No Paper Toilet Cloths Use and Care 

My husband is disabled and I've been taking care of ALL his needs now for about 5 years. I found out quick that trying to clean someone else with dry TP is way harder than wiping yourself so I started getting wet wipes for him. The cost of those was a lot more than I wanted to pay for something that just got thrown out so I switched to cloth ones that I could just wet before hand. Now I use wet cloths too because, well frankly, menopause. Our setup is this; we have one of those wipe warmers that people use to keep baby wipes warm and I wet the clean cloths with warm water and coconut oil and they stay in that until I use them. They are wet, warm and soft :) Then I just simply throw them in a small pail that has a plastic grocery bag in it (recycling yay!) Then I can just dump the bag into the load that has bed pads, rags, etc... It never smells because it's not like that stuff sits more than a couple days anyways. I also made my own women's incontinence pads just like for menstrual. Those feel way better than the disposable ones. I've never been squeamish about such things tbh. I've always been low income because I've been disabled myself for 25 years and before that I raised 5 kids basically on my own with little help so I've always been "reuse, recycle, reduce" from necessity. So when shortages come or during hardships I don't feel stressed I feel grateful for what I already know and do.

Nothing scares us moms that did cloth diapering, lol. I am 71 and have hardly any visitors, I have a 1 bathroom home, so I can just put it all away if someone comes over. I have toilet paper for visitors. I have used the laundry sanitizers for the wash cycle just as an added boost of disinfectant. There is no smell to the cloths once washed, I put vinegar in the rinse dispenser as well. I find now that if I use regular toilet paper I notice how really rough it feels. People did this back in the day when they only had washboard so with a washing machine we really don't have to suffer through the hardest part.

This is no different than the cloth diapers I used for my three babies 😉 most people are not aware of the old ways. Rinse the poopy out and put all in a bucket with your preferred soak solution. Dump all in a rinse and spin cycle, then wash as usual. So simple, really. My parents didn’t have toilet paper back in the depression. This is far superior to Sears catalog paper and corn cobs! And most of us have a washing machine for the dirty work.

Here's a helpful hint to prevent fraying and tangling when washing unhemmed cloths...simply snip all four corners at a 45' angle! Works great when I prewash fabric before sewing projects, too!

It took me a couple weeks to get used to shitting in a bucket and a couple years to relax into actually putting that compost to use. I am glad to find this vid, cuz aside from dairy, paper is the other main grocery store purchase. I'll wean myself off paper thanks for your help!

Thanks for airing your dirty laundry with us! lol

Hi Heidi, I've been doing these wipes for about 6 months now. We have a small waste basket that we have been using with no lid. I made flannel liners for my waste baskets out of old pillow cases cut in half. There is absolutely no odor! We wash every Monday and we have 3 bathrooms with 5 people. We even use a spray bottle with water for cleaning off the bigger jobs. My husband was not sure he wanted to do it, but after he did it he realized he liked them better than toilet paper.

Your channel is by far one of the best! So informative yet down to earth. Appreciate it so much.

Hi Heidi, my family and I have been using cloth wipes for 10 years now. I've always soaked mine but after your last video, I told you that I was going to try just tossing them in a dry bucket and washing them a couple times a week. Well...I love it! The wipes come out so much cleaner! I am down to a 4 person family (when we started, we were 6) the two boys still at home don't remember ever using toilet paper!, so I wash several times a week with no smell and no yuck. I just toss the rags in the washer and run a hot water load with an extra rinse and my own homemade laundry soap. My wipes have never felt cleaner! Thank you so much for being you! You are awesome❤

Been using these since seeing your video during last year's lockdown and will never go back to paper toilet rolls now. There's a sense of responsibility in owning up to, and dealing with your own waste, so thanks for setting me on the path!

I really appreciate it when you come back to something and give updates - to share what you have found works better. Thank you!

