OK… I kept hearing Colin’s experiment referred to as “the year without toilet paper” but everybody got very vague about exactly how that was accomplished. So for “no impact week” I did some research and decided to give it a go. So here are the details… hope nobody finds this gross, but somebody has to provide the details!
Here’s my method. I cut up an old T-shirt into wipe-sized portions and use them instead of TP. I tried it for both number one and number two, but decided that number two was a little too gross for me. I read on-line about one woman who used this method and then just washed them with her load of diapers. Since I am sans baby, that wasn’t an option for me. She had a small diaper pale with a lid by the potty and they just threw the wipes into that.
Well… I tried that for a bit, but since I generally only do about one load of laundry every 3-4 weeks, I decided it was gonna get really gross. I also figured I’d need a ridiculous number of wipes! So instead I just have a small bucket between the toilet and sink (actually it’s an old yogurt tub) and I collect soapy grey water from hand washing etc. After the wipe is used I just toss it into the bucket of water and let it soak. Then I wash them by hand once a day (takes about 5 minutes). I hang them to dry on an old plastic 5-rung hanger. If it’s sunny I hang it outside in the sun, otherwise it just dries in the bathroom.
At first I thought it would be totally disgusting, but it really wasn’t. It’s actually more comfortable to wipe with cloth than with paper. For number one, it’s really only a few drops that get wiped anyhow… so it’s really not any more disgusting than washing your underwear by hand.
So I think I’m gonna keep it up… I can already tell that I’ll save a bunch of money on TP!
This post was submitted by Rebecca.
is n’t it unnecessary to wipe and then wash the wipes!!you anyway touch what you think is ‘gross’,and also waste a lot of water and time!and keeping the wipes in a pail is unhygienic to put it mildly!
in india we just take a mug of water and wash directly into the toilet. then wash the hands!you can use a glove if you want till you get used to the idea!
Comment by preeta rao — November 3, 2009 @ 8:05 pm
Interesting… so no wipes at all? Do you use this method for both pee and poo? What do you use to dry youself with after this little wash? Just a regular towel?
Comment by Rebecca — November 4, 2009 @ 3:34 pm
Hi. I haven’t gone toilet paperless in my US life but I can answer some questions about how they do it in other countries. I lived in Thailand for several years. In more modern homes/businesses, they have little sprayers on hoses next to every toilet, exactly like the sprayers we Americans have at our kitchen sinks. (Too bad no one here has ever thought of it. Much better than paper for cleaning.) In less modern bathrooms, there is a reservoir of water with a scoop. You scoop the water onto yourself. I never got really good at this. I think it would be necessary to really use your hand in order to clean yourself after poo, and for that reason I took toilet paper to the bathroom in those cases. However, many others make do without the paper.
Sometimes toilet paper is available for drying (or wiping if you wish), but sometimes not. So, many people just don’t dry off after using the water. Hot weather and loose clothing make this part less troublesome.
Comment by Erin — November 12, 2009 @ 10:05 pm
hey i know how to do it. In Turkey we have a sink in the closet. you can wash and clean yourself and than you need a piece of rag for dry. and you have to wash your hand of course By this way you can save all the toilet papers
(just mail me for photo of my toilet)
Comment by ekin — November 16, 2009 @ 6:12 am
I must say, I’m finding this conversation fascinating to say the least. I’m sort of thinking that this washing option would work better in warmer climates. It’s such a struggle to stay warm this time of year, I can’t imagine getting up the guts to wash my privates with ice cold water (hands yes — privates no), and I’d have to run several gallons to get it warm. I think I’d end up using far more water than it takes to wash my little wipes each morning.
I may give the washing thing a go next summer, but for the moment I’m very happy with my system. I’ve even taken to tossing my underwear and socks into the soapy tub when I do the daily wash, thus cutting back even further on my standard laundry.
Comment by Rebecca — November 17, 2009 @ 5:15 pm