I was out shopping the other night at a warehouse store when I came upon boxes of flushable wipes in the paper products aisle that contained some interesting qualifiers for using the product that has become controversial in the septic service and plumbing industries.

“Safe for Well Maintained Sewer & Septics *,’’ the box listed with an asterisk. What did the asterisk refer to? My guess is the other label prominently displayed at the top of the box: “NEVER FLUSH MORE THAN ONE WIPE AT A TIME.’’

It looks like the wipes manufacturer is hedging its bets on the “flushability’’ of these wipes. Makers of these products want so badly for consumers to buy into the greater comfort of the moistened wipes product that they choose to use them and take their chances that septic systems or household plumbing won’t become clogged.

As we’ve reported earlier, many septic service technicians have blamed so-called “flushable wipes’’ for clogs. They tell us these wipes do not break down after being flushed, which can lead to system problems and emergency calls.

Give your customers some advice that doesn’t require any qualifiers or asterisks on marketing materials: Only flush human waste and bathroom tissue down the toilet.

I know I will not use and flush these products unless conclusive evidence shows they will break down efficiently. And there are no asterisks found on the packaging.