Once I retired, I started using cut up t-shirts as cloth towelettes. I still use paper for #2. Because of the small amount of cloths I have, I wash them about every other day. I have a open weave bag that I use to wash them in. I just add them to whatever I am washing that day. Never have had any smell. Now that toilet paper is a commodity right now, it is nice to know that I don’t have to worry about running out of toilet paper. Thanks for the video.

@RobinGreenfield did a couple videos about different plants to use for toilet paper. (I saw his video after watching your previous one or I would have commented there.) He suggests either Plectranthus barbatus/blue spur flower or mullein. I love the wooly lamb's ear and marsh mallow suggestions though, but since mullein seems to grow just about everywhere, I thought people might want to know about that option as well. I didn't know I could make my own washing soda - thank you for that tip! I've already looked up videos on how to do it so I can do that as well. ❣

I love watching you and found your channeling in search of info on “family cloth”. I started thinking about it since I’ve made the switch from a menstrual cup to cloth pads. I made a bunch of family cloth from material I had sitting around and we started using it last weekend and love it. I even sewed up two liners for my containers so I just dump everything in the wash and it has been wonderful. I want to order the small bidets that hook up to the toilet just to make it easier, but for the time being I’m making the same spray I used on my kiddos when they were babies. Squirt of Castile soap, some almond oil and vit E oil, and a few drops of tea tree. For my kiddos I used an old wipes container I saved from a few years ago and presoaked theirs to make it easier and just spray the ones I use prior to wiping. I was just sitting here going “I used cloth diapers and cloth wipes with my babies and cloth sanitary napkins for myself so why not?!”. Not to mention the hubs and I have been seriously talking about living a bit off grid when he retires in just a few years so we need to be thinking about how that will look and why not start easier to see if we can do it before it comes to a point of necessity over want. All of that to say we love it and I don’t plan on going back...at least not for myself.

bidet and the cloth together have been my go-to.

Hi Heidi, God is good all the time. Amen.❤❤ 0:06

Switched to cloth this month! Love it! Wash once a week.

That pail that you ordered is what I use. Once a week is when I do my personal wipes. And I use a plant sprayer to cleanse myself or I have small pot to rinse myself.

Wow! Who would have thought? I landed here looking for ideas for "Unpaper Towels". I have cut down paper towel use a lot, but want to get rid of it totally (well except for odd time I cook stuff like bacon and for cleaning my toilets). Now that we are on a 2nd wave and TP is scarce again, I think it would be a great time for me to set up a system like this. I spent 5 weeks in Panama. They do not flush their toilet paper down on the island, so I got used to putting used TP in a bucket by the toilet. In my room I rented the bucket had no lid but still never smelled. I will start both No paper toilet cloths and Unpaper towels today as soon as I cut some up. I have an extra spray bottle I can put essential oils in and zig zag on my sewing machine for the flannel. I have a bucket like yours, but when/it this works for me I will buy one with the swing top lid. After reading all comments, I have also decided to cut up some old sheet to replace Kleenex. I have been using cloth wipes/rags for years to wipe down counters and most of the bathroom (except toilet). Unfortunately I live in a condo so have no outside to hang them to dry. I do have some TP still but will save it for when ever the Gov will allow us to have company again. I will go watch your other video later after I cut up some flannel etc. Wish me luck. (Oh, BTW, I never had kids so no cloth diapers. Also wish I knew about cloth feminine pads, don't need them anymore). Thank you for such an insightful video ☺♥

I love ur Utube. I got some very cheap wash clothes from Walmart cut them up into 4 crochet borders around them. Been using them the full wash clothes has paper towel to dry my hands in the bathroom. I’m 65 yrs old like u I wish I had done this year’s ago. One roll of toilet paper last May now three weeks

most offensive odors do not really become aromatic until they become 'wet'. like a dog he's not really smelly unless you put your nose close, but when he gets wet you can smell that stink from 2 ft away. ...same goes for a peed on sheet or something, that's one reason why adding liquids to the 'big-job' towels bucket isnt a good idea.

