We finally decided to ditch regular toilet paper and switch to homemade TP, otherwise known as “family cloth.” (And we’re telling the whole internet!)
My husband and I moved away from toilet paper for a number of reasons:
(1) It’s dry.
(2) The chemicals it’s processed in are bad for those sensitive areas.
(3) It leaves particles. (Gross.)
Also, did you know that it takes 37 gallons of water, 1.3 kilowatt/hours (KWh) of electricity and some 1.5 pounds of wood to make a SINGLE roll of toilet paper? [1] Not to mention all the energy it takes to process it from our sewer system.
Chemical-laden baby wipes are no good either. They have things like methylisothiazolinone in them, which I can’t pronounce. As a general rule, if I can’t pronounce it (or eat it), then I don’t put it in or on my body.
For years now, I’ve been getting really thin tears “down there” that feel like paper cuts. I’ve now learned that these are called vaginal fissures and can be caused by certain soaps, artificial fragrances, tampons, scented or colored panty liners, and paper toilet paper. When I got married, these vaginal fissures became even more of a problem, as they made intercourse very painful.
Think about how MUCH bleached, processed plant material we put in that area! Tampons. Disposable pads. Toilet paper. It’s all highly processed and full of chemicals, and we put it RIGHT THERE all up in our most sensitive bits!
The solution? Eating a balanced diet (check!) and cloth toilet paper. (I also gave up tampons to use a Mooncup instead, but that’s a different post!)
Okay okay. So is giving up TP taking it too far? Maybe for some of you who are less sensitive than me, it seems absolutely nuts. But guess what?
After we switched to family cloth and cloth pads, MY PAPER-CUT TEARS DISAPPEARED.
For me, it’s life-changing. Living with those tears was terribly painful, and it made fun married-people stuff really hard. I’ve had zero tears since we switched. ZERO. Not even one. And to be honest ladies, I really feel like I’m pampering myself! It’s like when you go to a spa or fancy hotel and they don’t have paper towels, they have fluffy white washcloths that you throw in a woven basket. You know, THOSE? It’s like that, 3-5 times a day. :)
How to make family cloth
First, get some organic flannel patterns that you just adore. (I am seriously in love with these little birds!) Then, I suggest you get a cute little fabric bin to put the finished squares in. Simply cut, double layer, and sew into squares. Then you’re done!
Some of you might be thinking that this is going a little too far or that this is gross, but it makes so much sense to me. For you cloth diaper users, this may not be too much of a stretch. And if you’re really concerned about bacteria, instead of throwing the used cloths into a dry bin, you can throw them into a vinegar and water solution, and perhaps add a little tea tree oil, as well. Voilà!
Many people around the world prefer to rinse first, using bidets, some sort of water bottle or vessel, or even spray bottles. We use this bidet from Amazon, and we love it. It leaves us feeling so clean that the cloth is more just to dry than anything. We only ever need to use one square at a time; and overall, it seems much more hygienic than regular paper toilet paper, which sometimes doesn’t get everything and can leave paper particles. (Ew.)
Also, if you’re wondering if they smell. They don’t. At least ours don’t. Using water and cloth is so much cleaner than paper….I can’t even describe it to you non-water/cloth using folks. Pooping shouldn’t be that messy. If you’re having that much stink and mess…well…I think maybe you might want to evaluate more than just what you’re wiping with.
For me, family cloth has made my bathroom time just *that* much more luxurious, AND it’s helped to heal my body. Go on! Try it! ;)
Also, if you’re wondering about the squatty potty, you can learn more HERE.
So! we’re doing it! We cloth diaper (most of the time, we EC too!) and after seeing how much nicer it is to use cloth wipes and diapers, I don’t want to throw anything away anymore!! I’m going to switch to family cloth and cloth sanitary napkins, but my big question is this… Do you still keep toilet paper in your house for guests? Or just have them hang with the Fam Cloth?!
