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

Not talking about reusable nappies @Angelil. Reusable wipes. Specifically what NCPuffin described-“the dirty ones can be stored dry or in a different container with water”

For those of you with piles, coconut oil on loo roll is a good alternative to wet wipes.

That sounds horrible! Walking around with a slimy bum hole

For those who suggest just wetting some loo roll under the tap - doesn't work. I'm sure no-one needs to really know how scraggy my anus is, but wet loo roll (and yes, I have tried) just turns to sog and bits of it get stuck on the scraggy bits*, which is vile. Especially when you notice them later when they have dried up.

I'd prefer not to use wipes so am going to try the spray thing. I don't fancy oil on my bum.

I do only use wipes for my bum. I don't use cleaning ones or face wipes. And I don't take them to work because I have enough to carry. So I tend to only use them at weekends, so about 2 a week.

*much like the flushed wipes get caught on the scraggy rusty bits inside the sewage pipes which is partly what causes them to get blocked. I used to work in a hospital and we had so many floods as a result of this, the ward staff just would not heed the warnings not to flush wipes and these were big adult ones usually.

@Angelil flushable liners aren't flushable! Try accidentally putting one in the washing machine and see it come out whiney and new!

We have a hose attached to the loo that sprays the poop down the loo. No containers of poop here!

overagain are you talking about nappies or wipes?

vangoghsdog you only need a small amount. No greasy bums, I promise.

Genuinely have never considered flushing even 'flushable' wipes. They go in the bin.

The neighbour is always putting wipes in theirs and our shared drain gets blocked

Guy that came out to clear it said you wouldn't believe the stuff people put down the toilet. Like it's some sort of magic bin.

Oh dear,I thought most people by now, would not flush these things down the loo, causing lots of problems.

I have never bought or used them at all. but have seen lots of people chuck them in toilets. Many years ago, I lived near to a woman,who flushed disposable nappies, and the waxy type paper that soap is wrapped in. She had to get her drains unblocked by some experts.

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

All homes should have these.

Ah, the trusty bum-gun, or as they're called in the Middle East - the shattaf

CAn anyone recommend good reusable sanitary towels? I have endo so really heavy flows so don’t fancy a mooncup.

@JessieMcJessie we use reusable wipes and nappies. I wipe the bum with the nappy first, so 99% if the poop goes on that and then finish off with the resusable wipe, which goes in the washing basket. If it is really dirty I do spray the poop off with the toilet hose. I use the hose to spray the poo from the nappies.

Deadbudgie I have a couple of different kinds, but most recently have bought some cotton ones from here and found them good: www.cheekywipes.com/cloth-sanitary-pads-kits.html

@JessieMcJessie I just throw the dirty reusable wipes in the dirty nappy bag...which is then sealed and goes into the changing bag. It's still not as much of a problem as you are imagining it to be. As I said, the bulk of the poo ends up on the paper liners so the wipes themselves are hardly slathered in it.

@overagain I had an extensive conversation with the cloth nappy consultant I purchased from about the flushability of paper liners. It's true that some brands are not actually flushable (even though they claim to be). I made sure that the brand I use actually is (I would name it but it's Dutch and so likely inaccessible to the majority of MNetters who are UK-based).

@Deadbudgie, I started this thread a few days ago that might help www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/3415391-Washable-cloth-sanitary-pads

It's been known for quite a while already that wet wipes shouldn't be flushed down the toilet. Nothing new.

What did you all do,before wet wipes were invented.. I could tell you, as I am an oldie,, but better not, as this is the place that usually doesn't like tales from the olden days ha ha

What about people who use them as an alternative to toilet paper? Pretty rank to throw on the bathroom bin but equally problematic to flush.

I'm finding it really hard to comprehend the apathy for the environment. People keep saying it's not ideal about landfill or that you can't handle the extra hassle....what about in 12 years when the catastrophic effects we are having on the environment become irreversible?! Then those children (and their children) whose hands you're wiping with wet wipes will live with the effects. We all have to make changes and stop using single use items now! There are plenty of alternatives. Reusable sanitary products or mooncup, cheeky wipes (or just a cut up old towel), reusable nappies, reusable straws. Just saying you haven't got time is in my opinion not a good enough excuse when we are literally running out of time to save this planet and our species! Yes the big companies have to make changes, but they respond to public opinion and demand. If you don't use them they will have to make better alternatives. I know this is an emotive subject but really we all have to start taking individual responsibility and stop being so apathetic

Absolutely. The majority of people using these things and flushing them don't need to. Most of us can manage without them - my neighbour in the flat above me openly admits she uses them as she prefers the feel when she does a number 2 and quite happily flushes them. Mums with babies managed without them, and the affect they're having can't be negated with 'well I know it's not ideal but...' It''s our kids and their kids that will pay the price in 50 years, and I bet they'll wish we'd all used toilet tissue or cloths when the environments fucked.

i bet they'll wish we'd all used toilet tissue or cloths when the environments fucked.

It won't make the slightest bit of difference whether I use wipes or not. And btw not having any children is the best move I or anyone else can make for the environment (but that's by the by).

If all the UK stopped using wipes tomorrow it still wouldn't make the slightest bit of difference. The kind of lifestyle change we'd need to see is so much greater than this.

We have wet loo wipes for emergencies only - and they go in the bin once used. We're on a septic tank so flushing them is not an option. We also don't use biological washing powder, bleach or antibacterial sprays or handwashes or shower gels.

I suspect that those with such a cavalier attitude towards what they flush away, would benefit from living with a tank for 3 months or so. The stench and backlog of your own sewage appearing on the lawn would bring home why it's such a bad idea to do this!

LaurieMarlow so nobody should do anything?

I'm a hone carer and last night disposed of 3 pads, 1 inner pad, numerous wipes and 5 plastic bags.
There is no alternative as far as I know. Families won't take reusables to wash and there would be serious complaints if they were put in communal machines.
One client uses reusable items instead of pads and his house stinks .
It's a massive issue.

The wording of this article is so opaque and confusing:

Water companies say wet wipes don't break down and are causing blockages which cost millions to put right.

^Wet wipes are sold for everything from make-up removal to surface cleaning.

Most importantly when it comes to flushability, they're available as moist toilet tissue.^

So is moist toilet tissue a wet wipe or not? I would suggest the article is saying anything clearly called a wet wipe is NEVER flushable whilst stuff referred to as a 'moist toilet tissue' is (because as far as I'm aware there is no plastic in these tissues).

What about people who use them as an alternative to toilet paper? Pretty rank to throw on the bathroom bin but equally problematic to flush.

They shouldn't fucking use them as an alternative to toilet paper and blah blah blah to all of you whingeing about how hard it is to wipe your bottoms without.

Maggie - last night I counted! 6 pads, 6 pairs of gloves, 6 plastic bags and I estimated 1 full pack of wipes

Washing yourself with soap and water after a poo is the very best way to keep clean. And a little plain moisturiser goes a long way too.