Disinfecting Wipes Clogging Pipes As People Flush Them Down The Toilet

Authorities are advising people not to flush disinfecting wipes down their toilet because the disposable wipes are clogging the pipes. While sales of the wipes have soared in the wake of the global coronavirus pandemic, many people are flushing them down the toilet instead of disposing of them in the trash.

Officials said that even "flushable wipes" should be thrown away in the garbage. The wipes will eventually breakdown, but it can take time, and they can get stuck in the pipes.

"Flushable wipes are not truly flushable," Jim Bunsey, chief operating officer of the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, told the New York Times. "They might go down the drain, but they do not break up like regular toilet paper."

While this can result in a major headache if you have to call a plumber to unclog your toilet, it can also cause significant issues at wastewater treatment facilities. If the pipes get clogged, they can leak and potentially spill into lakes and rivers, causing environmental harm.

Authorities say that the only thing you should flush down your toilet is toilet paper. Everything else should be disposed of in the trash.

"Flushing wipes, paper towels, and similar products down toilets will clog sewers and cause backups and overflows at wastewater treatment facilities, creating an additional public health risk in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic," the California State Water Resources Control Board said.

To keep up to date on the latest news about the coronavirus and to understand what you need to stay safe and healthy, check out the Coronavirus: Fact vs. Fiction podcast from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

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