Wet wipes banned from royal homes due to plumbing concerns
The young royals are no longer allowed to use a common household cleaning item after a series of plumbing mishaps saw it banned from all royal bathrooms. Can you guess what it is?
READING LEVEL: GREEN
The royal family has pulled a “royal flush” on one common household item – wet wipes.
An ex-Buckingham Palace cleaner has revealed that the humble wet wipe has been banned from all royal bathrooms.
Anne Simmons, 57, from Berkshire in the UK, said disposable* wet wipes had been removed from royal homes because they caused “significant plumbing issues” when flushed down the toilet, The US Sun reported.
“Despite being advertised as ‘flushable,’ they don’t break down in the system like toilet paper does,” the former royal maid said. “This led to repeated blockages and costly plumbing repairs. It became clear that they simply weren’t worth the trouble.”
Ms Simmons said the palace avoided using wipes and has switched to reusable* cleaning cloths.
“Not only did this prevent plumbing issues, but it also saved money in the long term by reducing the need for frequent repairs,” she said.
Scented candles were also banished from royal homes due to the “toxins*” they released into the air.
“In a place like Buckingham Palace, where air quality is strictly controlled, they are completely off-limits,” Ms Simmons said.
WHY WET WIPES SHOULD NEVER BE FLUSHED
Wet wipes have become one of the top causes of plumbing blockages, but they also pose serious environmental concerns.
Non-biodegradable* wipes take hundreds of years to break down, contributing to landfill waste and water pollution.
They can harm marine life when flushed into rivers and oceans. Animals can mistake wet wipes for food, leading to potential harm or death when ingested*.
And since they take so long to break down, wet wipes often combine with grease and debris to form fatbergs*, causing severe blockages in sewer systems and costly repairs across the whole sewerage system.
James Clarkson, a professional UK plumber with over 15 years of experience, shared his expert views on the damage caused by wet wipes.
“In many homes, wet wipes have become a major cause of plumbing issues,” he said.
“Even though they may say ‘flushable,’ these wipes don’t break down like toilet paper, and over time, they accumulate* and cause severe blockages.
“I’ve had to clear fatbergs created by wipes on multiple occasions, and the cost of repairs can be substantial*.”
In Australia, it’s advised not to flush wet wipes, even those labelled “flushable” as they may cause blockages in plumbing systems.
According to Australian plumbers Tunnel Vision, all types of wet wipes belong in the bin.
Their website states that “if they’re labelled as flushable, the risk they pose to plumbing and sewer systems is too significant to ignore.”
Parts of this story first appeared in The US Sun and are republished with permission.
POLL
GLOSSARY
- disposable: something you throw away after using
- reusable: something that can be washed and used over and over again
- toxins: harmful chemicals
- non-biodegradable: a substance that can’t be broken down by natural organisms and thus pollutes the environment
- ingested: consumed, eaten
- fatbergs: a large mass of hard matter that clogs up a sewer, usually formed of things that don’t break down easily like wet wipes, paper towels, sanitary pads and tissues that have stuck together with congealed fat, oil and grease
- accumulate: build up
- substantial: very big
EXTRA READING
Gross ‘fatbergs’ clogging Oz sewers
What do the royal kids fight over?
Young royals banned from the Christmas table
QUICK QUIZ
1. Why have wet wipes been banned from royal homes?
2. What other item has been banned?
3. In what way are wet wipes bad for the environment?
4. Why do plumbers advise against flushing wet wipes even if they are labelled as ‘flushable’?
5. What is a fatberg?
LISTEN TO THIS STORY
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Wet wipe ban
If you read about all the environmental and plumbing damage the even “flushable” version of wet wipes cause, do you think they should be banned altogether?
Write a letter to your local member of parliament outlining the reasons why wet wipes should be banned from production to try and convince them to take this idea to parliament.
Time: allow 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Science, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking
2. Extension
The banning of wet wipes in Buckingham Palace has been referred to as “a royal flush”. Think of a catchy name for the banning of scented candles in royal households.
Time: allow 10 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking
VCOP ACTIVITY
Read this!
A headline on an article – or a title on your text – should capture the attention of the audience, telling them to read this now. So choosing the perfect words for a headline or title is very important.
Create three new headlines for the events that took place in this article. Remember, what you write and how you write it will set the pace for the whole text, so make sure it matches.
Read out your headlines to a partner and discuss what the article will be about based on the headline you created. Discuss the tone and mood you set in just your few, short words. Does it do the article justice? Will it capture the audience’s attention the way you hoped? Would you want to read more?
Consider how a headline or title is similar to using short, sharp sentences throughout your text. They can be just as important as complex ones. Go through the last text you wrote and highlight any short, sharp sentences that capture the audience.