When the world went crazy for toilet paper last year, those who use reusable clothes were most likely laughing at us all. Poor us with our coddles tushies, amirite? As it turns out, there are a lot more people out there using cloth toilet paper than you'd think — it's a growing movement, all in the name of saving the environment.
People Are Swapping Toilet Paper For Reusable Cloths In An Effort To Be Zero Waste
Not only does using reusable cloths save the planet — it saves your wallet, too!
Unsplash | Claire Mueller
You buy one pack of these bad boys and you're done! The amount of times you can wash them is essentially limitless.
Imagine all the money you'd save!
If you're confused about the logistics of a fabric roll, let me break it down.
If they're fleece, they stick together naturally and all you'd have to do is separate one to use before placing in a wash bin.
Other sheets made of different materials snap together on a roll for easy access.
The best part? Reusable cloth toilet paper comes in SUCH cute designs and colors!
Gone are the days of boring, white toilet paper. Let your imagination run wild with floral patterns, cute animated animals, adorable insects, and more!
Now, if you're anything like me, you might be wondering how sanitary this option *really* is.
Well, the data is divided, to say the least.
In 2018, USA Today chatted with Kelly Reynolds, a director and public health researcher at the University of Arizona.
Unsplash | Clay Banks
Kelly, who studies contaminants in the home, told the news outlet that it's very easy to not sanitize these wipes properly.
"This is just a risky practice, overall I think, and the potential for cross contamination is just very high from your bathroom, where they’re stored, to your laundry room," she explained.
'When you wash these clothes you transfer these germs to the entire load of laundry, even subsequent loads if you’re not using a protocol," she added.
Using the right chemicals is important to ensure proper health protocols are met.
Unsplash | Annie Spratt
Without the use of bleach, "Your hands will be covered with E.coli," Kelly explained. "E.coli is inherent in our laundry.”
This means your hands could accidentally contaminate dozen's of surfaces.
"It’s the one thing I wouldn’t worry about in terms of biodegradable materials," Kelly said. "There’s so much moisture and bacteria in septic tanks that all this stuff gets chewed up and utilized by bacteria as a food source."
In addition to the E.coli, the amount of water needed to properly sanitize the cloths may offset it's green efforts.
Unsplash | Martin Sanchez
It's important to note that toilet paper does break down sustainably, too!
If you're interested in taking the plunge into the reusable toilet paper space, here are a few key things to remeber!
According to the CDC, it is recommended that you bag the contaminated fabrics and avoid agitating them to prevent air and surface contamination.
The CDC also recommends washing your contaminated cloths in a hot-water laundry cycle that’s at least 160°F (71°C) for a minimum of 25 minutes!
Unsplash | Hello I'm Nik
What do you think of this new, eco-friendly method? Let us know in the comments below!
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