February 27, 2009 10:47 AM
Go green: reusable toilet wipes
Bottom reached
Andrew Bolt
Friday, February 27, 2009 at 12:41pm
"Natural living" advocates unveil their latest planet-saving invention - the reusable toilet wipe.
Surely it's time global warming believers marked their houses with some sign, a green pentangle or something, as a warning to visitors to enter at their own risk.
Is anyone else getting the feeling we're not in Kansas anymore?
Posted in Continuing chaos | Permalink
Comments
Ok, this is just getting absurd.
Posted by: Lauren | February 27, 2009 11:15 AM
Well, I am still in Kansas, and those, while I get the idea behind it, are just yucky. I have 8 people in my house and frankly, THAT IS NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN. We have gone to Scott's single ply and frankly that is all a mother of 6 should be forced to do in this area. We would love to say have solar power and get rid of the gas and electric we use. However, I drive a suburban, and nothing is going to change that as I again I have 6 kids. We can't fit into anything else. Okay I said all that and you know those up there are still yucky.
LOL
Hugs
Amy
Posted by: Amy | February 27, 2009 11:32 AM
Hey. I'm crunchy and all...but dude. I use cloth dipes, and it's one thing to wash toddler poop...it's a whole 'nuther ball game to be washing grown up poop thankyouverymuch.
I draw the line LOL. I'll stick to my ultra-cheap, single-ply, just-functional toilet paper, thanks.
Posted by: Sandy | February 27, 2009 11:57 AM
Maybe we are in Kansas, in the 1800's or something. Is this what Laura Ingalls' family used? I think God knew what He was doing in placing me here in 1963. Bring on the two ply, and I'll just keep planting trees as fast as I can.
Posted by: Shelley | February 27, 2009 12:02 PM
This is such an example of politically correct ignorance!
Virgin forests? Who are they trying to kid?!
We're not in Kansas, and if we were, would people be opposing the harvest of wheat each year?
The responsible harvest of forests on land that has been set aside for the purpose is just another harvest!
The aren't cutting the Redwoods to make toilet paper.
I grew up in the Pacific Northwest. The rumble of logging trucks bringing trees in from the "West End" (or Forks for you "Twilight" fans) was part of my life. Many of the families in our town were driven out of their homes and livelihoods by the environmental mania that swept the nation. People who had never been there were describing the rape of the forests and the loss of the Spotted Owl, while many of my college age friends were planting trees on the DNR land for harvest in 20 years. The forests are not disappearing. They grow. Like wheat.
Sorry for the rant, but this has been making me nuts for years!
Posted by: Jennifer | February 27, 2009 12:18 PM
I don't think adopters of the reusable toilet wipes will need a green pentangle to mark their house...the fragrant green fog hovering over and around it will be warning enough.
Posted by: Jill S | February 27, 2009 12:27 PM
Do you think these enviro geniuses factored in how much bleach a person is going to want to dump in the machine with those nasties? Or the fact that they are going to be needing to be washed in their own cycle...and dried too. I bet it balances out.
I also don't believe the line that multi-ply toilet paper comes from "virgin" forests as opposed to single ply coming from managed wood lots. I think that a load of, well, what they use the wipes for.
I used to sell cloth diapers and accessories, including cloth wipes. They were never a big hit unless they were being purchased for use as baby mealtime wipers. (which they were amazing for).
Posted by: kelly | February 27, 2009 12:52 PM
I am just not that brave.
Posted by: Elissa | February 27, 2009 1:15 PM
I would not mind switching to the more eco friendly, less cush to the tush toilet paper if I could them. They are not available here. In Europe, you pay a premium to pamper your tush which is why the coarser brown paper is more commonly used.
Given that the output is responsible for many diseases and hygiene probems, I would not go with cloth toilet paper. But if the stores will carry the cheaper European toilet papers, I will certainly downgrade to those with no problem at all.
Posted by: Cath Young | February 27, 2009 1:31 PM
Okay....I do sell these myself =) And yes, they are quite popular now. I use organic bamboo, which is anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-microbial, even after 50 washes! Bamboo is incredibly strong, very absorbent, and one of the softest fibers out there.
Now, with that being said I just got a little disgusted with all my little girls wasting so much tp! No, I do not use them for the um, the dirty stuff =) Just the pee, I figure that it is not much different than washing undies. It has cut down on our families tp budget, which is the entire reason why I did it. It's not that gross, really.
Yes, I use cloth menstrual pads too. THEY ARE AWESOME! I cannot believe it took me that many years to switch. They are waaay more comfortable. Oh, I sell all this stuff and cloth diapers too, but will not give out my web address unless Barbara says that would be okay!
Posted by: carolyn | February 27, 2009 3:33 PM
We use a store brand version of Scott Tissue (Kroger's), so no cushy behinds in our house. Do the British use cheap, scratchy paper??
The idea of re-usable TP is intriguing, but then I would have to launder it all (for 5 people) *shivers*. It's all I can do to cope with skid marks! And I did my cloth diaper time already, although it could possibly be done in a similar way to cloth diapers, with the used cloths being thrown into a bleach water soaking bucket or pail until washing. But then there is the waste of water in washing them, so how economical could it really be other than saving some trees?
Posted by: Kim | February 27, 2009 4:19 PM
There is just no way. A sign of the apocalypse.
Posted by: Jane | February 28, 2009 2:36 PM
*sigh*
I am a frugal by nature. For me, that means that I do spend money but am just strategic about what I spend the money on and how much I am willing to spend on item or service.
I, too, used cloth diapers and since we're relaxed about potty training (letting the toddler dictate when they are ready to "give it up"), I even had two in cloth diapers at one time.
Having learned that a healthy colon is key to good health, we have some very healthy colons in our house. There are five of us (3 females, 2 males--it does make a difference) and we home school, so four of us are here 24/7. I can not begin to imagine the amount of hot water, detergent, serious clorox, and electricity it would take, plus man power, to launder such things.
I can just see it now.....diaper pails with that borax solution in our bathrooms. Well, if folks are going to do that, they might need to build a bigger bathroom to accomodate the pail. Bigger bathrooms--more lumber--more cut trees--more resources, etc., etc.
Hog wash! This is absurd!
Does anyone think this stuff through before speaking to the media or printing it? Duh!
My parents both grew up extremely poor--one parent in the deep deep mountains. I have heard their stories of what they used when they were growing up and young adults. Their stories also include words like "bee stings" and "poison ivy" on these delicate places--ouch!
I did ask MIL what they did for sanitary products. I won't even go there.
Recently, I told the children about the importance of the Sears & Roebuck catalog to their grandparents and great aunts & uncles. I jokingly told them they we were going to start using all the catalogs that we get in the mall to offset the cost of bath tissue.
Yes, I'm frugal, and, yes, I think it important to not waste, but let's be real here. We are not here to serve the earth.....
Posted by: von | March 1, 2009 12:14 AM
lol. I have seen that idea but never could quite get "behind" it.
I buy whatever toilet paper on sale. I had enough suffering without toilet paper in Ethiopia, thankyouverymuch! :D
Posted by: Margaret | March 2, 2009 6:44 AM
From Australia's Herald and Weekly Times: