Don't Use Flushabe Wipes a Cautionary Tale

For your own sanity and the sake of the meal you just consumed I will not be adding any photos to this post.  You are welcome....

The year was 2011 and we were living in our split level in New Jersey with our 3 year old and 9 month old.  It was a time of great couponing success with me and with that success came many free or almost free products.  We were busy preparing for Valentine's Day and it was my job to make the heart sugar cookies that were to be decorated in Cole's preschool class.  It was our second day with little to no water and one half way functioning toilet.  I was starting to loose my mind waiting for my husband's plumber friend to show up and I lost it and called in Roto Rooter.  $400 later, everything was back to working order, thank God!  The issue was flushable wipes that I had been letting Cole use.  I had gotten packs and packs of them for free at Shop Rite and they said flushable, so why not.  It was an expensive and disgusting mistake.
That was the last time we ever used flushable wipes.  Fast forward three years almost to the week! New house and this time we have a septic system.  We only use Scott toilet paper and never use wipes!  On Tuesday, I was going about my morning routine of laundry and dishes when the smell hit me.  Put down your sandwich for this part, really you will thank me.  I followed the smell of poop and dirt all the way to our lower level toilet which we are not currently using.  I saw it.  Brown sludge pouring out the top of the toilet and all over the floor.  You know what brown sludge in a toilet is!  We called in Draintech who arrived promptly.  This time for under $200, the system was cleared.  The culprit....flushable wipes.  Not from us mind you but from the previous residents which means they were about 5 years old. The man said they caught in the pipe n with each flush more sludge was caught on the wipe until the pipe completely blocked and backed up into that toilet.
 At this point I have spent nearly $600 on flushable wipe incidents.  The money is one thing, but the clean up oh was the worst.  We were lucky it was minor but really it was completely disgusting!  Rich and I split it up just to survive the disgust.  These are two examples of why not to use flushable wipes and I can name two more people I personally know that had the same problem which created even worse conditions.  You say to me, but they say flushable on them so they must be.  I say then enjoy, but be prepared to clean up old poo!