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Episode: Are flushable wipes actually flushable?

Date: January 30, 2026

Main Theme

This episode tackles a persistent and grossly practical question: Are "flushable" wipes actually safe to flush? Through the voices of users, engineers, wastewater professionals, industry insiders, and legal cases, PJ Vogt and team dig into the messy, contested, and surprising world of bathroom hygiene and sewer systems.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

I. The Listener Question & The Origins of "Flushable" Wipes

Timestamps: 04:09 – 18:20

• Listener Egan's Doubt: Egan, a mechanical engineer, voices skepticism about "flushable" claims, stating:

  “Can I flush flushable wipes or not? Every package in the store is trying very hard to convince me that I can. Meanwhile, pretty much everyone on the Internet said not to. So who do I believe?” (05:09)
  He’s never used them, fearing expensive plumbing problems.

• History of Wiping:

  • Ancient methods included sponges on sticks (Romans), shards of pottery (Greeks), water and hands (Asia, Middle East), and cloths on bamboo (Japan).
  • Toilet paper first appears in China (~600 AD), takes centuries to become popular, with books and paper often dual-purposed as hygiene products.
  • Humor about the Farmer’s Almanac being designed for dual use:

    "To this day, there's a hole in the top left corner so that you can nail it up in your outhouse...rip paper out when you need it." (10:51)

• The Advent of Baby & "Adult" Wipes:

  • Baby wipes launched in the 1950s led adults to use them for personal care, but these "classic" wipes were not flushable.
  • 1996: Launch of "Moist Mates," the first “flushable” adult wipe (marketed as “wet toilet paper”), soon followed by industry giants like Kimberly Clark (Cottonelle’s Roll Wipes).
  • Product names and packaging ridiculed:

    "I would not go to the store, see a product I've never heard of, read the label, see that it's called Moist Mates and put it in my cart. Feels like it should be locked up." — PJ (12:19)

• Marketing & Social Acceptance Issues:

  • Wet wipes on rolls flop due to embarrassment and awkwardness of publicly displaying “wet toilet paper.”
  • Shift to resealable flat-pack “flushable wipes” in the mid-2000s (e.g., Charmin’s Freshmates).

II. The Modern "Flushable Wipe" Boom

Timestamps: 18:20 – 27:40

• Celebrity Endorsements:

  • Terrence Howard: Wouldn’t date women who don’t have wipes in their bathroom (18:24).
  • Will.i.am’s infamous analogy:

    “Get some chocolate, wipe it on a wooden floor, and then try to get it up with some dry towels...That’s why you gotta get those baby wipes.” (18:41)

• Innovation in Branding:

  • Introduction of "Dude Wipes" (2011):
    • Entrepreneur Sean Reilly creates male-branded wipes after seeing young men at his house rely on baby wipes.
    • Success built on humor, bro-culture marketing (“You’re a chump and your ass probably hates you for it.” — Sean Reilly on Shark Tank, 23:05), and exposure like their appearance on Shark Tank.
    • Pandemic toilet paper shortage gives wipes a major boost—with many trying and sticking with the product for the first time.
    • At time of broadcast, Dude Wipes is valued at $300 million.

• Wipes as a New Standard:

  • Companies promote wipes as the “finisher” or even the replacement for toilet paper. PJ shares his skepticism and notes that many users (and himself) simply wet regular toilet paper or use bidets instead.

III. The Sewer System & Problems With Wipes

Timestamps: 31:04 – 43:37

• How Wastewater Really Works—A Crash Course:

  • Guided by Pam Allardo, former Deputy Commissioner of NYC’s Bureau of Wastewater Treatment and environmentalist.
  • The city's system: Local lines → trunk line → plant → screened by “bar screens” (giant grates) to catch non-solubles (tampons, condoms, money, even a handgun).
  • Many people flush far more than just waste and TP.

• The Problems with Wipes:

  • Clogs and Costs:

    • Many wipes—especially those labeled "flushable"—don't break down in real-world plumbing or treatment plants.
    • Clogs in building pipes, public pumps, and especially municipal systems cost NYC alone ~$20 million a year (41:34).

  • Fatbergs:

    • Definition: Fats, oils, and grease combine with wipes to form giant, rock-hard sewer clogs.
    • Notable example: London’s 130-ton “fatberg,” described vividly:

      "It looks like somebody made ice cream out of fat, feces, and sludge." — PJ (39:24)

    • Requires weeks and huge costs to remove.

  • Visual Evidence:

    • NYC treatment plants have dumpsters “99%” full of wipes by eye test.

      “Just from the eye test, it’s 99% wet wipes... The only other thing I see is one bag of chips and then, you know, another piece of plastic.” — Evan Garrett, engineer (41:24)

  • Pam’s Rule:

    "If it doesn’t come out of you, it doesn’t belong in the loo." — Pam Allardo (38:14)

• Industry vs. Wastewater Operators:

  • Wastewater folks argue that "flushable" wipes don't break down like TP and are a serious ongoing problem.
  • Graphs tracking wipe sales and sewer clogs track almost perfectly (42:49).

