Washable Toilet Wipes vs. Washing Your Body?

Hey there CN.... You know I was just joking about the dirty, stinky behind.You seem like the type of person who can handle a joke and return the joking just as well.
Just having a little fun here. I guess I have offended some here with this thread.Sorry!!!
Belle

This is the best thread I've followed in a LONG time Belle!!! Thanks!!! You have quite a level head on your shoulders - I would be proud to call you MY daughter ANY time!!! Tell your folks that they raised a "goodun"

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Eternal Optimist

Hon I don care who uses what to whip their butt..

just as long as its TP.

LOL

Alright the poll is now 33% for the cloth wipes and 66.67% say they like T.P better.
Anymore voters for this poll???

Belle it is not personal or anything like that but honestly why are you ?

I ignored the first "Washable Toilet Wipes" post, but i just decided i wanted to leave my 2 cents worth and say this:

I am beginning to think that you may have a small obsession with wanting us all to know that you use and share
8X8 pieces of flannel soaked in chemicals to wipe your dirty hiney with (do we have a disturbed looking smiley?...if so insert here please)

Ummm nope i dont, unlike you i couldn't smell my own so i asked my hubby to double check and he said it was just fine, so the toilet paper must be doing a fine job

(I even take TP with me when i go camping! I hang it on a tree limb, works out great! no leaves for me!)

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Live simply,love generously,care deeply,speak kindly, and leave the rest to God

Well, you finally looked!!!You must be interested too so I will keep on sharing. Yes , I use 8X8 squares of flannel soaked in Borax, then washed, to wash my behind with. They are soft, and do a great job.
Have you tried them before, or are you just now finding them interesting?
BTW. I agree with the saying that is on the bottom of your post, the one about GOD.
Thanks for looking, the horse isn't dead yet.
Belle

If you go to the cloth wipes you will be more confident about not having an odor. You won't need to have hubby check anymore since the cloth wipes will do a great job for ya.
You can make them out of old or new flannel. I use new flannel when making them for others. I use old flannel for my self. It is a great way to become more self reliant. That is a big goal for some homesteaders.
If the Borax is a problem for you then just soak in some vinegar, it is a natural disinfectant.
If you try them let us know how it goes.
Belle

you know, this gal will come in handy at the next christian-nonchristian poo flinging thread.

lol

I cant wait, its gonna be a long dull winter....

Ease up there a bit Belle. You asked a question and you got some answers. I'm sorry if you were offended because some peoples opinions were strongly against your preferred methods. I don't think their remarks about their own prefferences are an insult to yours, just because they are different. Many people posted that they loved and respected you, even if their personal choice was to use toilet paper instead.

There are lots of options in the world. In the middle east, they use neither toilet paper, nor cloth. They wash their bottoms with their hands. Ewww, Gross etc etc. For Pete's sake, have you never gotten your hands dirty changing a diaper, or for that matter taking care of one of your animals? They wash their hands, and are in the vast majority of cases a kind and generous people. Should I accept them for the kind, wonderful people that most of them are, or insult them because their cultural practices are different than mine?

You've made some good points, and explained you practices quite well. It's opened up a lot eyes to another alternative. Thank you for that. But lets not assume they are dirty and stinky just because they choose to clean themselves diferently than you do.

Well, honestly, wouldn't flannel be better at whipping butts? I don't think TP is strong enough to get that nice satisfying snap when it connects with the left cheek, does it?

You guys crack (pardon the pun) me up! comfortablynumb, as always, you are TOO funny!

Just a question to y'all who begrudge those of us our use of TP because it is non-biodegradeable. Do you use a septic system? You ever wonder just how much industrial waste and poisonous airborne fumes were produced to make all the plastic, etc. to build it? Sure it lasts for a long time but still. What about when it becomes defunct? Just another piece of garbage laying around, if only underground. Maybe it would be more "green" to just "go" behind a bush, if you REALLY want to go natural.