Hello Heidi, you have another great video here. Because of you, I switched to cloth for #1. I had old soft flannel and it works great. So much more comfortable than TP. I really admire you for all you do.

I love your video!! I have been doing cloth wipes a long time (started when I was doing cloth diapers and wipes years ago). My husband still refuses, but for me and my daughters this works great! Here is what we do: I just cut my cloths out too, didn't hem, I wash them every 3 days. We have TONS of them, haha! We have interestingly enough, a juice jug with a lid and a handle that has fishies printed on the side because it's easy for my kiddos to use and handle. We don't presoak. I have a PUL liner bag for each bucket. We have one in each bathroom. We keep the cloths in baskets on top of the toilet so they're easily accessible. I wash on hot. I don't make my own washing powder unfortunately because our water is so hard, even with the conditioning system, but I do use biodegradable soap for the wash. I put in white vinegar as a softener and a couple drops of lemon essential oil. Hang to dry in the sun. If I can't dry in the sun sometimes I use the dryer or I put on the dashboard of my car to get the sun somewhat even when raining. No smell, no issues, etc. We also don't use paper towels or napkins and I made my own cloth feminine napkins :) so much better! I love your videos so much! It's nice to see videos from someone who does something similar.

No presoak for me. Separate load in the washer. Flannel works best. So comfortable. I also use a spray bottle. Love this system. So glad to pick this up from your video! Still have toilet paper for company. 😊

Looove this info. I am loving my method I have 2 buckets the size like yours. I do exactly the same way. I started with the buckets filled halfway up with a tiny splash of bleach but decided to try it dry and it's so much more easier. However when I did fill up the bucket halfway I wetted the wipes and found it a much cleaner wipe but dry seems so much more easier and I smell nothing. I never used disposable diapers ever. My kids were allergic to the plastics. So always cloth. I had 2 babies in cloth diapers one year apart. I wish I had started this along time ago. The man is not kin on this and I joke with him when he asks do you have anymore wet wipes I tell him NOPE all gone. And the stores dont have em either. Ha ha ha ik I'm mean but geeze it's not bad at all to try new things. Ha ha ha if anything its entertaining. For me! Ha 44 years of marriage becomes Hilarious at times. Like everyone loves raymond fun. He he he loved this Hiedi! 🌹😍

When we lived in town we used cloth wipes for several years. We moved out of town and do not have a hot water heater. I recently purchased a hand crank "Wonder Washer" for small batch laundry that needs hot water. I am looking forward to using our cloths again.

I've recently begun the switch to all cloth and love it!! We don't have a bidet, but i use peritoneal bottles like they gave me after I had my children (any small squirt bottle would work). Then there's less mess and it's mostly just drying. When i wash, i use my washboard if needed and hang them in the 🌞 to dry. Have a blessed day Heidi!!

I love my whipes sometimes I also have a little #2 times yes I use cloth pads for incontinence

A "MANLY BIDET"...(GALS TOO!!!)...BUY A 2 GAL. WEED LAWN SPRAYER ($10.)...FILL AND PUMP IT UP WITH WARM WATER...AND SPRAY AWAY ANY MESS...THEN, DRY!!!...YOU CAN CUT THE WAND SHORTER IF NEEDED AND...GOOD FOR A QUICK SHOWER TOO!!! THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR VIDS!!!

