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

Exactly Olli - multiply that by the number of elderly and disabled people up and down the land and it's a huge problem.
Most people seem to focus on babies though and ignore the fact that adult nappies are much bigger and bulkier.
And they don't stop needing them.

And I can't dangle a 97 year old over the bidet.

Resistance - my parents had a septic tank and, subsequently, a treatment plant. They certainly impose a great deal of ecological awareness and responsibility. They also lived in the countryside and waste disposal, composting and recycling were highly regulated by the council, which again raised ecological awareness.

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.

When your anus bleeds into your knickers as a result of scratched piles, when you find it hard to sit at work for more than half an hour, when your arse itches so badly you want to scratch it off maybe then you can be rude to people who suffer from the same thing?

Anyway, I don't use them as an 'alternative', I use one, after the loo roll, only when I'm at home.
I don't want wet wipes with poo on in my bin, everyone saying 'just put them in the nappy bin/sanni bin', um, most of us don't have those things. But I am happy to look for alternatives to wipes that can't flush.

There are treatments available for piles.

The whole point is that virtually no wipes at all even "moist toilet tissue" are really flushable. If any of them were, they would already have degraded to a mush in the packet. If you use them through choice or need they should still be binned.

When people have experience of regularly cleaning up an incontinent teenager ( whilst avoiding getting punched) then they can say that it easy/ simple not to use wet wipes.
An elderly family member also uses them because he is physically disabled and would probably fall over whilst messing about with soap and water.

I think this thread has gone off track. The OP started it to warn people against flushing wipes. The vast majority of contributors said they never ever do that and agreed with the OP. So people then had to up the ante by declaring that using wipes AT ALL was a bad thing, even if they were carefully disposed of and sent to landfill. And that has now regrettably upset a number of people who care for teens and adults with special needs and have to use wipes to do so. Time to step back I think.

They certainly impose a great deal of ecological awareness and responsibility.

They do! I grew up in a rural environment so was quite used to them already, but it was a bit of a shock for DH. They really do make you think about what you put down the drain.

There are treatments available for piles.

Who knew.....

They come back. I have had them all my life, never bad enough (apparently) for the NHS to do any proper intervention, but still bad enough to be agonising. Once they are bad the treatment takes about a week to make much difference. And using wet wipes/something damp to ensure the area is clean without scraping away at the thinned and delicate skin helps.
Prevention is better than cure and all that.

And having had them my whole life they leave your anus all bitty and scraggy and very hard to clean when you poo. So, again, they help with the hygiene part.

You could pay for piles treatment yourself.

@user1499173618

You could pay for piles treatment yourself.

So, if the NHS thinks they are not treatable I should just line someone's pockets to 'treat' them? Um, no thanks.
Maybe keep the medical advice to yourself?

Wet wipes are cheaper anyway.

You could pay someone to put you out of your discomfort. It would be an entirely reasonable transaction. The NHS isn’t there to pay for comfort procedures.

Wet wipes are cheaper anyway

Yes, in the short term for you.

In the longterm they will cost the next generation too much.

@user1499173618

You could pay someone to put you out of your discomfort. It would be an entirely reasonable transaction. The NHS isn’t there to pay for comfort procedures.

You clearly know nothing about it. I didn't say the NHS 'should' pay for it. I said the NHS had said (so far) there wasn't a procedure that would help, so why would I pay someone else to do something that won't help - or do you think paying can buy some kind of extra magic procedure?

In the longterm they will cost the next generation too much.

I suspect there are waaaay more things that are worse for the longer term than 2 wet wipes a week.

When you've decided not to have kids, got rid of your car, stopped flying, cancelled your Netflix, had your pets put down, given up meat and dairy plus a gazillion other things, maybe then you can come and pass judgement on others.

The NHS isn’t going to offer the full range of possible procedures and treatments. Private treatment options are greater. It’s not because the NHS won’t offer you treatment that treatment doesn’t exist.

I’ve paid for laser surgery for myopia, varicose vein treatment, braces for my teeth... none of those particular treatments were offered by the NHS but they sure changed my life for the better.

I suspect there are waaaay more things that are worse for the longer term than 2 wet wipes a week.
When you've decided not to have kids, got rid of your car, stopped flying, cancelled your Netflix, had your pets put down, given up meat and dairy plus a gazillion other things, maybe then you can come and pass judgement on others

The ocean is made of little drops. And it's attitudes like this that means change comes too late. I don't want to die, but I'm almost glad I won't be around in 50 years to see the effects of people whose mindset is, 'well other people do worse so I'll just carry on with my contribution to fucking up the environment'.

