A certain impoverished lady I know can frequently be heard repeating the refrain “Toilet paper isn’t a luxury”. I have to bite my tongue every time I hear her say that, because, frankly, toilet paper is a luxury. So, if you’re usually someone spending your monthly wage on expenses like this, then family cloth might just be the perfect alternative for you to help cut down on life’s extraneous expenses.
It may be one that you have absolutely no intention of giving up at any point in your life, and that’s absolutely fine, because we all have our luxuries. I just feel that the truth should get out there- that there is a great alternative to buying Charmin month after month- reusable toilet paper, also known as family cloth.
I started off using family cloth when I had forgotten to restock on toilet paper during my usual shopping trip and didn’t want to make another trip just for that purpose, so I was determined to make what little toilet paper we had left last as long as possible. Well, it is now nearly half a year later and since then, I’ve only bought two packages of toilet paper.
What started off as a trial run became something so great that I actually miss my family cloth when I use the bathroom while out.
Why Cloth Toilet Paper is Best
It’s free. I cut up worn out and ripped flannel sheets to make our family cloth.
Never run out. Just wash them whenever you wash your cloth diapers. If you find your supply is too small to last, just cut up some more old material. No more getting stuck in the bathroom with no toilet paper.
No lugging home large toilet paper packages. For like myself someone without a car, this is especially beneficial.
It’s soft. Flannel is much softer on your skin than toilet paper. Only the most expensive toilet paper comes anywhere near the softness of family cloth.
It doesn’t rip. Toilet paper can rip while using if it gets wet. That never happens with family cloth.
It’s versatile. Use wet or dry, as family cloth or wipes for your baby’s bum. So many more options than toilet paper.
It gets you cleaner, simply because it can be used wet.
It’s cute. Half our family cloth was made from an old children’s sheet, so our family cloth has all sorts of cute designs. Lee especially likes this. He gets the choice between toilet paper and family cloth and asks for the family cloth every time.
It’s green. Absolutely no harm to the environment because of our family cloth. No trees are cut to wipe our bums. I don’t even do any extra loads of laundry because of it; family cloth gets washed with my cloth diapers.
No clogging toilets. Because these are getting washed instead of flushed, no worries about too much getting flushed and needing to call a plumber.
Can you see why I like family cloth?
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Our Family Cloth Method
We made an old “tissue box” out of a recycled container and cut a hole in the top. I fold the cloths like tissues so that one automatically comes up after you pull out one.
I made a sew free cover for the “tissue box”. (I will share instructions for both in a future post. This tissue box can also be used for cloth hankies, as an alternative to tissues.)
This box sits on the toilet or nearby for use as needed. Used family cloth goes in a little garbage can next to the toilet. Dump the little garbage can straight into the washing machine before loading it up with cloth diapers.
No, it doesn’t smell.
No, I am never touching poo.
No, there is no extra work involved.
Yes, we keep toilet paper in stock for whoever wants to use it, but we vastly prefer the family cloth for our own use.
No, it’s not any grosser than using disposable wipes, because those anyhow will be hanging out in a garbage can in your bathroom because they should not be going in the toilet- they’ll clog your septic systems.
Yes, I have little bits of poo sitting around for 2 days at most, but anyone with kids in diapers (especially cloth diaoers) or who uses disposable wipes has poo sitting around for a bit anyhow. Adult poo is no different than kid’s poo anyhow- its just how we associate it in our mind.
No, if I washed my laundry by hand I would not be using family cloth.
Yes, it is perfectly sanitary. The family cloth is going through a long hot cycle on my washing machine, then getting sun bleached.
I’m not a martyr for doing this; I am not trying to pull anyone’s leg by saying that even if I had lots of money, I’d still be using family cloth. Once you switch, you can’t go back to vastly inferior toilet paper.
If the idea of family cloth grosses you out, consider using it just for pee, or using a bidet to clean off prior to wiping.
No, toilet paper is definitely not a need. And for me, its not even on the list of “wants”.
What are your thoughts on family cloth? Great idea or gross? Do you know anyone who uses family cloth? Would you ever consider it for your family? Why or why not?
Part of Make it From Scratch.
Hi, you might be interested to learn that in some eastern cultures, for religious and hygiene purposes, they would use a little bucket that resembles a watering can for the garden, without the spout. The left hand is used to wipe poo and pee, and the right hand holds the jug to pour in water. A cup or water bottle may also be used. This eliminates any need for toilet paper whatsoever. And of course wash hands thoroughly afterwards. That's why eating is done with the right hand only. 🙂
I have started doing this. My children are out of diapers now, but when I was cloth diapering, I sprayed off the diapers with a sprayer before washing. That sprayer is still in my bathroom and is now getting a 2nd life as a bidet.
