So we present this to you as a reminder that cloth toilet paper should never be something to consider.
Everythings bad, but its notthatbad.
They are mostly used for wiping pee, but some families use them for poop and periods.
The practice (common until the modern era) is now mostly featured in eco-conscious and frugalhousekeepingblogsandEtsy shops.
A while back BuzzFeed publisheda sympathetic explainerabout the wipes.
(At the end, readers are asked to respond with Good for them, not for me!
or Id try it at some point.)
Before it grows any more, lets make it clear: Family cloth is not a life hack.
Cloth wipes also pose a problem for guests, in thatyou should never offer cloth wipes to your guests.
This is gross and pointless!
Keep a roll of toilet paper for your guests!
Lets analyze the implicit premises: that toilet paper is expensive, and bad for the environment.
Toilet paper is expensive
Toilet paper costs…not that much?
If an adult uses about50-100 rolls a year, thats well under $100, even forhigh-end Cottonelle.
And as toilet paper catches on in developing countries,the environmental cost is rising.
Ah, at least its legal.
And several of these brands are cheaper than top-of-the-line non-recycled brands like Cottonelle and Charmin.
Theyre much more expensive;the Wirecutters top pickruns $430, and their budget pick is $235.
Or go dirt cheap:One $30 model on Amazonhas a 4.5 star rating after almost 5,000 reviews.
Bidets are environmentally friendly; justtwo cups of waterreplaces your wiping.
Theyre perfectly hygienic and theyre popular in Europe, Asia, and South America.
So why ignore these obvious solutions in favor of wiping your butt with cloth?
Theyre building themselves a lifestyle thatfeelsvirtuous, independent of whether itisvirtuous.
Theyre buying specially sewn wipes that snap together like a childs snowsuit.
This is annoying, time-wasting, and pretentious, but is it harmful?
And in the case of cloth butt wipes, America is right.
This story was originally published in 2018 and updated on 7/24/20 by Alice Bradley.
Updates include: reformatting subheds, updating links and prices to bidets, and added introduction.
