Should we try using cloth wipes instead of toilet paper?
A family featured in the preview of Extreme Cheapskates, (a follow up to the controversial Extreme Couponing), has got me thinking. This family uses cloth wipes instead of toilet paper. Why don’t I?
The mom in the show cuts up fabric scraps into little squares and there is a bucket for clean ones and a bucket for used ones. She washes them after one use and to paraphrase her, the bacteria have no chance of surviving the harsh conditions of the washing machine. Cleanliness is not an issue, folks.
WHY HAVE I NOT THOUGHT OF USING CLOTH WIPES BEFORE?
They make perfect sense. I know this because we use cloth diapers and cloth wipes for our baby. The cloth wipes are awesome. So much softer on her bum than disposable wipes. We simply dip one in water (we keep a fresh bowl on her changing table) and wipe her down. I love that she’s not exposed to any harsh cleaning agents – just water!
Plus, the cloth wipes are so affordable. We paid $29 for 20 organic cotton Charlie Banana wipes from Babies R Us, where I’ll never shop again. By comparison, our recent Amazon bill for 20 rolls of toilet paper came to $24.70. (And that is for the cheap stuff with 1,000 sheets per roll!)
Cloth wipes costs as much as a three month supply of toilet paper for two adults. Using cloth seems like an easy decision, from a financial perspective, so why don’t more people use cloth wipes? Especially us frugal minded folks?
Has the toilet paper industry convinced us that anything but expensive, disposable tissue paper is dirty? That using anything else would be embarrassing?
What, you can’t afford to wipe your a–?
We are talking about savings of $100 per year, approximately. If the wipes last three years (they may well last much longer), that is a savings of $300, minus the $29 investment. If we used cloth scraps like the Extreme Cheapskates family, we wouldn’t have to invest a penny.
My main hesitation to switching to cloth wipes is the reaction from visitors, namely my sister-in-law. Not that she uses the upstairs bathroom.
- I know cloth will be as comfortable, if not more, than paper.
- I know that washing the wipes won’t create any extra laundry because I can throw them in with whatever else I’m washing that day. Baby = almost daily laundry.
- I know that cloth is just as clean as paper because we use them on our baby daughter and they come out of the wash sparkling clean. If laundering them was not sufficient, our entire household would have gotten sick long ago.
- I know cloth will be cheaper.
Why don’t more people use cloth wipes? Should we try cloth wipes for a month as an experiment? If I do, will you join me?
Welcome to Bargain Babe! I’m Mara, and I’m so glad you’re here. I am an obsessive bargain hunter and penny pincher, and I am determined to live a full life without EVER paying full price. 
Environmentally, economically this idea seems great, but really… what kindve smell will constantly be in your bathroom? Even if things are disposed in a lidded receptacle, I personally would not want the things I let flush down the toilet, linger in my bathroom… plus cleanliness wise it does not seem sound, because you are transferring the toilet paper from the toilet and reaching somewhere a new, sorry for the imagery but what if things are so soiled they go on the floor? Honestly if I went into a home and they had a system put in place like this, it would be embarrassing for them, and Id think they were in poverty and COULDNT possibly do it another way.
There is no smell if you wash your basket daily or every other day. You assume there would be but there isn’t. Also, it’s way more comfortable than toilet paper. I am definitely not embarrassed and regret spending as much as I did my whole life on paper. So wasteful!
This is a great post, Julia. It hits the nail on the head. Toilet paper (especially the soft kind) is getting ridiculously expensive. You are right – why don’t we use cloth. I know while reading this I got images of my mom rinsing out cloth diapers and went “yuck.” But, I hate the idea of literally throwing money down the toilet. We have been sooo conditioned by advertising that it is horrible to touch body waste. But heck, we change our babies diapers and survive. Looking forward to reading the rest of the comments.
um, no….sorry. It’s not gonna happen in my house.
Now, if I lived by myself and I used the cloth ones ONLY for urinating….that would be acceptable. But, there’s NO way I want poopy smelling cloths piling up in my house for even one hour. Plus add in 3 teenage menstruating girls…..oh, no. no way.
I didn’t use cloth diapers for my kids either. I just can’t get past the thought of random poop particles swishing around in my clothes washer.
But, if it works for you…..please be my guest! I’ll be sure to bring my roll of TP when I come visit you. ha ha ha 🙂
Maybe a good way to ease into this would be to first use the wipes for the “not so messy” bathroom trips and continue to use toilet paper for the “smellier” trips. My main concern would be the smell in the bathroom.