Bidets are cheap and easy to install and make family cloth super easy to use. Just wash off well and use the cloth to dry with.
Love this idea, just not sure its actually better for the environment – all the extra water and detergent…
I did the calculations, you can check it above. For our 3 person household with a 11kg washer (sorry, European units), we'd probably have 1-2 loads a month. Dry paper is actually really bad at cleaning, so you use way more paper than you do wet/ damp cloth. (Washing is actually best, but no one really wants to hear that in western cultures, as demonstrated above.) We wash with standard store bought detergent containing enough oxygen bleach that the laundry is mostly sanitized at 60°C. This is the same routine we use for similar laundry like cloth diapers, cotton underwear or cleaning rags. No dryer. The cost including detergent is about $10-20 a year. Paper (the cheap recycled kind) costs about $50-75 a year.
You could possibly start realistically comparing water/ electricity/ chemicals usage if people were buying new cotton wipes, compared to recycled TP (didn't calculate), as cotton production is incredibly high in water usage, and recycled paper uses fewer resources. As it is, sorry, nope 😉
This isn't thought through in either of your two points.
First, as Squishers says, you're not washing 3 loads a week of toilet wipes only. You wash them with the rest of your laundry, so if calculated correctly, they maybe make up 1 load every 2 weeks in our washer at the very most, one per month more probably (we use cloth wipes for diapering out kid, and they. are. *tiny*). So using the – btw excellent – calculator, you're looking at around $10-20 *a year* in extra laundry. On hot, with store bought detergent. I don't even bother line drying, I just toss them on some surface, as they dry so fast, you can practically watch them.
Second, you don't magically generate more personal funds by using toilet paper. The amount of money you have available stays the same, so if you buy TP with it, this is money you don't spend on other products of our fabulous civilization, e.g. necessary medication, food, rent, or a shiny cell phone. Don't worry, our society won't collapse from people using cloth tushy wipes. Rather, you'll see businesses jumping on that train, and produce fancy new ones with accompanying boxes.
Each roll of toilet paper takes about 37 gallons of water to produce. I wash with a bidet before using the family cloths and then wash the family cloths in with a load of other things. So it doesn't increase my laundry or detergent, since I wash it with towels or sheets. The amount of water used to wash after #2 is pretty minimal with a bidet.
I would say that 1 cup of cold water versus 37 gallons of water is a pretty big environmental improvement.
Financially, family cloth is nearly free, since we run off a well and not city water. (We don't even have to pay to fix the well, since we live in a rental house)
It's definitely a learning curve. I've found that smaller is better, but don't cut them too small because they will shrink in the wash. 8 x 8 inches is a good start. Wash them before use, because I find that brand new unwashed cloth is too slick and doesn't "pick up" well, at the risk of TMI. It gets slightly coarser in the wash, but not rough. I live by myself, so no need to worry about sharing. I wash them out in the sink in hot water after use, before washing them in the washing machine.
It's definitely a learning curve. I've found that smaller is better, but don't cut them too small because they will shrink in the wash. 8 x 8 inches is a good start. Wash them before use, because I find that brand new unwashed cloth is too slick and doesn't "pick up" well, at the risk of TMI. It gets slightly coarser in the wash, but not rough. I live by myself, so no need to worry about sharing. I wash them out in the sink in hot water after use, before washing them in the washing machine.
A bidet is definately an asset if you are considering this type of use.
A bidet is definately an asset if you are considering this type of use.
I am trying to reduce the paper towels I use. I keep a kitchen towel out for drying hands/dishes that have just been rinsed, etc….that I normally would have used paper towels for. I also keep facecloths under the sink for cleaning up spills and messes. Very few paper towels get used! A neighbor made me some knotted dish clothes and I love using them.
I am trying to reduce the paper towels I use. I keep a kitchen towel out for drying hands/dishes that have just been rinsed, etc….that I normally would have used paper towels for. I also keep facecloths under the sink for cleaning up spills and messes. Very few paper towels get used! A neighbor made me some knotted dish clothes and I love using them.
I use a peri-care bottle like ones used on maternity units in Canada. Very effective, don't even need family cloth.
I use a peri-care bottle like ones used on maternity units in Canada. Very effective, don't even need family cloth.
What a gigantic savings for the environment this would be if everyone used it.
I believe there's an Indian system of toiling that is very ecological, the left hand is used for toiling, never the right – will have to research more …. you probably already know this.
