Thursday, October 25, 2012

Bowled Over

There is currently a television commercial for a popular bathroom tissue that is trying to entice people to use their product in combination with another one of their products . . . flushable wet wipes. They’ve even come up with a contest to name the act of using the combination. Some people have been calling it “the freshy-fresh” others have tried, as the commercial says “the smooth ride” and regionally some think of it as “Southern hospitality.” Whatever name you’ve come up with among the myriad of names, here’s what I call it . . . “money in my pocket!”

One can debate whether wet wipes by any company are really flushable. Yes, you can put them in the toilet and yes, you can flush them, but at what cost? It has been my experience as a plumber that the only thing you should flush down your toilet is toilet paper. Not paper towels, not baby wipes, not any other kind of cloth or paper. Your toilet should never be confused for a Garburator.

I have seen all manner of items that I’ve been called to snake out of a toilet; combs, marbles, kids’ toys, cellular phones, pens, plaster, paint and more. About the only place where you would find more junk is the garage sale from Hell! Here’s a basic rule of thumb. With the exception of actual toilet paper, if a substance didn’t come out of you, from either end, than it shouldn’t be in the toilet. (If on the other hand, you have managed to ingest combs, marbles, kids’ toys, cellular phones or pens; then you need to call a professional with a far different set of skills than mine!)

Why am I so adamant about this? Well, let’s discuss what happens to the items you toss down the loo. If a plumber is called to unblock something stuck in the bowl, there is a possibility the item in question might not be retrieved but instead will continue down the drain like Alice sliding down the rabbit hole. Depending on the type of building, retrieval might require the use of camera or even worse, the ceiling or flooring might have to be opened. Usually a homeowner uses a plunger to clear a clogged toilet. If the toilet is blocked with anything but toilet paper, a homeowner can actually create more harm than good by attempting to remedy the situation themselves.

To many people, I may be talking to deaf ears. I’m certainly not making any friends in the baby wipe industry. But just remember. I see the end result of their product more than they do. And a flushed baby wipe doesn’t always make a clean getaway. It can just often end up with me . . . around your drain.

5 comments:

  1. Sadly its true. Besides baby wipes are not planet friendly. Cloth diapers and washcloths. My kids had nice rosy butt cheeks.

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  2. This is HILARIOUS!!! Have you ever considered a tv show on HGTV? I would watch!

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  3. I love this blog! It's so funny but so very informative exactly like Dave is in person. He's so professional and competent and at the same time such a nice guy...a real gentleman and someone we really trust. Keep the articles coming, Dave. We can't wait to read the next one!

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  4. Thanks for that great post. I am searching for a good plumber in Richmond Hill. Do you have any information that can help me? Thanks.

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