Reusable Toilet Paper!
@Masihi (4413)
Canada
January 23, 2019 1:22pm CST
Okay, I've been wanting to share this frugal tip for a few months but decided to keep it to myself because some people on my Facebook are very judgemental.
I make my own toilet paper out of cotton flannel (we call them "loo wipes" at home) same thing as reusable baby wipes.
Getting past the "Ick Factor" was really hard. It sounded like a good concept but the washing part grossed me out. But when a lady on YouTube explained that cloth dispersing has been around for thousands of years and when you stop to think of it, it's basically dealing with the same thing.
That made me think.
So I cut up some flannel and set them into 2 containers - one for the baby wipes container and one for the bathroom. Then I fill a third container with vinegar and water. Each time one of us gobtobtge loo we rinse outbtge cloth and set it into the vinegar/water solution. Every 3-3 days I rinse out the cloths that were soaking then put them into an old coffee can, add soap and hot boiling water, and agitate them with a wooden stick. When the water cools down low enough to touch I'll finish washing and rinsing by hand put them into my spin dryer, hang up to dry.
8 people like this
8 responses
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
23 Jan 19
Etsy has sellers that sell those types of things, reuseable paper towels as well. I've thought abou getting some cheap fabric and doing the same. However, it would only be me that would use these. I guess that would make my "ick" factor less because it would just be my own bodily fluids and secretions that I'd have to deal with.
I have two other people living here but I know they would probably not go for it and since I do all the laundry? I wouldn't want to think about having to wash anyone else's "loo wipes"
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
23 Jan 19
@Masihi Oh, they are family.. Even so..
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
24 Jan 19
@sharon6345 I've seen that before. I was looking on etsy again and I think I might end up buying some from etsy instead of making my own. I'm not sure.
@GardenGerty (166207)
• United States
26 Jan 19
My children were born just at the beginning of the baby wipe age. I never used them. I did like my mom and used one color rag or type of rag (had some flannels I made) for the bottom only. Soaked them in the diaper pail with the cloth diapers. Washed those together. If you use peroxide on these or cloth menstrual pads it dissolves the bodily fluids. Peroxide is great for blood stains and fruit juice stains, etc.
1 person likes this
@Masihi (4413)
• Canada
26 Jan 19
Ooooo nice tips!
Unfortunately I'm using PUL fabric in my menstrual pads so I can't use anything but mild soap and water and my daughter and I have heavy flow so that special fabric is important. I'll make normal ones without the PUL fabric and will use peroxide for those. A wee extra work but that's okay :)
@jstory07 (146264)
• Roseburg, Oregon
20 Mar 19
I will not be doing that. I buy toilet paper by the case. If I had a baby a baby wipe that you can reuse would be good..
@Masihi (4413)
• Canada
29 Jan 19
Oh, it is, for sure. I'm currently the only one who uses the loo wipes but I really want to convert my family. I think their issue is rinsing out the wipes after they have a poop more than anything. I rinse mine out when I have a poop or on my monthly cycle. They don't like the extra work lol
1 person likes this
@Fleura (33011)
• United Kingdom
14 Mar 19
Come to think of it, my mother never used toilet paper (she had been told it was bad for you because of all the dyes etc used to make the colours, back when that was fashionable) so instead she always used a flannel/wash cloth, then she just rinsed it and kept it hanging in the bathroom. I never really gave it a second thought until now.