Thanks for this post, you’re doing the good stuff!!
Hello
Not sure if but it seems you forgot to mention where to place the used toilet cloths AND how to clean them for reuse…
Please reply directly to my email address…
This really makes me miss my cloth wipes! They were serged-edge wipees that I made when my kids were born… and just kept on hand in the bathroom ever since (like, 8 years). The older kids always just thought they were for the little ones; nobody ever guessed I was using them myself. We moved over the summer and these are in our shipment… which is somewhere in a boat over the Atlantic, leaving me with inferior paper in the meantime.
I’m not surprised your fissures and irritation went away: after switching to cloth handkerchiefs, I realized that the red nose which happened every time I got a cold was caused by tissues, NOT the cold itself. Everybody looks at me like I’m nuts when I say it, but these days, only the very worst colds leave me with a red nose.
What is a bidet? Are those the little water fountains I see in some bathrooms?
Bidets originated in France used by the wealthy. Today they are used by the upper class. My brother and sister-in-law lived in a 9000 square foot house. The master bath had a regular toilet and a bidet next to it.
Hahaha :)
“Bidets – Today they are used by the upper class.” Sorry, I had to laugh. How cultures are different…
Where I come from (Slovenia), bidet is a very normal thing. No, not all of the bathrooms have one, but far from being just for upper class.
But we used it to wash our behinds and feet. Not after a toilette use.
Wishing you a nice day from Slovenia.
Me too, and I live in U.A.E
I’m curious. My family and I are starting to use family cloth We’ve been using cloth pads for some time. I was always concerned about the dyes in the pattern fabrics. We’d like to each have our own so as to not share like we wouldn’t our panties. With our cloth pads we each have our own and just wash them with our normal laundry. We have separate laundry days. I don’t want my family using dye on there sensitive bits..any suggestions other than just plain white?
My first thought was to use colored thread on the edges; each person picks their own color then there is no confusion and you remain dye free. If your machine has the fancy edge stitches they may also choose their own edging stitch as well. Or to keep things really color free only use a fancy stitch in white; each person chooses their own custom edging to identify their own clothes with.
Thats a good idea. I was also thinking maybe if I made one side plain white and one with a pattern of their choosing that would solve our little problem. Of course we would only wipe with the white side. Concerns or Criticisms?
These solutions sound great – my first thought was just use different shapes, squares, circles, rectangles triangles etc.
Where I live, it’s just culturally unacceptable to leave the toilet without thoroughly rinsing first. So our tp is not for wiping residue; it’s for wiping water off your CLEAN skin and keeping your sensitive bits dry before putting underwear and clothes back on. Because of this we feel much more free to have reusable, washable cloths. They don’t smell. They’re no dirtier than a used bath towel. Think about it — if you fell facedown into a puddle of mud you wouldn’t just scrape it off with a tissue, would you? No. You’d get in the shower and wash it off with soap and water, then dry off with a towel. Same principle.
My Spanish isn’t the best but I think one of the first comments up there mentioned a spray attachment installed beside the toilet. It’s also called a handheld bidet. If you teach your family not to be wasteful with the amount of water used, this is the easiest way to get yourself clean before reaching for the cloth/tp. And, of course, good hygiene must include washing your hands properly afterwards.
Install a bidet and wash with water and soap or personal cleanser and dry with cloth.
En mis apartamentos de turismo rural, cuando hice los baños, tuve la sensatez de hacer la instalación convencional y además instalé una toma adicional, al alcance de la mano, de una ducha espray. De esta forma uno puede optar por limpiarse con papel o con agua. La idea me vino de la instalación que tenían en el Asram de Osho en Poona, India. Tenían instalado un coil abajo y dentro de la taza, de modo que cuando abrias el grifo, salía un chorrito de agua,con bastante presión y tu solo tenías que adecuar tu trasero, para que el chorro se dirigiera al punto preciso. De esta forma ni siquiera habia que utilizar las manos, el agua hacía todo el trabajo. Solo era necesario secarse.
