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Have a case or two of toilet paper to store in a closet or storeroom to help ensure that the home or office is always well prepared for family, guests or employees. Jumbo rolls of toilet paper require little maintenance, providing continuous bath tissue without the need for changing rolls. Apr 16, 2019 Paper production like toilet paper, paper towels, baby wipes, tissue paper, coffee filters, & writing paper are incredibly toxic to the environment and depletes forests all over the world. In fact, this industry is the 3rd largest polluter.
.So you’re worried you’ll run out of toilet paper and not quite ready to install a bidet?I’m with you, my friend, I’m with you.I’ve seen other recommendations for what to do when you run out of toilet paper, including just “take a shower.” What??I’m imagining some extremely dried-out skin, and way too much soap going down the drain, plus I don’t want to take a shower every time I use the restroom NOR do I want to facilitate that for my kids! I don’t know who is feeling like they have extra time during this quarantine thing, but it’s not me.However, I feel fully prepared to “make my own toilet paper” in a way in case we run out and leaving the house isn’t feasible, and I either horrified my 6th grader or placated her worries by saying so in front of a friend when we were just starting to experience the run on toilet paper in the stores. ?I’ve actually been using reusable, eco-friendly options for almost all of our paper products for the last 10 years.
We’re talking. Reusable handkerchiefs instead of tissue, rags and – everything except the ol’ TP so far.In fact, I went for a walk with a friend when all of this coronavirus craziness started, and of course, we had to talk about the toilet paper thing. Why toilet paper and water bottles? We don’t expect there to be a loss of infrastructure and water, do we? Does this disease make you poop more?
( Note: It does, but at the time, the media was reporting that gastrointestinal effects were minimal to non-existent. How quickly information is changing!!)I told her that I had actually been completely out of paper towels for about a month, refusing to buy more since we were in the middle of a small remodel project and all my shelf space was repurposed. We typically go through about one roll of paper towels every 6 to 12 months.So, folks, for the good of the earth after we get through this crisis, and for the sanity of your family now, worrying about running out of toilet paper or paper towels can be crossed off your list of anxieties. Let’s talk about easy reusable options for toilet paper, paper towels, and other paper products that you already have in your home.Reusable Alternative: Cloth NapkinsBack when my Green Consciousness was beginning to kick up and I started to feel guilty about pretty much everything I threw away, I had this basic thought: If I use a napkin for two meals, that’s literally reducing my napkin waste by fifty percent. Fifty percent!That’s a pretty big impact for a very small action. So I started doing that, just reusing a napkin for two meals.
Note: this never works after taco night!But otherwise, for an adult (not a child!), it was pretty easy.Then I fell into cloth napkins by accident: I used my daughter’s baby washcloth, meant for her face, when it was closer than the napkin holder.That got me thinking: why couldn’t adults use a little washcloth or something similar? It sure would cut down on a lot of napkins being thrown away. I began to ponder what I already had in my house that could take the place of cloth napkins.
I don’t like to do a lot of work if I can help it!I finally decided that I would try a no-cost, no-risk experiment and, with all of my crafty prowess (in other words, zero), I cut up an old torn crib sheet that wasn’t usable anymore. The “napkins” were flimsy, primitive, and immediately stained, but we didn’t use them for company and they worked fine! Our standards are pretty low!My mother, who has always been incredibly supportive of my real food and natural living journey, caught wind of what I was doing. She took two old tablecloths, cut and hemmed the edges, and presented me with a basket of my very own cloth napkins for Valentine’s Day when we visited. Standards raised! ?The point is, you can make DIY cloth napkins with anything you have around. Your washing machine might work a little harder, but your mind will rest easier.Reusable Alternatives to Toilet Paper and TissuesI’ll put these in the same category, because — let’s face it, friends — your nose and your sensitive parts both appreciate the same level of softness, amiright?
?We started our handkerchief collection with those thin baby receiving blankets that aren’t big enough to wrap around the baby, but we have since moved on to many other materials. Here’s a quick list of what you can find around your house to turn into handkerchiefs or reusable toilet paper with a pair of sharp scissors. Baby receiving blankets. Sweatpants losing their elastic anyway. Leggings with holes in the knee. Flannel sheets that have seen better days. Your favorite pajama pants that got a hole in the tushy.
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Old t-shirts that you never wear, but might have sentimental value so you’ve kept them. Just take a picture first to preserve the memory. You may want to avoid the screen-printed part as that could be a bit scratchy. Threadbare towels and washcloths, especially those thin baby washcloths.
Free Resource for Natural Remedies!I am always grateful for the community at Kitchen Stewardship – it’s like having the smartest natural moms in the world all living right next door. Katie Kimball, CSME is a trusted educator and author of 8 real food cookbooks. She is passionate about researching natural remedies and making healthy cooking easier for busy families. She’s been featured on media outlets like ABC, NBC and First for Women magazine as well as contributing regularly on the FOX Network.Over the last 10 years, Katie has spoken prolifically at conferences, online summits and podcasts and become a trusted authority and advocate for children’s health.Busy moms look to this certified educator for honest, in-depth natural product reviews and thorough research. She often partners with health experts and medical practitioners to deliver the most current information to the Kitchen Stewardship community.In 2016 she created the #1 bestselling online kids cooking course, Kids Cook Real Food, helping thousands of families around the world learn to cook.A mom of 4 kids from Michigan, she is a Certified Stress Mastery Educator and member of the American Institute of Stress. This is all well and good for people that own washers, but for apartment dwellers and others who use communal laundromats it’s a little less practical.
I use rags and sponges to clean, we’ve never been big on napkins except for parties and getting extras from fast food, I reuse paper towels (dry hands several times, then wipe counter, then greasy spots or spills on the floor then trash), and I would try cloth for urine only since I would have to hand wash (bucket and plunger combo), but I don’t trust how clean the laundry room is with multiple people touching knobs and doors. Before I would wipe everything down, but now I’m not going there. Thanks for the borax tip. I did cloth diapers sooo many years ago I couldn’t remember if I put anything in it. I tried cloth wipes for the number one years ago and loved it too but, got away from it. Time to try again.
Thank you Katie for this post. I already have done so many of these off and on over the years.
Especially the old sock for the toilet! I like how you encourage us that it doesn’t have to be pretty. ? But, those napkins your mom made are lovely. Just not sure if I can break down and cut my vintage table cloths. Maybe I’ll see if there’s a stained one. Please remember that I’m just a gal who reads a lot and spends way too much time in her kitchen.
I’m not a doctor, nurse, scientist, or even a real chef, and certainly the FDA hasn't evaluated anything on this blog. Any products mentioned are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Please talk to your health professional (or at least your spouse) before doing anything you might think is questionable. Trust your own judgmentI can’t be liable for problems that occur from bad decisions you make based on content found here.Some posts on this blog contain affiliate links which generate commission if you purchase anything starting with those links.
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