IV. The Industry’s Perspective: Are “Flushable” Wipes Actually Problematic?

Timestamps: 47:49 – 56:44

• Wipes Industry Defense:

  • Wes Fisher, INDA (industry association):

    “If it’s in the United States on a shelf, and it says it’s flushable. It has passed a lot of different standards and tests…” (48:38)

  • Industry says their products disperse sufficiently, the problem is consumers flushing non-flushable items.

• The “Standards” War:

  • Manufacturers: Their flushability standards (easier to pass) are sufficient.
  • Wastewater agencies: Argue those standards are too lax and don’t simulate real sewers.
  • New, stricter standards proposed but costly to manufacturers; they resist.

• Blame Game Evidence:

  • Forensic “what’s actually causing the clogs?” studies:

    • A 2023 California survey analyzed 1,700 clog samples; less than 1% were “flushable” wipes, with most being baby wipes, feminine products, paper towels, etc.

      "Only 0.9% were flushable wipes that were in the process of falling apart." — Wes Fisher (54:07)

  • PJ’s response:

    “If you trust the study... that looks pretty good for them.” (54:22)

• Municipal pushback: Wastewater teams note that even <2% of millions of wipes can be a meaningful part of a massive clog, especially as a "starter" ingredient in fatbergs.

V. Legal Battles and The Settlements That Changed the Market

Timestamps: 56:44 – 60:59

• The Lawsuit Era:

  • Early suits (Wyoming, MN): Lose because they can’t forensically prove which wipes caused what damage.

  • Charleston, SC case (2021-2025): Sues for an injunction (asking companies to change labeling and formulation, not for money).

  • Big Turn: Kimberly Clark (Cottonelle) settles quickly, agreeing to:

    1. Adopt the stricter, more expensive municipal standard for flushability.
    2. Prominently label all non-flushable wipes with “DO NOT FLUSH.”

  • This puts pressure on other brands (including Dude Wipes); all eventually settle or conform.

• Meaningful Change Imminent:

  • By mid-2026, all “flushable” wipes on shelves will need to meet the higher “clean water agency” standard and label non-flushable wipes clearly.
  • Clean water teams and cities declare these settlements a win; pressure on competitors to match.
  • PJ’s reflection:

    “It’s funny. Sometimes I think this is a country where nothing ever gets better and we can’t solve our problems. But look at us.” (60:48)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “If it doesn’t come out of you, it doesn’t belong in the loo.” — Pam Allardo (38:14)
• “Get some chocolate, wipe it on a wooden floor, and then try to get it up with some dry towels... That’s why you gotta get those baby wipes.” — Will.i.am, cited by Sam (18:41)
• “You’re a chump and your ass probably hates you for it.” — Sean Reilly, Dude Wipes founder (23:05)
• “Just from the eye test, it’s 99% wet wipes...” — Evan Garrett, NYC Wastewater Engineer (41:24)
• “We might be a country of lawyers, but sometimes, eventually, the lawyers get to a good compromise.” — Sam (60:53)
• “...in a moment, where the country’s in vast national crisis... I like that we’re just doing some classic podcasting here.” — PJ (06:34)

Key Timestamps for Reference

• 04:09 — Listener Egan’s question and skepticism
• 09:47–13:31 — Toilet hygiene history & early flushable products
• 18:23, 18:41 — Celebrity endorsements
• 23:05 — Dude Wipes' Shark Tank pitch
• 31:17 — Pam Allardo: How NYC’s sewer system works
• 41:24 — At the treatment plant; witnessing the wipes problem
• 43:41 — The industry's defense; flushable standards debate begins
• 54:07 — Results of California forensic study
• 56:44–60:59 — Charleston lawsuit; market-wide standard changes

Conclusion & Takeaways

• Currently: Most wipes marketed as “flushable” have not been “safe” by stricter municipal sewer standards, but industry, public perception, and products are changing.
• Near Future: By mid-2026, only wipes meeting more rigorous standards (and clearly labeled) will be legally marketed as flushable in the US.
• Practical Advice: Avoid flushing anything except human waste and toilet paper; proper labeling should help, but the best practice remains:

  "If it doesn’t come out of you, it doesn’t belong in the loo." (38:14)

• Cultural Note: The evolution of wiping methods is both weird and fascinating, driven as much by marketing, embarrassment, and convenience as genuine innovation.
• Optimism: Despite all, public pressure, legal tools, and persistent advocacy can force market improvements—occasionally resulting in real-world solutions.

This episode blends public health, marketing, litigation, engineering, and a dash of scatological humor to answer a question that’s both mundane and massively consequential: flushable wipes—actually flushable? The answer is, "Soon, maybe (but not yet)... and only if you read the label."