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Ditching Toilet Paper

  1. Turd Ferguson

    pomegranate / 3160 posts

    @Cherrybee: loo roll. yesssssss. that's all i'm going to call it from now on. loo roll.

  2. JerricaBenton

    pomegranate / 3872 posts

    Not for me, and if I suggested it to my husband I think he'd think I was messing with him. There are lots of things we could do to cut down on garbage before that. We're considering a bidet when we renovate our master bathroom but I can confidently say we'd never give up tp.

  3. Skadi

    apricot / 456 posts

    @Anagram: According to the Scientific American article:

    To those who say that bidets waste water, advocates counter that the amount is trivial compared to how much water we use to produce toilet paper in the first place. Biolife Technologies, manufacturer of the high-end line of Coco bidets, says the amount of water used by a typical bidet is about 1/8th of a gallon, with the average toilet using about four gallons per flush. Lloyd Alter of the website treehugger.com reports that making a single roll of toilet paper requires 37 gallons of water, 1.3 kilowatt/hours (KWh) of electricity and some 1.5 pounds of wood. Thomas points out that toilet paper is also a public nuisance in that it clogs pipes and adds a significant load onto city sewer systems and water treatment plants.

  4. lemondrop

    bananas / 9118 posts

    No way.

  5. mrsjazz

    coconut / 8234 posts

    Hell no to giving up toilet paper and yes to someone having to pry it from my cold, dead hands. We use the partially recycled kind and we are totally comfortable with that. I think there are a lot of other areas we could be greener in before sacrificing TP. I honestly can't even fathom this--even with reading the articles posted.

  6. Sapphiresun

    nectarine / 2220 posts

    @mrs. bird: I can't say I've ever blotted meat? But in general in the kitchen I use those crochet dish cloths in a light colour and if they get too dirty I toss them directly into the laundry machine and wash them with whatever I'm washing next.

  7. Synchronicity

    grapefruit / 4089 posts

    I would never ever.

  8. Espion

    pomegranate / 3577 posts

    @Skadi: I admire the dedication!

    We recycle like crazy, and use cloth for just about everything. But my butt will not be one of them!

  9. ShootingStar

    coconut / 8472 posts

    Never. Never ever ever. EVAR.

  10. cyndistar3

    pomegranate / 3980 posts

    Nope... Charmin ultra soft for the win!

  11. Kemma

    grapefruit / 4291 posts

    @ScarletBegonia: very OT but I Outward Bound!!

  12. loveisstrange

    pineapple / 12526 posts

    Nope. Nope. Annnnnd.... nope. And remind me to pee before I leave home if I ever come visit your house.

  13. ScarletBegonia

    persimmon / 1339 posts

    @Kemma: it's the best!

  14. Skadi

    apricot / 456 posts

    @loveisstrange: Um, I just thought it went without saying that we would keep TP for guests!

  15. loveisstrange

    pineapple / 12526 posts

    @Skadi: Hahaha, glad to hear it!

  16. MrsTiz

    cantaloupe / 6800 posts

    Never in a million years would I even consider this. Ever. I know what a family cloth is but had never heard of Mama Cloth and now I am dry heaving at my desk. Absolutely not. No.

  17. snowjewelz

    wonderful kiwi / 23653 posts

    We're not cloth diapering either, so it'd be pretty rough to transition to life without TP... I'd totally consider using more environmental friendly TP though, even if it's not as soft, etc.

  18. pui

    bananas / 9899 posts

    I don't think I'll be getting rid of toilet paper, but since I delivered DD, I've been using my diaper sprayer (like a small shower head attached to my toilet meant for rinsing off cloth diapers) for personal hygiene occasionally. It works better than the squeeze bottle the hospital sent me home with. That might be a good solution for anyone looking to cut back on toilet paper use that is cheaper/easier than getting a bidet.

  19. BadgerMom

    persimmon / 1385 posts

    @.twist.: Bahahaha, I had the same thought as your husband.