Economically, you must also factor in the water, electricity and detergent for the laundry
just think of all the water, power, detergents,trees and all the many more ingredients used to make a roll of
TP that may last one person a few days .. millions , billions per year.. to just be flushed down the drain into our systems.. or purchase yourself a nice fluffy flannel flat sheet and cut it up into ( your choice of size ) squares, and you will get enough for about 2 weeks for oh about $5.00.. wash every couple of weeks , hang to dry and repeat, this amount should last ( well im on my second year and still good for a long time)so the cost to me .. $5.00 for cloth, lets say $3.00 bi weekly to wash includes 1/4 cup home made laundry soap, sun for drying= free.. yup i bet im spendng less than you are.. 🙂 and my bum is happier than yours too,.. no muss ,no fuss and no smell if done right..
I’ve never been impressed by the folks who say, “Water, electricity, and detergent cost money,” when I talk about cloth diapers. When I had two children in diapers, I washed at most two extra loads per week. I did NOT fill the garbage bin with expensive Pampers. The cost of washing is negligible compared to buying disposable diapers (and adding to landfills).
The cloth wipes idea could work. You don’t leave other smelly trash in the bathroom for long, do you? If you’ve used cloth diapers, you’ve dealt with an amount of wetness and bulk far beyond a little (pardon me) tinkle on a scrap of cloth.
Also, guests would still have the toilet paper roll. If you’re lucky enough to have a ‘guest’ bathroom, they would never need to know what crazy cost-cutting schemes occur elsewhere.
Let’s do it – keep toilet paper for messy things but try cloth drying.
I think that my 1 year old and three year old would end upi putting the cloth wipes into the toilet. Or I might, out of habit.
I alsothink that my baby’s cloth diapers smell like ammonia after just a day or two which leads to extra laundy most nights. I know I could wash the wipes with that diaper load, but I just don’t think I mind buying toilet paper that much th replace it with cloth wipes.
I’ve been cloth diapering for years, but I am somewhat hesistant to use cloth for the rest of the family — I guess I just haven’t researched it as much as I have with cloth diapers. As for the previous poster who mentioned her menstruating girls, I wonder if she’s aware that there are cloth pads available and that a lot of women use them? I’d like to, but don’t think it’s practical for me because I work and wouldn’t want to keep used pads in my office all day. It’s different with cloth diapers and wet bags — somehow it’s more acceptable.
If you use cloth wipes make sure that they are washed in HOT water with bleach. You don’t want E-Coli from poop being spread to other clothing. Also remember to wash your hands really well after touching the wipe.
I’ll stick with toilet paper.
I think it’s a good alternative to paper but both are crazy as far as I’m concerned. Let me ask you all one question. If a dog or cat pooped on your kitchen table would you wipe it down with just a dry cloth or tissue? Hell no. You’d add soap and water or a spray cleaner. Why do any less when cleaning yourself. Because of arthritis in my hands and shoulders I was having trouble wiping myself so I found a better way and even if my hands and shoulders got better I would never go back to paper or cloth. I sit on the edge of the bathtub and use the sprayer with hot or cold or warm water. Whatever I want. With my back towards the wall and feet outside the tub, my pants stay dry. It may be more difficult if you’re wearing a dress. Then I dry just like after a shower. All you pay for is a little water and a spritz of bleach on the tub. I now think that paper or cloth is primitive like using a leaf. This is the cheapest but you can also get a self cleaning bidet (under $100) that hooks onto the toilet with water coming from the toilet supply line. Of course that would give you only cold water unless you get a plumber to bring a hot water line to the toilet as well. If you’re made of money and have the room you could install a separate bidet like you’ll see in upscale french hotel rooms. Last but not least check out the Toto washlet line of toilet seats with integrated bidet and even air dryer for your tush. http://www.totousa.com/WhyTOTO/Innovation/Washlet.aspx
I have always used a bidet at home. Its make practical sense to me. You cant beat the clean feeling you get after you are done. Also its way more hygenic than the other methods.
The bidets cost less than $50. Installation is easy. And no monthly costs. Cost of additional water may add up by a few cents to a dollar max.
Its the green, eco friendly and affordable way to go. Go Water..
in order to bring in some extra cash, I started doing another person’s laundry and the water bills DO add up. Of course, I don’t have an obsessive crazy person like my aunt who washes her laundry every day (or a sane and not insane mother with a newborn) so my laundry usually is done twice a week. And I know that as someone with an extra strong sense of smell there will be NO WAY this thing would fly in my house. I’m all for saving money and that but this one is way too gross and seems like way too much extra work (because I’m sorry. A cloth wipe with someone in the households shit on it is NOT being washed with my socks and (white) underwear), so a big time pass on this one.
I’m a bit interested in this. I’d wipe with cloth when doing number one but not number two. Which for me will be like 60 percent of the time. You still save something.