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Wiped!

CSEF · 2026 Product Science (Junior Division)

Bella Maness

Overview

Flushable wipes are marked as a convenient alternative to toilet paper, but the reality is that not all wipes break down quickly, and some can cause some serious clogs in plumbing systems. This project investigates which type of "flushable" wipe dissolves the fastest in water. Now the data shows that "Dude Wipes" are the fastest at dissolving. Also that "Cottonelle" took the longest to dissolve. Both are flushable but made of different fibers. "Dude Wipes" are made of plant-sourced fibers and "Cottonelle" is made of biodegradable fibers, often cellulose and wood pulp. The wipes that contained plant source or little to none wood base fibers were faster at dissolving in water. Many people use wipes on a daily basis, especially when camping. My experimental research on the time frame it took to have 7 popular brands of wipes dissolve in a water bottle concludes that some brands do happen to dissolve faster than others.

Competition history

  • CSEF 2026 Product Science (Junior Division) · Entry J-19-04

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