Is It Safe to Flush Body Wipes?

A wet wipe or as some call it a wet towel, was created as a means of cleaning. Some are used to clean household items and surfaces while others are used to clean our bodies. There are many uses for them and come in different types, for instance, baby wipes, disinfectant cleaning wipes, body wipes, and more.

When you buy them at a store, they are usually packaged inside of an aesthetic-looking pack which you can tear open on the top and remove individual wipes which are folded and can be opened up and used for the intended purpose and must be kept closed when not in use otherwise you risk drying them out.

The inventor of wipes, Arthur Julius, an American, worked within the cosmetic industry back in the 1950s and saw a gap in the market for a useful thing such as this, which is still being used to date and modified to cater to all needs. Here you can find more about this history.

Uses of Wet Wipes

As mentioned above there are many uses of these items and we will take a brief look at them below.

Baby Wipes. Possibly the most popular reason for these is for babies. As every parent knows, babies can make a mess by pooping and peeing in their nappies all day long. These wipes help to clean infants’ bottoms and bodies gently because they can also come in a sensitive skin option. They are also very handy when families are traveling and there may not be any toilets nearby. They help keep them clean and smelling fresh as well.

Toilet Wipes. As the name goes, these are mainly used to clean yourself when you go to the toilet. The other use is to wipe the toilet seat before you sit on it, for example when you’re in a public facility.

It is highly recommended to practice this as one never knows what lies on the surface of toilet seats. According to WebMD, there are many germs and bacteria present on the surfaces of all public restrooms and it is easy to catch an unfamiliar disease, from the common cold to a sexually transmitted: https://www.webmd.com/balance/features/what-can-you-catch-in-restrooms

Feminine Wipes. Personal hygiene wipes are also a popular choice amongst many. Women can use these to feel clean during and after their menstrual days as well as in general to maintain their hygiene.

Industrial Wipes. These are the most heavy-duty types of wipes used in a lot of industries such as offices, construction work, medical practices, and clinics to clean your hands as well as surfaces before and after you have worked on them. They have powerful chemicals in them that get to work immediately and destroy most germs and viruses lying on surfaces.

The Question of Flushing

Now onto the debatable topic of whether you can flush these or not? According to research done by the BBC, there have been numerous tests completed on many brands’ products and unfortunately, not all of them passed the test of being flushable, even though they claimed they were. One of the main things to consider when purchasing these types of products is to look for wipes you can flush and are biodegradable.

When they aren’t eco-friendly or made of natural fabrics, they risk polluting the environment as well as causing blockage to municipality main pipelines, which can be a costly affair to remedy. Not to mention they can be extremely harmful to our immediate environment, as well as the oceans and sea life.

Look for ethical companies that put people and the environment first and products that do not have any harmful ingredients in them. The majority of the plant-based materials and ingredients can be flushable and are toxic-free to use on the body. Ingredients such as aloe vera, Vitamin E, and lavender are also good when it comes to using hygienic products as they don’t cause rashes and are soothing as opposed to irritating. Don’t forget to check if the fragrances used on the wipes are also derived from natural sources. Everyone should get into the habit of using as natural products as possible not just for themselves and their bodies but also for the future of our children and the environment.