@user1499173618

The NHS (my GP) said the condition is not treatable, which is quite different to saying no treatment exists, isn't it? I've had the NHS tell me about other things that they don't offer, or don't offer without a huge wait, but that they are available. And in the past when I have had private medical cover I have had things done privately. And I have paid for the odd consultant appointment to move forward on a certain issue that the NHS was being a pain about - so don't think I haven't looked into it, I have.

You seem very over invested in my arse, frankly.

And it's attitudes like this that means change comes too late.

Haha - that's hilarious. I didn't even say the things you suggest that I did so you've created a total strawman upon which to cast your aspersions about me.
We all do our bit, we all make our choices, no-one is perfect, no-one actually can be in our western modern society.

VanGogh I was just responding to your words about your use of wet wipes.

But why am I bothering? You're not going to change your opinion and nor am I. I hope you'r kids are glad in 50 years time.

It's the hypocrisy of it. Someone I know is always going on about and sharing stuff about the environment on social media. She has 5 kids and makes a dozen mostly long haul flights a year.
The person I mentioned earlier had surgery for piles. They came back and it is now unsafe for him to have it again.

most of us don't have those things. But I am happy to look for alternatives to wipes that can't flush

How do you not have a bin for sanitary products in your home? Even if you don’t menstruate, surely you have visitors that do?

Buy a bin with a lid that closes, line it with a biodegradable bin liner and throw your poo-stained wipes inside. What’s so difficult about that?

@onefootinthegrave

VanGogh I was just responding to your words about your use of wet wipes.

Except you weren't, you made up a whole lot of stuff.

But why am I bothering? You're not going to change your opinion and nor am I. I hope you'r kids are glad in 50 years time.

I don't have kids, but thanks for reminding me of that.

I said up thread I would look for alternatives, I just can't stand the pompous comments people make as if they live off the land and eat air.

In fact, I've had a notification from Amazon today that the loo roll wetting stuff has been delivered so I'll see how that goes.

@PineapplePower

How do you not have a bin for sanitary products in your home? Even if you don’t menstruate, surely you have visitors that do?

Buy a bin with a lid that closes, line it with a biodegradable bin liner and throw your poo-stained wipes inside. What’s so difficult about that?

Are you for real? You expect people to have sanni bins in their houses? I just wrap a sanitary towel in a bit of loo roll and put it in the (shock, horror, unlidded) bathroom bin. No liner, no (you know it takes energy to make liners right? You know that we are running out oil yes? These liners of which you speak, what is their actual environmental impact? Where does one buy them, I have never seen them other than for food caddies?).

How long does this poo filled liner sit there - if it's until it's full that's going to be a good few weeks. What a delight. Or do I empty it daily - again, environmental impact of the 'biodegradable' (is that a bit like 'flushable' btw) liners?

I'm not buying a special bin just for visitors (most are men, or my sister who has gone through menopause, or my parents) but you do know that manufacturing bins uses energy yes? What would this bin be made of - not PLASTIC surely?? I have a perfectly functional bin, I don't need another one, but I'm not putting pooey wipes into any bin.

I use wet wipes when I have a flare up piles. I’ve used a few packets since they first began. I’ve also been vegetarian for almost my whole life, but I don’t go around telling other people they should be too, even though that massively helps the environment.

Vangough this is what you wrote

I suspect there are waaaay more things that are worse for the longer term than 2 wet wipes a week. When you've decided not to have kids, got rid of your car, stopped flying, cancelled your Netflix, had your pets put down, given up meat and dairy plus a gazillion other things, maybe then you can come and pass judgement on others

That's not making up a whole load of stuff. It's responding to your post.

I don't have kids, but thanks for reminding me of that

Unfair to write that. Don't worry, I won't reply to you again. I've been around too many passive aggressive people in my life and I don't feed them anymore.

@onefootinthegrave

I know what I wrote.

Your response was:

"And it's attitudes like this that means change comes too late. I don't want to die, but I'm almost glad I won't be around in 50 years to see the effects of people whose mindset is, 'well other people do worse so I'll just carry on with my contribution to fucking up the environment'."

So, from where do you get my 'attitude'? My only attitude is that I don't think people should judge others. Which is what I said. What I did not say, and what you put in quotes to make it look like I did say it, was:

" 'well other people do worse so I'll just carry on with my contribution to fucking up the environment'."

I didn't say that, you did. My comment does not convey this as my opinion. It was simply NOT what I said.

I'm sorry you are hard of comprehending.