While there is no doubt that the last year-plus has changed the lives of everyone in Bastrop, we are all happy to have sorted out many of the new “normals” of daily life. However, there could be one new habit that you picked up that is very hazardous to the health of your plumbing. When the country faced a toilet paper shortage, many consumers got creative. And those who could find them began purchasing moist wipes that claimed to be flushable. It seemed like the perfect solution to the lack of TP. However, it turned out to have some long-term issues that no one is happy to be managing.
There Is No Suitable Substitute For Toilet Paper
Many consumers were perfectly happy with their chosen brand of TP. It was not until store shelves were bare that we all began thinking that a moist wipe was not the worst option to get the job done. And at the time, with few other options, we all believed the claims that these were flushable moist wipes. However, that is not really the case.
There are no other paper products on the market that react the same to water. Toilet paper literally begins to disintegrate moments after hitting the water in the toilet bowl. Nothing else, including moist wipes, begins to break down as quickly. And that is what is leading to massive drain clogs across our city and the entire country. Globs of wet wipes stuck in drain pipes and causing floods of raw sewage are not what consumers were expecting from a product labeled as flushable.
Test It For Yourself
If you are scratching your head and thinking that these wipes must be safe for drains, you can quickly test that theory. All you need are a few bowls, buckets, or large cups that will hold some water, a moist flushable wipe, and several sheets of toilet paper. Fill the cups or buckets with the same amount of water and then place a moist wipe in one container and several sheets of toilet paper in the other. In about a minute or two, you will see that the toilet paper turns mush that will quickly fall apart when the water is circulated. However, the moist wipe is still holding together quite nicely, which is why there is a problem. If the wipes were as susceptible to breaking down in moisture as TP, they would be mush when you opened the package. So consider the term flushable to be a loose generalization and not a phrase that in any way means safe for your home’s drain lines.
Correcting Your Mistake
If you are concerned about the potential of a nasty drain clog, the only solution is a professional drain cleaning. Call (512) 910-8123 to schedule an appointment with Parobek Plumbing & Air Conditioning experts. This cleaning and clog removal process use nothing but a high-pressure jet of pure water to remove any clogs and leave your drain lines clean and free of clog-causing residue.
