Following up my well received post from yesterday about Stocking Up on Toilet Paper, I figured it would be good to talk about alternatives to toilet paper. There are people out there who think we as Americans use too much toilet paper. I don’t agree with that but in the event of an emergency, especially a long term one, having a backup to your toilet paper storage would be a good idea. Some people have already switched to toilet paper alternatives and don’t mind the change. I think that there is a stigma attached to using anything other than conventional toilet paper but as a prepper you should be accustomed to getting past most stigmas.
Reusable cloth wipes are becoming more and more popular as an alternative to regular toilet paper. The concept isn’t much different than using cloth diapers on babies and there are now companies that sell these wipes. There are also wipe warmers that you can put in the bathroom and it will keep your #2 wipes warm and damp with a cleaning solution (of your choice). The idea is that you keep a stack of clean, dry wipes near your toilet for women to use after #1. The wipes in a warmer are to be used after #2. The warmers use electricity so in the event of a disaster you can’t rely on it so I wouldn’t recommend a warmer.
Instead of a warmer you can keep a squirt bottle with a water and lotion hand soap solution to dampen the wipes before using them after #2. This will make them clean your bum even better. The used wipes then can be deposited into a hanging sack or an open or closed container. An open container or hanging sack will not produce a smell but if you’re worried about it get a flip-top trash can to keep used wipes in. The wipes are washable and can be washed as you wash your other towels and wash rags. You might want to wash the cloth wipes in a lingerie washing bag and add a little baking soda and vinegar for extra cleaning power. I would recommend washing them separate from anything else and soaking them in the washer for a hour or so before starting the wash.
Cloth wipes are better for the environment and will make you and your family that much more self sufficient. Green Mountain Diapers is a great site that sells these wipes, along with a solution for your spray bottle and more information about using cloth wipes. Most cloth wipes are made from flannel material which makes them nice and soft and from what I’ve read these are a lot more comfortable than using toilet paper and not as bad as it might sound. You can make your own from old flannel sheets or shirts but purchasing quality 2-ply wipes would be my recommendation. These are pretty cheap so it wouldn’t be an issue to stock quite a few of these to go along with your toilet paper storage. Also make sure you have some lotion hand soap stocked up and a squirt bottle for your solution to dampen the wipes before use.
7 comments
American Trucker
October 23, 2009 at 3:30 am (UTC 0)
LOL…Americans certainly don't use too much paper…That's a Greenie Weenie myth. They don't cut old growth trees for paper. They actually plant entire forests where there used to be fields and desserts too keep up with paper demand. If you want more trees then use more paper. But yes, have a backup plan to use cloths in case someday you dont have access to a store or the supply chains are disrupted.
TheSurvivalMom
October 23, 2009 at 4:21 am (UTC 0)
Oh my. Words fail me. LOL I guess if we had to, we could get used to cloth wipes. Better than banana leaves, huh?
)
matthiasj
October 23, 2009 at 12:33 pm (UTC 0)
LOL Good point SurvivalMom better than leaves
Aloha2U
October 23, 2009 at 12:54 pm (UTC 0)
LOL. Has anyone ever thought of using the ShamWows? They are very absorbant.
Wendy
October 23, 2009 at 3:17 pm (UTC 0)
Instead of a warmer you can keep a squirt bottle with a water
This is very much like a bidet, and instead of using it to moisten the wipes, you could actually spray it right on … yourself
, and clean off the bulk of the problem and use the wipe to dry. After I gave birth, I used this method because dry wiping with toilet paper was just too painful (oh, is that TMI?)
At the risk of sounding like a "greenie weenie" (*grin*), toilet paper is not one of my preps. When TSHTF, the last thing I'm going to worry about is toilet tissue (much to my husband's dismay. I've already asked him to switch – he's not interested
. We'll be switching to cloth, and sooner rather than later. All of the other environmental benefits of switching aside, the fact is that toilet paper doesn't compost down as fast as … the other stuff that goes into the toilet …, and if we don't have the option of someone to pump our septic tank, then we probably don't want a whole lot of stuff in there. In fact, if we had to switch to a composting toilet or an outhouse, using TP in there isn't the best choice.
erniesjourney
October 23, 2009 at 7:27 pm (UTC 0)
Well sadly enough we will still have to potty even when the potty hits the fan so I have stocked up on t-paper and have also saved all of the phone books.
Colon
November 6, 2009 at 6:53 am (UTC 0)
"The door is locked. You're sitting and relaxing, all alone … when the realization hits you: You are OUT. Of TOILET PAPER." Best Improvised Alternatives to Toilet Paper