If you use any kind of wipes you need to read this..

[Smashtheglass18]

If you are a MNetter who still flushes anything except pee, poo and toilet paper down the toilet... "All wet wipes sold as "flushable" in the UK have so far failed the water industry's disintegration tests, the BBC has found.Wet wipes will flush - in that they will disappear down the U-bend of your toilet. The problem is what happens to them next."

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-46188354

I know, I think I was making the point that they are so bad for the environment that shouldn’t we be trying to do without? Antibacterial cleaner works just as well with a clean dishcloth, a duster is fine, why not use reusable washable cotton pads for make up remover instead of make up wipes?
I get the point that babies and those who are incontinent are different, but there seems to be wipes for everything these days? Can’t we do without?

We use cloth wipes too but I do think there needs to be labeling responsibility, they shouldn't be able to stick flushable on wipes if they're not as many people won't look beyond that on the label.

Our street had to be dug up because of wet wipes continually blocking the main drain. A man who was disabled had carers in all the time and they were putting absolutely everything down the toilet, pads, wipes etc.

It’s unreasonable to blame people for buying a readily available product and using it as described.

If they were just removed from the market, we’d adjust and find a satisfactory alternative.

And before that happens, educate people NOT to buy and use these things. Agree that the environmental apathy on here and generally is astounding. People are really selfish.

A few years ago wet wipes had clogged the main drain at the point ours and our neighbours drain joined it, consequently I left house to find washing machine and shower water everywhere. Neighbour on his property opened up manhole to find joint sewage floating on top - lovely. Much to my relief, we solved it with a bamboo cane, but the smell was awful as the backlog filled the drain.

Most people use wipes because they've been heavily marketed as the way to be properly clean. Most people can get properly clean using loo roll.

If you can't you have two choices:

• You can use fabric wipes which you wash (you've taken most of the poo off with paper before you use them anyway). Very easy to store in a lidded container in the bathroom and they don't stink the room out.
• If you need to use disposable wipes you put them in a bin. That's a bin with a bin liner and a closely fitting lid. The same bin you put pads, liners and tampons in.

It's utterly irresponsible and selfish to flush wipes on a regular basis.

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00013qz

Radio 4 this afternoon.

I am so saddened by a lot of the views re disposable nappies. My children are now adults and I have grandchildren. I used towrlin cotton nappies which I cut and restyled to make them easier to use. I didn't have a washing machine. Flushed them off and stored them and took them to the laundrette when I had a machine full. Even then it was cheaper than disposables. I did it because I thought disposables where awful for a baby to wear. Ghastly gell. Plus the damage to my babies environment. I worked and so did my husband. Seems we did it for nothing, I can't believe and have wondered for the last 35 years why on earth and for the sake of our future generations these absulute items have not been banned. Why oh why is it so obvious to me and not to the many. Is it me? Maybe it is, maybe I am far too sensitive or making a drama of the 40% of nappies filling the land full of bacteria laying there for the next god knows years . Full of plastic,petrol, oil, and ......

Yes well said.

@onalongsabbatical the point if wipes is that they are already wet and they are disposable. It’s like facial tissues vs handkerchiefs.

I wouldn’t dream of flushing a wipe, they always go in the bin with the disposable nappies.

I can’t really agree, however, that nappy changing at home is just as easy with a cloth/ flannel than a wipe. My changing table is not in the same room as the sink and I would need more than one flannel a lot of the time as they can get covered in poo before the baby’s bottom is clean. So I’d have to find somewhere to put the baby, go to bathroom, dampen two or three flannels, put them on changing table, have somewhere waterproof and out of baby’s reach to toss used pooey flannels, get baby down, then leave him again as I go to rinse them out and transfer them to somewhere else awaiting the next wash. I’m sorry but I don’t have time or inclination for that faff with every poo.

And even more faff if changing out and about- two ziplock bags, one full of enough damp flannels to last the day- not always changing near water- and another full of pooey flannels to empty and rinse when I get home? And what about the extra flannels to wipe my own hands before squirting the sanitiser, if not near a sink to wash them?

PS I don’t use wipes on my own bum, am fine with dry paper but am amazed so many talk about dampening toilet paper under the tap- on the rare occasion I’ve had to do that (eg wiping away unexpected period blood) it has disintegrated almost immediately and been next to useless. You must be using great thick wodges of paper, which can’t be great for the sewers either...

I do not use them now. I thought they were brilliant once.

They should have bidets in this country and then you wouldn’t have this problem. I don’t understand the need for the disposable house cleaning wipes mind you - you just use cloths which you boil wash with mop heads and tea towels.

When we are in h’shome country - bidets everywhere even out and about - we never used wipes. you just held the baby over the bidet and washed them. Easy peasy .

Did you carry round a towel to dry the baby MrsPear?

We go through a lot of wipes as I'm a home carer for a job but they're always bagged and binned. I would say 95% of the people we go to use them

I can just imagine holding my incontinent 12yo over a bidet.

Also, is it not a bit dangerous to hold a squirming baby over a bidet with one hand whilst using the other hand to direct the water and/or turn the taps on and off? Surely much safer to clean a baby lying down on its back?

I've never flushed wipes. Not even 'flushables'. I think it's naughty that they can be branded as flushable in the first place.

I used to use them. Someone bought be Liz Earle polishing cloth and cleanser for Christmas. when it ran out I kept using the piece of muslin cloth but with cold cream to remove my make-up but a cotton flannel would work just the same. My skin also feels cleaner than using wipes.

Bagged and binned is no better than flushed as they all end up on landfill!

www.ebay.co.uk/p/Douche-Brass-Shower-Spray-Kit-With-Bracket-and-Hose-Chrome-Trigger-Tap-Dou02/1238055249

All homes should have these.

At least bagging and binning doesn't clog up the pipes/ sewage works first