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AIBU?

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Original poster

AIBU to start a campaign to ban wipes?

339 replies

annandale · 26/09/2017 18:56

Wipes are an environmental disaster, a key component of fatbergs and sold as a flushable essential when they should be treated like morphine - controlled except for specific medical needs. Anyone with me?

OP posts:
ArcheryAnnie · 27/09/2017 13:22

That's it, FiveBoys. If people used them once in a blue moon, to manage an unusual situation, then there wouldn't be so much of a problem. But they are being used routinely, for every little thing, where an ordinary cloth or even a sheet of kitchen roll would do, and so now it's a huge problem.

I mean, the fatberg thing alone is a huge problem, even without the fact these wipes stay around forever in landfill.

milliemolliemou · 27/09/2017 13:27

The water.org link was great with Wessex Water/Surfers against Sewage etc combining to pressure the government to move on this. Like a PP I've suffered from a combined septic tank blocked because the neighbours didn't know about not putting wipes down the loo. They do now after having to pay for a major refit and pipe laying of the septic tank. So if you are convinced by Annandale write to your water company or email them to say you would support any efforts to stop companies marketing wipes/sanpro as flushable and being more specific about what biodegradable means. And get them and those putting oil into the system to pay a tax. Write to your local MP and newspaper - it's wrabwsting £90m of tapayers money every year

BoomBoomsCousin · 27/09/2017 14:59

If fatbergs are costing us 90million a year that's really not a huge deal - it's about 3p a person a week. I am concerned about wipes getting into the ocean, being eaten by animals and the like, but I can't get too bothered about the fact the water companies have to ocassionally flush the pipes but would like to keep an extra 90 million for their share holders (because I can't see our bills going down if the legislation passed and people did stop flushing them).

GreyCloudsToday · 27/09/2017 15:09

Cheeky wipes are ace! Always discounted during Real Nappy Week in April.

maddiemookins16mum · 27/09/2017 15:18

Years ago (many years) we used cotton wool and water - it was a right faff.
Wipes are great, it's some of the idiots using them that is the issue, not the wipes as such.

PeaceAndLove1 · 27/09/2017 16:43

The only thing that cleans better than a baby wipe is a hanky and your nans spit.Grin

ArcheryAnnie · 27/09/2017 17:09

water companies have to ocassionally flush the pipes

They don't "flush the pipes", they have to go down there with shovels and pickaxes to chip out something the size of a double-decker bus that has set like concrete.

That's what a fatberg is. Any city depends on the sewers working. When they no longer work, there's a problem.

BoomBoomsCousin · 27/09/2017 17:24

Archery - that is how they flush them now, yes. I didn't mean to make it sound facetious. But it's still not a huge deal in the scheme of just how much is going on with water delivery and recovery.

shouldnthavesaid · 27/09/2017 17:30

Archery if you need a wash what do you do though? TMI but I've often ended up with blood up my back/down my legs/all over my hands in public places and at work. A bit of loo roll will hardly sort that - especially if at work (auxilairy nursing) i couldn't get to a bathroom quickly.

I've also got sterile wipes for self catheterising provided by hospital/prescribed, you're advised strongly to use them before catheterising in any situation to keep clean. Surely thats acceptable, only other option is to have a full on wash!

PurplePillowCase · 27/09/2017 18:05

shouldnt if my periods were so messy that sanitary products regularly fail I would see a dr about it.
for small smudges, loo paper is enough and a shower at home will deal with the rest.

medical swabs/wipes are different, though I would prefer cotton swab + disinfectant to a disposable wipe.

ArcheryAnnie · 27/09/2017 18:43

I think medical uses are a special case, shouldnt. It's when we are using single-use cloths to wipe every smudge off every surface, body part, thing, and then we throw those single-use cloths away, that's the problem.

It's like one-use paper pants in hospital - that's understandable. But can you imagine if we only used our knickers and bras at home once and then threw them away? Every single day, or even multiple times a day? All that nylon and elastic, rotting in landfills. That's what we are doing with wipes.

MrsOverTheRoad · 27/09/2017 18:52

Purple actually you're wrong. I don't use wipes at all but, given that I don't remove my pubic hair, periods are indeed messy.

I have to wash frequently during mine...but I do without wipes.

Mustang27 · 27/09/2017 18:55

My oh keeps flushing them it drives me nuts. I do use them I find them far too convenient to stop using Blush I’m thoroughly ashamed. My mil did suggest I take a damp flannel in a food bag every where use tissue to wipe the worst then wipe child down with wet flannel. I maybe could start doing that.

MrsOverTheRoad · 27/09/2017 18:59

Yes...do it. Flannels are cheap and can be washed easily enough. Just throw them in a bowl of hot water with a bit of dettol or detergent in there and when you've got a few, put them in the wash.

If your OH keeps flushing them, hide the buggers!

FiveBoys · 27/09/2017 19:06

My mil did suggest I take a damp flannel in a food bag every where use tissue to wipe the worst then wipe child down with wet flannel. I maybe could start doing that

Mustang, that would be great. Its what people did before the advent of wipes and no trouble at all.

BlueButTrue · 27/09/2017 19:10

Meh, I often flush wipes after using them as a cleaning aid or what have you. I haven't ever had a blockage in my own and my plumbing works brilliantly

MrsOverTheRoad · 27/09/2017 19:15

Blue I'm sure it does...but where do you think those wipes end up? Hmm

hazeyjane · 27/09/2017 19:18

Ok, I concede, Fiveboys, I obviously don't make enough effort, with ds. But honestly even sealed in a Ziploc bag, a reusable used to clean up ds absolutely reeks to high heaven.

FiveBoys · 27/09/2017 19:40

But honestly even sealed in a Ziploc bag, a reusable used to clean up ds absolutely reeks to high heaven

I read that as even sealed in a ziplock bag your son reeks to high heaven Grin Grin

Mustang27 · 27/09/2017 19:59

Please don’t seal children in zip lock bags it’s not going to end well lol.

Ok I will try to be more organised in the future as they do bother me. He never changes the babies he steals them to clean his car and hobby objects so often I don’t know until it’s too late. I yell at him all the time and he says he forgets Hmm

hazeyjane · 27/09/2017 20:02

To be fair he doesn't smell great!

ArcheryAnnie · 27/09/2017 20:06

I haven't ever had a blockage in my own and my plumbing works brilliantly

All this means, BlueButTrue is that you've just managed to pass the problem to someone further down the line, which is a pretty selfish and irresponsible thing for you to do.

BarchesterFlowers · 27/09/2017 20:14

It isn't just about plumbing though is it.

One of my best friends is a marine biologist, the damage these things do to the health of our oceans is catastrophic. More than half of the sea turtle population have eaten plastic - now endangered - because we can't be bothered to wash a flannel?

Madness.

dementedma · 27/09/2017 20:18

Ban the wipes! And if you cant go cold turkey, just use the chemical ridden things on your children, and use dusters, flannels and cloths at home.

KateTheShrew · 27/09/2017 20:19

Meh, I often flush wipes after using them as a cleaning aid or what have you. I haven't ever had a blockage in my own and my plumbing works brilliantly

Oh well, as long as you're OK that's alright then Hmm