    When we bought our house it already had a diaper sprayer attached to the toilet, and in a particular moment of brilliance *sarcasm* I noticed it could reach the tub so I decided to try and wash my hair... FREAKING ICE COLD! No way I want that spraying my nether regions!!!

  20. pui

    bananas / 9899 posts

    @BadgerMom: *shrugs* It's cold but I guess it doesn't bother me lol. Maybe it's my Canadian blood.

  21. .twist.

    pineapple / 12802 posts

    @MrsTiz: soooo I had to google that.... are those.... what I think they are? omg.

    @BadgerMom: hahahaha! OMG! freeeezing. lol! Yea... no thanks!

  22. .twist.

    pineapple / 12802 posts

    @pui: haha I am all kinds of Canadian, but.... no. just no.

  23. pui

    bananas / 9899 posts

    @.twist.: Hm, maybe the "cold" water isn't that bad here...? I really don't find it that cold. Then again, I haven't tried this in winter yet lol.

  24. .twist.

    pineapple / 12802 posts

    @pui: It's probably more along the lines of: I am a big wimp.

  25. loki

    pear / 1787 posts

    i pitched this idea to DH last night... he was incredulous haha. i was just joking though because i could NEVER live without tp. maybe someone can explain the logistics of the bidet? i just don't think it would sufficiently clean? like after getting wet, wouldn't you still need to wipe??? also, wouldn't you end up doing WAY MORE laundry loads if you're using cloth... meaning you're using more water anyways??? it's a noble idea but it is never taking place in our household.

  26. BadgerMom

    persimmon / 1385 posts

    @pui: I'm with twist. I'm a total wimp when it comes to cold water!

  27. MrsTiz

    cantaloupe / 6800 posts

    @.twist.: if you think they're reusable period pads, then yes..yes they are. Soo can't get on board with that

  28. avivoca

    watermelon / 14467 posts

    @loki: I cloth diaper and it's really not that much more laundry than I was already doing.

    I have a set of cloth mama pads sitting on my nightstand, I just haven't been able to bring myself to use them. My understanding is that you could throw them in with your cloth diapers (if you use them). Maybe I'll try them with my next period. Or I could just use the pads/tampons I'm accustomed to and think about getting a Diva Cup or something.

  29. Anagram

    eggplant / 11716 posts

    You can get bidets that use warm water (if you have it hooked up to hot water). I really want one of the Toto washlets--it's a seat/lid/bidet thing you add to an existing toilet. It has warm or cold water/it spray in different areas and different strengths depending on where you want it (like it has front spray, back spray or spraying both at one), and it dries you too. And heats the seat if you want it! And lifts the lid on command so you don't have to touch the seat.

    So clean!

    To those that have never used a bidet---I think you get very clean, generally speaking. I had one the summer I lived in Argentina--but most people that use bidets also use paper, just less.

    And...not to be gross.....but if you've ever wiped "clean", but then the next time you wipes still found some leftover..aheam.."debris", then you know TP isn't really that great, as far as cleaning up goes.

    I mean, I wouldn't touch poop with my hands and then just rub my hands with tp and call it clean, you know?

    But my arguments are all just because I think Japanese toilets are awesome, not because I'm super green. Like, I would still never use cloth wipes that I'd have to scrape later.

  30. alohaorchid

    persimmon / 1404 posts

    Cold. Dead. Hands.

  31. Chastenet

    kiwi / 614 posts

    I'm pretty surprised by the overwhelmingly negative reaction to this suggestion...I guess I don't see what the big deal is?

    Using cloth to wipe is not that different from using a piece of paper. It certainly provides as much of a barrier between poo and hand. Yes, you would have to clean them, but I imagine it would work like cloth diapering. You could have a pail for the cloth wipes next to your toilet, when it's full, you dump it into the washing machine and wash on high temp. I don't know what this business is about having to scrape cloth wipes? I have cloth diapered for 2+ years now and never scraped a wipe (or a diaper for that matter, I have a diaper sprayer that is actually a bidet sprayer I found on amazon).