I learned how to make my own sanitary napkins 10 yrs before menopause. I tried to market them as EcoSannies but everyone I asked to take them to various Health Food stores etc managed to disappear them and I ended up simply contributing to their and the environment's gain, not my own. Too bad! I thought sharing could be helpful too!
What a gigantic savings for the environment this would be if everyone used it.
I believe there's an Indian system of toiling that is very ecological, the left hand is used for toiling, never the right – will have to research more …. you probably already know this.
I learned how to make my own sanitary napkins 10 yrs before menopause. I tried to market them as EcoSannies but everyone I asked to take them to various Health Food stores etc managed to disappear them and I ended up simply contributing to their and the environment's gain, not my own. Too bad! I thought sharing could be helpful too!
I live alone. I am researching reusable toilet paper for urine only. I prefer to use tp for no. 2. I have been using strips of napkins about an inch wide and wrap around my index finger in a cone shape. Perfectly adequate for drying. I am now doing same with J cloth and pop into pretty little pottery jug with water and a few drops of t tree oil. When I need to wash I pour all into a container with squint if soap free soap, pop on lid and shake shake shake. Rinse and squeeze dry before putting over towel rail bars. Working well but I'm going to replace with more eco friendly material. Thanks all for making me feel better about my strange practice.
I live alone. I am researching reusable toilet paper for urine only. I prefer to use tp for no. 2. I have been using strips of napkins about an inch wide and wrap around my index finger in a cone shape. Perfectly adequate for drying. I am now doing same with J cloth and pop into pretty little pottery jug with water and a few drops of t tree oil. When I need to wash I pour all into a container with squint if soap free soap, pop on lid and shake shake shake. Rinse and squeeze dry before putting over towel rail bars. Working well but I'm going to replace with more eco friendly material. Thanks all for making me feel better about my strange practice.
Use a BIDET !!!!
Years later.. still getting comments.. great post. i have been doing some reading up on this. mainly when i backpack i just have a cloth and use wet naps for #2.
thats one reason. and to try to bring some natural stuff and not being so dependent on outside sources for basic things. I sort of forgot about doing this and ran into something some might find grosser. reusable pads for women. i'm giving both a go. How has it been working for you? you still don't go back to normal TP.. have you thought of a carrying case when your out in public.
Years later.. still getting comments.. great post. i have been doing some reading up on this. mainly when i backpack i just have a cloth and use wet naps for #2.
thats one reason. and to try to bring some natural stuff and not being so dependent on outside sources for basic things. I sort of forgot about doing this and ran into something some might find grosser. reusable pads for women. i'm giving both a go. How has it been working for you? you still don't go back to normal TP.. have you thought of a carrying case when your out in public.
I've been using Family Cloth for at least 1 year. I didn't have old sheets to cut up so I cut facecloths in half. I tried using pinking shears, but they still unraveled, so I zig-zagged a hem. Since I am only 1 person, I just toss them in with the regular wash [costs $1.75/load]. I usually spray with hydrogen peroxide any debris on the cloths and I put vinegar in all my laundry. I have a small swing-top waste basket labeled: NOT TRASH to put the used ones into.
Some facecloths are too thick, some are very thin; but I will NOT go back to flushing money down the toilet. If you are a bit squeamish on the idea, think of it like this: say you are out and you pass gas. When you get home and use the toilet, you find out that it wasn't just gas. Well you're not going to toss the underwear away, are you? Nope, you'll just toss it into the laundry. Well that is Family Cloth.
Never had a smell, never had an issue "down there". WIN – WIN as far as I am concerned. Oh, I'm 71 and senior skin is thin they tell me. Also, saves a TON of money.
I've been using Family Cloth for at least 1 year. I didn't have old sheets to cut up so I cut facecloths in half. I tried using pinking shears, but they still unraveled, so I zig-zagged a hem. Since I am only 1 person, I just toss them in with the regular wash [costs $1.75/load]. I usually spray with hydrogen peroxide any debris on the cloths and I put vinegar in all my laundry. I have a small swing-top waste basket labeled: NOT TRASH to put the used ones into.
Some facecloths are too thick, some are very thin; but I will NOT go back to flushing money down the toilet. If you are a bit squeamish on the idea, think of it like this: say you are out and you pass gas. When you get home and use the toilet, you find out that it wasn't just gas. Well you're not going to toss the underwear away, are you? Nope, you'll just toss it into the laundry. Well that is Family Cloth.
Never had a smell, never had an issue "down there". WIN – WIN as far as I am concerned. Oh, I'm 71 and senior skin is thin they tell me. Also, saves a TON of money.
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