Flushable wipes are controversial. On the surface, they seem ideal: A discreet wipe in the bathroom leaves you clean without repeated wipes with toilet paper. But CR recently interviewed experts who outlined the environmental and economic costs of flushing wipes—all wipes, including those labeled “flushable.”
CR’s sustainability expert, environmental experts, and even the plumber we interviewed support the idea that you should never flush wipes for the sake of our water supply, aquatic life, your household pipes or septic system, and your wallet.
In this article
- Flushable Wipes We Tested: Amazon Basics Caboo Charmin Cottonelle Dude Wipes XL Equate Good Wipes Honest Kirkland Signature Nice ’N Clean
- More on Wipes: Flushable vs. Nonflushable Wipes vs. Toilet Paper Industry Standards for Wipes How We Tested
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That said, wipes are excellent for cleaning your hands, nether regions, and other body parts. Significant differences exist among them regarding tensile strength (because the last thing you want is a soiled wipe to rip in your hands), how well they clean, how easily they dispense (you don’t want to have to stuff extra wipes back into the container), their packaging, and their size and scent.
CR’s José Amézquita tested 11 popular flushable wipes in our lab to find the sturdiest and most convenient to dispense—and then we evaluated how each cleaned up viscous honey from our skin, paying attention to the feel and scent of each wipe.
Flushing Wipes in Our Lab
CR's José Amézquita flushed one wipe at a time and recorded how many flushes it took for the wipe to pass the toilet’s siphon jet. He performed three separate trials on each wipe brand.
Even though we do not recommend flushing these wipes, our curiosity got the best of us, because, let’s face it, people flush them: Amézquita also ran each wipe through our lab’s toilets and pipes to see which passed through with the most ease. He then repeated that same test with toilet paper and wipes labeled “do not flush.” All wipes were tested right after opening them.
If you’re thinking: Soiled wipes are gross—how can I hygienically dispose of them if flushing isn’t an option? Investing in a bathroom trash bin with a lid that seals tight or even a diaper can with liners and pods that absorb odors can help. Here are our top picks in flushable wipes.
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Lisa Fogarty
Lisa Fogarty is a multimedia content creator at Consumer Reports. She studied journalism at Columbia University and has written numerous health, parenting, fitness, and wellness articles for The New York Times, Psychology Today, Vogue, and NPR. Lisa is passionate about mental health and is a co-creator of The Hunger Trap Podcast, which focuses on eating disorders. In her spare time she surfs, plays the guitar, and kickboxes. Follow her on X: @lisacfogarty