    I guess my point is - yes poop is gross, but cleaning it with paper is really just as gross as cleaning it with cloth. It's not really more hygienic to use paper as opposed to a bidet to clean with water and then a cloth wipe to dry. I think the disgust displayed here is really more cultural - that's what people are used to so that's the only conceivable option...But in reality tp is not the norm in many, many places around the world.

  32. sarac

    pomelo / 5093 posts

    I would LOVE to have a bidet, and cloth just to dry off. LOVE.

  33. .twist.

    pineapple / 12802 posts

    @Chastenet: I don't think it's the "action" that is grossing people out. It's having to do a load of poop cloths. This is one of those things that may be great for you and not great for someone else. There is nothing wrong with that. The biggest thing here is people want to minimize their carbon footprint. Personally, I do that in many, many ways. But I am NOT willing to do a bunch of poop cloths (mine, DH's or any of my kids). To each their own, they say.

  34. mediagirl

    hostess / wonderful persimmon / 25556 posts

    This thread has me dying at work. Thank you for the laugh. Hahaha.

    Cold.Dead.Hands.. Skid marks are bad enough to launder.

  35. loki

    pear / 1787 posts

    @Chastenet: i think for me the offputting part is putting it in with my regular laundry or having all that in my washing machine. also i never use hot water to wash but i guess i'd have to for it to be sanitary. and like a pp mentioned, i feel like the stains just never go away. and my husband would probably have to use like 10 large towels haha. you're right, it's definitely cultural. for some of us, we just can't imagine it any other way! but i'm sure lots of people all over the world can't imagine using tp either!

  36. Lindsay05

    pomegranate / 3759 posts

    @Chastenet: I cloth diaper and I hate the poop part. And that is why we eventually potty train. For me, I cannot understand how not using toilet paper is anyway better than using a cloth wipe, environmentally speaking. I can see using a bidet better, but even then, i'm not sure about having a wet bum being a healthy situation. But that's just me!

    ETA: OP I am not judging your choices. I respect the idea this is just my own personal thought!

  37. jedeve

    pomegranate / 3643 posts

    Nope. Altough it does sound more comfortable than the single ply super jumbo pack of sandpaper mg husband bought.

    I have a bladder disorder and pee a lot so it just wouldn't work for me.

    I do use washable pads though. It's not gross at all. I use the party in my pants ones. They can be a little bunchy and I would imagine others are more comfortable. But they are super absorbent and not gross to wash at all. I just toss them in with my laundry. No soaking needed.

  38. avivoca

    watermelon / 14467 posts

    @jedeve: Thanks for sharing your washable pads experience! I tried one of mine once (it's a pantyliner thickness) and it's definitely bunchy. I'll have to try it again on a lighter day to see how I fare.

  39. blackbird

    wonderful grape / 20453 posts

    I would be cool with a bidet. I don't 100% understand how it works but it sounds appealing to me. I have seen them in fancy hotels but never used one! I actually buy those wet wipes to use on myself because i find toilet paper irritating after #2, esp with hemrroids. I like to be super super clean. With cloth wipes, my issue would be like the diaper pail. A little poop residue over time adds up to a big smell on cloth diapers. And adult poop smells a lot worse than toddler poop, IMO.

    I really can't with the mama cloth, though. My period grosses me out so bad. I want tampons. It's just so damn heavy with my endo.

  40. Arden

    honeydew / 7589 posts

    I guess one of the reasons this doesn't bother me is because I'm used to not being able to flush toilet paper. In a lot of the world, the plumbing can't handle paper so you throw toilet paper into a trash can in the bathroom or use a bidet. I lived in those kind of countries for all my teenage years.

    I don't think it's all that big of a deal to use a bidet, and yes, they get you quite clean. Cleaner than TP.

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