In our attempts to live lightly off the land we have made another big change. I want to preface this by saying that it was my wife’s idea. She is the one that made the suggestion. So since we were out of toilet paper my wife suggested that we do without. Imagine the trees that could be saved by not flushing the paper down the toilet.
I have heard of others going without toilet paper, it’s really not a new thing, we’re just copying others. Frankly I don’t think it’s that big of a deal. Sure you get the shock affect when you say that you don’t have toilet paper, but I’m really enjoying this new system and I don’t think it’s weird or gross.
I should also note that I am a toilet paper connoisseur. I grew up camping and I loved finding new things to use as toilet paper. For example, there are some big, soft leaved plants in the Pacific Northwest that put Charmin to shame. Pine cones on the other hand were a bad idea. In fact I don’t know why I ever thought that would even be a good enough idea to try. Snow was really one of my favorite TP substitutes. It’s cold, refreshing, slightly abrasive and cleansing. The only problem is that it melts. You have to start with a lot of snow because it melts quickly and you could end up quite vulnerable. Oh, and it's cold. Besides that, if your snow is too powdery, you're doomed and if the snow is too icy, you are also doomed.
So the alternative to toilet paper is a wash cloth that you get a little damp. It’s cool (unless the water has warmed up), refreshing, and it cleans well. Sure you have to do the laundry, but it’s no different than the cloth diapers we wash (maybe I should note that my wife generally does the laundry). The water makes it cleansing and it works great.
Does it make a difference? On the one hand, it’s not a lot of TP that we’re saving, but at the same time we are one family that doesn’t use any. It’s the little things that make a difference.
5 comments:
Wow, I must admit my initial reaction was "Yucky". But, now that I've given it a little thought, I supppose it's not technically any grosser than dealing with the diapers. I suppose there's a pail somewhere close to the toilet for the diapers and cloths to go into, then? If you're already using cloth diapers, it's really not much of a stretch. Now if I could just get my patients to go for my revolutionary glove reuse program . . . :-)
Well...I have to say that I think you should try it with those infant washcloths. They are softer than regular ones.
When I was nine my parents had my brother. THey used cloth diapers, and we always used a washcloth to change his stinky diapers. We just threw them in with the diapers to be washed. I am not sure what my parents did when we were travelling...I only changed his diapers at home. I just know that wipes were not a fixture at our house in any way.
Having an Irritable Bowel Disease, it ain't happening here! But good luck to you; a worthy accomplishment.
Wow. You guys come up with all sorts of interesting ideas! I must admit, I do like the idea of moist cloths to wipe my booty from time to time, but I would really be embarresed if I had to use more than one wash cloth during one sitting. If I ever visit again, promise me you will have a whole stack, and a good place to hide them when I am done.
oh wow! I came to this site via fatcyclist to learn what you had to say about nutrition, and I'm really grossed out! Maybe you should separate your professional & family blogs! I'm sure that those who you plan to work with/for in the future would appreciate it!
Anne
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