What the agencies ask for
In March 2020 shops ran out of toilet paper and people reached for wipes. Sewer backups followed, and the federal environment agency put out a plain request.
Flushing only toilet paper helps ensure that the toilets, plumbing, sewer systems and septic systems will continue working properly to safely manage our nation’s wastewater.
The request names disinfecting wipes, and the reasoning covers every wipe: toilet paper falls apart in water within minutes, and a wipe is made not to.
What a wipe does after the flush
New York City runs one of the largest sewer systems in the country. Its environment department describes what arrives at the treatment plants.
These materials don’t break down in the sewer system like toilet paper, so they arrive at our plants jamming mechanisms, clogging pumps, and breaking critical machinery.
The same page says a wipe may clear your toilet and still catch in the plumbing of your own building. The label on the pack does not change what the cloth is made of.
Why people use wipes anyway
Because they work. Dry paper moves things around. A wet cloth lifts them off. The feeling of being clean comes from the water in the wipe, not from the cloth.
That is the idea behind a bidet. Water does the cleaning and paper only dries. In much of the world a bidet is a fixture or a hose by the toilet. In most American homes there is neither.
The bottle as a bidet you can carry
The Easy-Bidet is the smallest bidet we could make. You fill it at the tap, turn it upside down and squeeze. Nothing but water goes into the toilet, and you pat dry with a few sheets.
| Feature | Original | XL |
|---|---|---|
| Water per fill | 300 ml | 480 ml |
| Price | $17.99 | $19.99 |
| Price per 100 ml of capacity | $6.00 | $4.16 |
| Cost per use | Tap water | Tap water |
300 ml · 5 colours
Easy-Bidet 2.0 Original
The size that fits a handbag. One fill is one wash for most people.
4.3 out of 5 (25,250 ratings)
$17.99
If you keep using wipes
- Put them in a bin with a lid, never in the toilet.
- That includes wipes sold as flushable.
- On a septic system, be stricter still: a blocked tank is your own bill.
- Baby wipes, make-up wipes and cleaning wipes follow the same rule.
What a bottle does not fix
- It does not disinfect. It rinses.
- It needs water at hand, so it is less handy than a wipe on a hiking trail with no supply.
- It takes a few tries to aim well. Wipes need no practice.
- We cannot tell you how much your own building's pipes forgive. Nobody can from the outside.