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.
This is so awesome! I was skeptical when I read the title, but it makes great sense! For my babies, 15+ years ago, I never used the wipes, rather paper towels and good ol’ water to wash their sensitive little bums. Makes sense to take it a step further! I’m loving this idea, thanks for the post!
Okay, so when I first saw the pin for this I was thinking, wow how crazy, who would really give up tp!?! But now after reading this post, and all the helpful comments, I think my family will be giving this a go! Thank you so much for sharing.
Good luck! You’ll love it! :)
How much vinegar do you put in the water and how do you then wash them? How many cloths do you have and how often do you find you need to do a load?
I just wash them once every 8 days on the hottest cycle on my washer.
I cloth diapered my daughter and had tons and tons of cloth wipes so once she was potty trained I just kept using the cloth wipes rather than paper TP. It just made sense to me. I even use them for myself occasionally, and really liked it, but for some reason I got away from it for myself. I need to get back to it.
Oh and I have made some kitchen cloths (paper towel replacements) out of that super cute birdy fabric. It’s adorable.
On a different note, you mentioned cloth pads. Did you make your own?
Do you think organic bamboo flannel would work as well or would you recommend sticking with cotton?
Bamboo would be awesome. :)
My hubby and I have been tossing the idea around for over a year. I finally got fed up with always buying TP and someone yelling, “We’re out of toilet paper!” when the kids didn’t tell me they put the last roll in their bathroom and the stock was empty! So the other day I asked my 8 and 4 year olds if they would use cloth toilet paper and it was an enthusiastic YES! They are so used to cloth diapers, mama cloth, unpaper towels, and reusable baggies that cloth toilet paper was a logical next step!
I have a ton of flannel that needs a use. I’m going to give this a try (hubby just shakes his head). Question though what size squares do you like?
Teresa I saw you didn’t get an answer to your question about what size squares – the squares that I made out of scrap material (just to give FC a try…..) were roughly 5×5 or 6×6…..
I don’t know why I didn’t think of this. I have been having pain, as well, and this might just be the solution. Thank you! Seeing the numbers, in gallons, also helps “sell me” on this point. I always wondered which is better, washing them over and over, or the energy used to make paper. I guess washing them is better!
I’ve tried my own version of this (only w/#1…sorry to get more graphic than I’d like!!!) but couldn’t keep up with the washing. I will have to continue trying. Plus I’m running out of tp! Good time to start again!
oh yeah and a bidet would be handy but not all bathrooms are set up to accomadate that would definitely take care of TP problem!!:)
A washlet can be put into most any western bathroom. The only difficulty is finding a power outlet to plug it in. Washlets use a junctions valve to split off of the main water line coming into the tank of your toilet. This means there is no plumbing work needed.
You can get a portable bidet from amazon. My husband is from Egypt and he doesn’t do TP (unless outside of the house) only the bidet. Personally, I still ‘dry’ after using the bidet but that is personal preference. We bought our bidets (yes one for each bathroom) on amazon. They work wonderfully and so simple to set up. We bought the Astor bidet. I might just have to switch to FC and save the TP for guests. Never thought about it before but it makes sense.