BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — When it comes to TP, there are no useful alternatives, says one plumber in Mattapan.
Joe Wood is the owner of Boston Standard Plumbing. Right now, he tells WBZ NewsRadio's Jim MacKay, plumbers have been busy. Part of that is due to the fact that people running low on toilet paper are using other, less appropriate replacements.
"There's been a lot of stories out there about people using things that shouldn't be used in toilets, and subsequent clogs," he said.
On Wednesday, for example, the Lawrence Department of Public Works asked residents to stop flushing things other than toilet paper—even including those supposedly "flushable" wipes—because sewer pump stations were getting backed up.
Desperate times can call for desperate measures, but when it comes to your home's plumbing, Wood said the cost can be immense if you clog up your drains and pipes.
That's why wood says you should stick with good old TP—they don't call it "toilet paper" for nothing.
"Interesting thing about toilet paper, if you ever try to like, wipe up a little spill on the edge of a sink, it disintegrates, and that's by design," he said. "But what we're seeing right now is, everything else is not disintegrating."
Supermarkets are doing their best to keep shelves stocked. In the meantime, if you run out, ask a neighbor or a good friend to borrow some toilet paper. If you try using anything else, your plumbing bill could cost you big time.
WBZ NewsRadio's Jim MacKay (@JimMacKayOnAir) reports
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