Sorry, but my english is too short
Hi Courtney and Frank-Bravo for you-Man o man are you folks doing so many things right not only for yourselves, yet for the planet. I wish you lived closer to me. I would be giving you =vegetables from my garden!
Hey, they sell bidets for like 89.00 that do not use any “wipe” products at all, and are completely sanitary and a delight to use….
Just saying..
I admire everything about you and your wonderful, beautiful family!
Thank you for sharing the love…
Peace,
DocDA
Absolutely disgusting. Maybe you need to learn how to wipe properly if you get these “tears” so often. No one I have ever known has had that issue.
Then I’m guessing you are quite young & don’t know many women with “sensitive skin”. The chemicals, as explained in the article, weaken the skin tissue which causes it to break down easily. I find your comment to be insensitive towards the hostess who took the time to share her personal information. This is a judgment free zone; openness, caring and sharing is what takes place here – please act accordingly.
Nowhere on the internet is a safe place. The internet is the Wild West. If someone is going to put an idea or practice out in public, they should expect comments, and not all of those comments will be kind and gentle.
Using and reusing poop cloth is a disgusting unsanitary practice and should be called out as such.
Really? Wiping with a cloth is dirty and should be called out as such?
Then I suppose if you ever have, or have had, children, you never put them in diapers? Because if wiping with a cloth is dirty, putting children in something that keeps the poop against their skin is REALLY dirty, hmm?
Seriously, we need to learn to deal with our bodies as they ARE, not as the companies – that make billions off of selling us cleaning products – want us to think they are.
The dirtier companies make you feel, the more you will buy their products to avoid smelling like a person, being hairy like a person, having oil like a person, or having to deal with any of the realities of being a person, like poop, vomit, and all sorts of fun substances.
But right now, more and more people are finding out that these cleaning, shaving, oil-stripping products that we are using can actually be bad for our health sometimes. Learning to accept that and do something good for your own body isn’t gross; it’s smart.
THANK YOU SHAUNAMOM!
Well said Shaunamom!!! Wiping with cloth or even water & your hand (washing it afterward of course) is MUCH cleaner and more sanitary than dry tp. If you actually try it, you would find you feel cleaner than you would imagine & it’s not nearly as messy as you would think.
James & Benedict & anyone else who thinks it’s disgusting, expose yourself to other cultures instead of just commercialized wasteful planet/environment/human unfriendly ones. There are some countries where you would have no choice because they don’t have tp. When in that situation, you would discover what clean really feels like and change your tune.
Wow, and here I thought that using bleached single-use paper products manufactured using dirty practices in third world countries and then dumping them into our watersheds was disgusting! Silly me!
You are a Man and may never have Experienced it but Many Women have. This is not Disgusting. What is Disgusting is all the Trees that are being Cut Down and all the Water and Electricity being used to make TP. We are Harming our Planet. We need to make serious changes so that Our Grandchildren’s Children will still have a Beautiful Planet to Live. Going Green is the only Option. To many things for the Convenience end up in Landfills and The Oceans, Lakes and Streams. I Love that we can Recycle many things for different uses. I believe in doing things the old ways to use less Water and Electricity. I believe in the Tiny House movement so there is less Footprints being made. If you look at a Normal size Home many of the Rooms are being wasted only used for Furniture and maybe Special Holidays. I believe in living Off the Grid with Solar, Wind for Electric, Water from Rain Water Collected. Compost Toilets and Yes these Wonderful Family Cloths. Cooking on a Rocket Stove or an Induction Single Burner. Growing and Raising our own Food. Composting with Red Worms. which is a Separate Compost then Humanure which is made from the Composting Toilet. I believe in Canning our Foods we grow. Making our Own Soaps and Cleaners using refillable containers. What ever we can do to use less Waste and our Precious Resources. So have yourself a Good Day Sir but PLEASE think before you Post.