Karlsenkystfiske
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- 27 Dec 2022
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Package says it will degrade in 12 weeks. Is there anything that might speed up the process? Asking for a friend 
Any chemical that might dissolve wet wipes?
- Thread starter Karlsenkystfiske
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ctva
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- Joined
- 8 Apr 2007
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Sulphuric acid?
Freebee
Well-known member
in bulk they don't really dissolve , don't ask me how I know!
Ian_Edwards
Well-known member
My sister flushed one down a Tecmar electric toilet. It got wrapped around the impeller/macerator. I tried concentrated bleach, brick cleaner and various proprietary drain "unblockers", not all at the same time! And over a period of weeks.
Nothing I could find worked, I eventually gave in, and took the system apart, which involved un-bolting the complete toilet bowl and macerator assembly, lifting it out into the cockpit, then dismantling it, to find a very clean wet wipe wrapped tightly around the shaft of the macerator.
So from my experience, no they don't dissolve.
Nothing I could find worked, I eventually gave in, and took the system apart, which involved un-bolting the complete toilet bowl and macerator assembly, lifting it out into the cockpit, then dismantling it, to find a very clean wet wipe wrapped tightly around the shaft of the macerator.
So from my experience, no they don't dissolve.
The 12 weeks mentioned on the packaging is how long it takes for 90% to break up (not compost) in ideal, highly managed, conditions. This involves composting at 58C with other organic compost around it. They won't break up much at all in that time without these conditions. If they did, they would degrade in the packet.
johnalison
Well-known member
Piranha Solution?
Stemar
Well-known member
Best used on people who flush the damned thingsPiranha Solution?
Ian_Edwards
Well-known member
My solution was and is, to tell my sister that if she put a wet wipe down the toilet again, she was unblocking the toilet!
It seems to have worked, so far.
It seems to have worked, so far.
Neeves
Well-known member
If you keep up to date with the media you will know that plastics and micro-plastics are pollutants. We also learn that micro plastics are found in our, or animals, bodies, rain water and most, or all, of our fish. It seems that even micro plastics survive for more than 12 weeks (though that 'timing' refers to wet wipes 'degrading' whatever that actually means.
Wet wipes are in fact plastics well made and packaged to confuse their background (fantastic marketing), a bit like your shirt or bed linen is part or wholly plastic (it would be unusual to be linen). Your shirt last for ever even if washed every time you use it - and washing machines and detergent are not that kind. You would rightly worry if your shirt lasted only 12 weeks and then 'degraded'.
Why would anyone think wet wipes have a finite life span
Wet wipes and similar products made on a paper machine are not made from wood pulp or even cotton or linen fibres but are made from polyester and polypropylene fibres aka plastic fibres.
Wet wipes are in fact plastics well made and packaged to confuse their background (fantastic marketing), a bit like your shirt or bed linen is part or wholly plastic (it would be unusual to be linen). Your shirt last for ever even if washed every time you use it - and washing machines and detergent are not that kind. You would rightly worry if your shirt lasted only 12 weeks and then 'degraded'.
Why would anyone think wet wipes have a finite life span
Wet wipes and similar products made on a paper machine are not made from wood pulp or even cotton or linen fibres but are made from polyester and polypropylene fibres aka plastic fibres.
Freebee
Well-known member
at one time there was an ad campaign on tv in uk showing wipes being used to clean wc and simply flushed after use, the general public here thought because of this it was OK to do
Because it says on the packet that they degrade in 12 weeks and people generally just see that and believe it without asking what it actually means. Many still say 'flushable' too.
Even the non plastic ones obviously don't degrade in the packet which was why I looked up what 'degrade' actually meant. There is a clearly defined standard to meet of 90% of the fibres being less than 2mm long after 12 weeks in the ideal conditions I mentioned earlier.
Real life conditions will be nothing like these. I've made the mistake before of putting 'compostable' bags in my compost bin. Every year when I use the compost I take them out the bottom and drop them in the top. They take about 4 years to break down and they are far thinner than wet wipes.
Marketing is extremely powerful. People generally have very little idea of what they are buying. Most have no idea what 'organic', 'free range', 'little red tractor' etc actually mean.
It saddens me to see shopping trolleys full of organic food in plastic packaging alongside such abominations as plug in 'air fresheners'.
I’m sure it was only last year a major company launched. Wet wipe that was attached to a handle to clean floors right when Global warming was a hot topic. Utter madness like we need disposable mops. Still people bought them. Thats how little progress has been made.
Steveeasy
Steveeasy
Freebee
Well-known member
why not run a campaign to have plastic wipes banned???
Consultation launched to ban wet wipes containing plastic. The non plastic ones will still get flushed though so the blockages will continue.
Freebee
Well-known member
non plastic stands a chance of being dissolved after all semi water proof paper has been going down the bog since man discovered torn up Daily Mirror(other newspapers are available) did the job as well as san izal does................... and that's not saying much!!
Freebee
Well-known member
i think we all know that
