Flushable wipes are life savers in the bathroom.

Sometimes toilet paper alone doesn’t cut it when it comes to the cleanliness of your private area.

No matter how hard you try, it rarely does a neat job.

Wipes, on the other hand, are moist and will clean your nether areas impressively.

Flushable wipes are meant to be safe for flushing down the toilet.

These are pre-moistened wipes with a cleansing solution to provide a comfortable and refreshing experience.

What makes them different from ordinary wipes is that they are biodegradable. This is because they are made with plant-based fibers that disintegrate in the septic tank.

Ordinary wipes contain plastic and other chemical binders that make them hard to break apart.

There’s only one problem with flushable wipes, though… some are not septic-tank safe.

Well, at least most of them aren’t.

In this guide, I narrow down on Equate flushable wipes, specifically.

 If you have a septic tank, find out if this brand is safe for it or not.

What Are Equate Flushable Wipes Made Of?

Equate flushable wipes is a brand of scented wipes available in many homes in the United States and beyond.

The manufacturer markets the product as hypoallergenic and 100% plant-based.

It contains biodegradable fibers meant to break apart when flushed.

They are essentially manufactured from renewable plant-based fibers and water only.

The wipes are also devoid of parabens, phenoxyethanol, and alcohol making it safe for your most sensitive area.

Are They Safe For Septic Tanks?

Ordinary wipes belong to the trash can and not the toilet for one thing – they don’t break apart easily.

If they find their way to the septic tank, they will remain solid thus clogging the system in the process.

This is a real problem for many septic tank owners. If not addressed, it can cause wastewater to flow back into the house or lead to an overflowing of the wastewater to the ground.

Flushable wipes, on the contrary, are marketed as safe products for your septic system.

They are made with materials that come apart fast and easily.

Equate, like many flushable wipe manufacturers, claims that their brand of wipes meets the INDA Flushable Product Guidelines.

These are a set of rules governing what passes as flushable and what does not.

They include a number of flushability assessment tests linked to the performance in pumps, pies, household septic systems, and municipal sewer systems.

Any product labeled “flushable” must have passed all the seven tests. In this regard, Equate flushable wipes are safe for your septic tank.

However, according to an NBCDFW article dubbed “Consumer Reports: Are Flushable Wipes Flushable” Equate wipes aren’t as flushable as they are made out to be.

Consumer Reports typically tested four brands of flushable wipes namely Cottonelle, Scott, Charmin, and Equate.

All four products failed to break apart even after being run in a mixer.

The testers gave up after ten minutes.

After soaking the wipes overnight before performing the experiment, only two of the brands disintegrated – Cottonelle and Scott.

Equate and Chamin remained in one piece.

Expectedly, Consumer Reports concluded the report by recommending that none of the four brands of wipes including Equate flushable wipes should be flushed down the toilet.

I also looked at Amazon and Equate reviews for Equate wipes.

Most of the reviews are positive in many other aspects. Very few people have spoken about its flush ability, though.

Nevertheless, there are a couple of users claiming that the wipes flush well down the toilet.

There’s no review saying that the wipes don’t flush well.

However, claiming that the wipes go down the toilet doesn’t accurately point to its effect in a septic tank.

The Verdict

So, are equate flushable wipes safe for septic tanks?

While Equate flushable wipes are marketed as flushable, they may not be the best products for your septic tank.

Even in the event that they break apart in the tank, they probably take a long time to do so.

The ordinary waste is digested by bacteria in less than 48 hours. Anything that doesn’t disintegrate within this time limit only leads to clogging.

Unless you are ready to pump your system every other month (or even monthly), you are better off disposing of the wipes in your trash can.

If that’s too much for you, consider using toilet paper only or if you can handle it, install a bidet. Your septic system will thank you for it.