4 ms·

Beware, many of those "flushable" wipes aren't actually: https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/09/putrid-130-ton-mass-clogging-london-sewer-highlights-worldwide

• freedomben 9y ago
  Especially for septic systems. In related news, it is very expensive to have a plumber come fish "flushable" wipes from your septic system when they are blocking the tank and backing the "water" back up into the house.
  • travmatt 9y ago
    I asked a plumber about those once and he laughed and said there’s no such thing as a flushable wipe - but they’re great for business.
    • 4ad 9y ago
      What's the limitation? Why can't we make actually flushable wipes?
      • dotancohen 9y ago
        Shear stress. You want something that won't tear when it is pulled against your skin, but with enough friction to remove viscoplastic residue. The way to make a cloth that supports such high shear stress without tearing is to use a very long fiber. This precludes the fiber from dissolving in water. Some experimental materials actually dissolve not in water but in alkalines such as fats that are found in most sewer systems. But not all sewer systems have the proper conditions so these materials then do not dissolve.