10022411211

Is moist toilet tissue not actually flushable then?

It will flush away, but it will contribute to blockages down stream

You have to think about the insides of sewers, Mrs. They're not just Teflon coated long pipes that go from a toilet bowl to a sewage processing plant - and even if they were, there are serious questions to be asked about processing of solids. Standard sewers are contorted, underground and ' snaggy' conduits, in many places still Victorian built and brick lined. Items 'catch' on ledges, bends and crannies/protuberances etc and pretty soon, you start to get build ups and obstruction. The more solids you flush down, the more likely an obstruction soon is.

Yea cos manufacturers desperately needing to increase sales especially during a recession would NEVER lie eh Rebecca?

My dad used to wet a face flannel, wipe himself, rinse and wring the flannel.
This was then placed on the corner of our bath (yes, where we kids bathed), washed from time to time, and put back in the airing cupboard.
Were there special 'Dad's bottom flannels' as opposed to 'everyone's face flannels'. Alas not...
As I write this. I feel a bit but had not realised my dad was actually just ahead of his time. Wonder if he still does it...

Ok, this might be a stupid question.... Is moist toilet tissue not actually flushable then? If that's the case I'll be really pissed off. I've seen the "no more than 2 wipes per flush" description on the packet but didn't think about t more than that

'I don't think I would use them at all if they said not flushable'

WIN

I support this, totally.

Rebecca Erm, yes. And they don't stink. Put them in the bin, bin gets emptied into outside bin, with the rest of the rubbish. Now that you know that none of these "flushable" wipes should be flushed, do you still trust the packaging?

So what do you think happens with them when you flush then down Rebecca?

I think the campaign should be to encourage manufacturers to develop properly flushable wipes instead. If paper can be flushed, then surely a flushable wipe can be invented?!

I flush them if they say flushable on the packaging. I don't think I would use them at all if they said not flushable. What would you do with them, put pooey wipes in the bin to stink? Take them down 2 flights of stairs and to the outside bin each time? Sorry, not happening!

I trust the packaging and assume that they have been tested for flushability- I wouldn't flush any old wipe down.

Yeah if it were me I would see all disposable wipes and cloths banned But it's not me and I think the tight focus of this campaign with its obvious achievable aim and potential cash savings for billpayers is a really good thing.

We have a septic tank. If I put "flushable" wipes down the loo I'd be paying a squillion pounds for someone to empty the tank unnecessarily.

simply

Absolutely not, ginger. Very many posters here simplify had no idea there was any issue.

I thought they were flushable ,for the reason cozietosie gives .Though actualy I don't use them.

I've not read the whole thread ...am I the only person ?

Agree the word 'flushable' is misleading and leads us to believe they will harmlessly break down.

On the tampon issue, I had no idea that they shouldn't be flushed until very recently when I came across something on Mumsnet. I have used Lilet tampons since I started my periods - at that time the leaflet said you could flush them away. I had no reason to re-read the instructions (which have been updated and no longer say this). This probably applies to many people!