Baby wipes and household cleaning wipes should always go into the trash, never the toilet. While the wipes can be flushed, they’re not breaking down in the wastewater system. These wipes have a cloth-like consistency, which means they can clog your sewer pipe and block your sewer lateral, or clog pumps and other treatment process equipment.

Even if your pipes don’t get clogged with these wipes, flushing them will cause problems down the line. Wastewater industry officials worldwide have reported an increase in clogged sewer systems due to problems with people flushing wipes down the toilet. While consumers are free to purchase wipes for the home, the St. Peters Utilities Department is urging residents to throw them away in waste containers. Wipes should be treated as solid waste items and unsafe to flush - even if labeled "flushable."