Premoistened flushable wiper

Abstract

A premoistened wiper having high initial wet strength in a wetting liquid, and lower wet strength when immersed in substantially neutral water to allow for flushability. The wiper includes a nonwoven web of fibrous material which is bonded together by a polymeric adhesive binder, with the bonded web being moistened until the time of use by a wetting liquid having an acid pH level which is safe for external use on the human body. The binder is composed of a material which is highly adhesive in an acid pH liquid to bind the fibers of the web together, and which is further resistant to weakening over the relatively long periods of shelf life of the wiper. However, the binder loses its binding strength in substantially neutral or alkaline flush water to allow for flushability. The bonded wiper is maintained with wetting liquid thereon within a moisture sealed container until the time of use, and readily loses strength and disintegrates when disposed of in the substantially neutral water of a sewer system.