Well, Im reluctant to start off with the queen mother of hard things to change about your life if you’re trying to live more sustainably. But as I always say, IF YOU’RE NOT READY TO MAKE THIS CHANGE YET, DON’T. Do something else. So here it is, I am going to tell you how to use washable cloth toilet tissues. And hopefully you can learn from my journey.
This is a hard, one, this one gets right to the core of discomfort and pushes you into a zone you may have never wanted to go, and I will be 100% honest, if it wasn’t for the toilet paper shortages during COVID, I am not sure I would have made this change. I had looked into it before, but I just didn’t make the change yet. I don’t really know why. It seemed scary. Some people recommended putting them in like a tub of vinegar solution in the bathroom and that seemed messy and possibly disastrous with children knocking things about. So.. it waited in my brain until everyone was all in a tizzy about toilet paper and I thought to myself, this doesn’t apply to me. I can just use cloth. I don’t have to worry about it. In fact my husband thought the same thing. I will admit that having lived in Nicaragua for a couple years made the idea of putting toilet paper into a waste basket much more digestible.
So, I had a bunch of flannel on hand, and I had already been using cloth tissues for many years, so we went for it. I cut 6″x6″ squares, just like my tissues and found a box to put them in in the bathroom. I recommend using darker colors or patterns. I zigzag stitched around the edges to keep them from fraying and put them in the bathroom. I also sewed 2 cloth bags that fit into a small garbage can I got at the store specifically for this.
So heres the nitty gritty. You poop or pee, use a folded cloth wipe to wipe your bootay and deposit it dirty side down (learned that piece of etiquette in Central America) into the cloth lined basket. When its full, I pick up the cloth liner and delicately take it to the washing machine (I don’t like touching gross stuff if its not strictly necessary). Shake all the little tissues out of the bag into the machine and wash with hot water. If you like you can put Clorox in with them or hang them on the line to let the UV rays kill the bacteria (this incidentally is also the most magical solution for getting rid of poop stains.)
Now, I know you’re already thinking, “this isn’t sanitary!” “This is inconceivable!” But.. you’re wrong. As I stated before in my post about tissues, this is no less sanitary than letting under ware rub against your butt, depositing all kinds of fluids into them, washing them and then wearing them again. “BUT” you say, “other people are using them!” Well, if you don’t think Clorox is potent enough to kill germs, then don’t swim in a public pool, don’t eat off of utensils at a restaurant, and for sure don’t use cloth diapers.
I do want to go on record saying this. They don’t stink. They aren’t as offensive as I thought they might be, but I know it’s a big step. My kids used them for a while but have moved off of them. We still use them though. I keep toilet paper in the bathroom for guests who are too scared to give it a try (and.. I don’t blame them) and for the kids. Sometimes one will accidentally end up in the toilet. I do the “sturdy” thing and walk outside to fetch a small stick. I fish it out and put it into the bin then toss the stick into the fire or back outside into the sun.
I will restate this, if you are not ready for this, don’t push yourself. But do remember it and come back when you are. If I can answer any questions let me know.