I recall many years ago, my sister who is 19 years older than me, hunched over the toilet, "getting the worst out of" the poopy cloth diapers she used on her babies. Then into the washing machine. Me, with my kids, it was disposables. Yeah, bad Dixy, but I also worked outside the home, and didn't have time to scrape poop off diapers. You know how many times a baby can poop in one day? LOL

And no, I would not want to run my cloth diapers in a load of wash with regular clothes. For the record, poop does sometimes stain----if you don't think so, come and see my upperbath toilet seat, where an orangey poop-induced mark is smeared on it to this day. So, in other words, you either have to have an immense load of stinky diapers stacked up in waiting before doing a wash or you would have to cancel out the "being green" intent and do several small, energy and water wasting loads.

I stand by my own use of disposable personal wipes (some kinds can be flushed like TP). I think comfortablynumb was right in that it may not be overly healthy to be leaving dirty wipes laying around, particularly when it comes to multiple users. Bacteria just might thrive, even if soaked in something and the cloths could rub on the edge of the pail, drip on the floor, etc. There is a potential for contamination, and that's even before someone is sticking their hands in there to clean them, which I would assume includes a rinsing off before washing or squeezing out extra dampness, for example?

As for the facecloth, I can't speak for everyone else in my family, but I don't use the bathtub facecloth for my face. I just wash with soap and water on my hands, leaving the cloth for everything else. The facecloth at the sink is for faces. And anyhow, I would assume that most people who are bathing are not having a #2 and then jumping right into the shower without wiping? I would assume most peoples' posteriors are fairly cleaned off beforehand? I bet those washable, solid-encrusted wipes are way more gross looking than the average facecloth. I don't think you'll find too many families wanting to take turns washing those suckers.

Perhaps someone was right: maybe we should all just get a bidet and remove all hands-on contact? But then one must consider the "woo hoo" factor (that would be the cold water making contact).

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"The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese in the trap."

If you're going to flush those into your own septic tank, you better start setting aside extra money for repairs and extra pumping. If you're sending them into the public sewer system, prepare for your taxes to go up...The industry standard for "flushable" means they'll fit down household plumbing. The problem is that there's no standard for degradability, and lots of people and towns are having problems with the wipes clogging septic tanks and pumping stations.

My question is: What did you do to wipe/wash your behind BEFORE wipes--flushable or otherwise?

Note to self: If BelleL ever sends us a quilt made up of little squares, thank her politely, but put it in the barn.

My father (and family) lied in the Ozards in the late teens early 20s. He said they used squares of old cloth, maybe 6" x 6". Used ones went dry into a bucket or basket. On washday they were the last to go into the boiling kettle. It was his job to wash, hang them over any convenient bush to dry and stack them. Personally I don't see this as offensive in any manner and washing then in a washing machine wouldn't be any different than spoiled cloth baby diapers.

Personally I don't flush down toilet paper. It goes into a wastepaper basket beside the commode. When full, it goes in with the regular household trash. If I composted, or had a burn barrel, it would go there.

And I have heard of people who have small worm composting bins in the bathroom into which used toilet paper goes.

No offense was taken. It takes all kinds to make the world go round.
I was just having a little fun here.
Sorry, if you were offended.

OH darn! Now what will I get you for Christmas?

I know, a stack of new toilet wipes!LOL
Thanks,
Belle

No I don't think I am "being green", that was they guy who uses moss. LOL

Hey!! No begrudging it's not nice!
Belle
Belle

Moss?

LOL

Standby for systemic fungi infections! LOL

I am amazed that so few Americans use a bidet. Then you have no TP, and very little laundry.

lol ok ill just say thank you and im going on now

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Live simply,love generously,care deeply,speak kindly, and leave the rest to God

Belle,
Seriously i want you to know i respect your opinion and use of the 8*8 flannel you use, it is an alterative choice and that is wonderful for you.

and this thread has been a light hearted comical type for me and frankly i have needed to smile so thank you for that.

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Live simply,love generously,care deeply,speak kindly, and leave the rest to God