Several years ago, I switched to cloth tp (as I call it). Never looked back. I used them for #1. All I did was cut up my husband's old, worn-out , white T shirts & underwear. Jersey is soft & doesn't fray. There's no need to sew or serge the edges or use pinking shears. They aren't fancy or pretty....but that doesn't bother me....& they are all sorts of shapes & sizes. I just stuff them into 2 clothespin bags which I hang near the toilets in both bathrooms. I have a small flip-top wastecan that has a removeable liner. The used cloths are tossed in dry. I've never had an odor problem. When I'm going to wash a light color load of laundry, I just empty the buckets into the washing machine. I'm the only one using the cloths, so it would take a long,long time to have a load of just the cloths. I hang our laundry outdoors as long as the weather is warm. I have not owned a dryer for 27 years. Recently, I've started using what's called "the poor man's bidet" aka a perineal bottle. When you think about it, if #1 or #2 was on your hand, arm, leg, foot, would you be content just wiping it off w/a piece of dry tp? Probably not. You'd most likely want some water. I run warm water into the bottle & use it to get clean....then dry w/one of my cloths. Using water makes you feel cleaner. There are all sorts of bidets....the bottle is the most economical & you can take it anywhere you go. So glad you made this video. I don't find using cloth to be the least bit nasty. I prefer it to reg. tp. It's kinder to the skin, too. And......I'm long past having periods....I just wish I'd known about cloth napkins. I'd definitely have gone that route.

When you pulled out your homemade laundry soap I subscribed I have been making mine for years and it has saved so much money 💰

I love hat you are updating folks on your experience with going full cloth. I changed over a few years ago when someone commented that toilet paper was getting so expensive they felt that they were flushing dollar bills down the toilet. I do use a presoak. I use Biz which is an enzyme laundry additive that was originally used decades ago for diaper soak buckets. With the Biz there is no smell and it is actively also cleaning the cloths while they soak. I have a mini portable washer next to the toilet, that is hooked up to the water supply by a bidet hookup. They soak in Biz solution in the washer for a few days, then I run the washer and put them in the dryer. We saved enough the first year to pay for the mini washer.

After you last "wipe" video I cut up rags for #1 and I love using them, although I wish I would have used pinking shears, but the fraying is almost done now. I am saving so much money and I don't have to be afraid of not having enough TP, it's awesome. I will think about the 10 X 10 wipes, I'm not sure I'm ready to go that far yet, but I am really happy for the info so I know I what do if I want to or there if there is no TP again.

Excellent update! Love new ideals!

Your little baskets and color schemes are so cute. Good info!

When I lost my husband, I was without a income for over a year. I had to make do with what ever I could find. I took his crew socks (long socks), cutting them into 3 pieces they made awesome toilet cloths. Washing them the way I use to do cloth diapers for the kids back in the day. Used bleach during washing. Hung on clothes line. My kids thought I was crazy. Six years later they don’t think I’m so crazy anymore.

Once more, thank you. You’re my go to for “natural” solutions.

So glad you put this out for us... ThankYou ...it's great information.

Going to cut up all our old t-shirts right now! Yay!!!! Love this!

I am learning a lot from these videos . Thank you

This is good information. Thank you, Heidi!

I got an attached bidet last year due to stroke. Left sided weakness makes the job more difficult. TMI I still like to be dry so I find the addition of the cloth wipes awesome. Thank you

Well I switched to cloth incontinence pads and like you, I wished I did this years ago!!! Yes I did cloth diapers for my kiddos. Thank you for being so open. Still toying with the cloth wipes, tho. I got the fabric but just haven’t made the plunge. Lol

Thanks for your tips. I haven't tried using the clothes for #2 yet.

Thanks for this Heidi, you're a champion! Madeleine

Our family of 5 has used cloth wipes off and on for the last 18 years (since my son was born and I had to use cloth diapers due to his severe reaction to disposables). Once I was washing cloth diapers again, it was no great leap to add toilet cloths for the rest of us. Normally we just used them when money was tight and toilet tissue scare. I have recommended them to friends experiencing sewer system issues. While they are saving up money to pay for the plumbing system to be cleaned out it made sense to stop adding tissue to further clog up the system. This could buy them a little more time.

I've been gathering up flannel for this. I got my garbage cans like that at Walmart years ago, love them.

Thanks for the inspiration! I’ve been thinking about this for a while but haven’t taken the plunge. I’m going to gather up some old clothes to recycle into personal cloth, right now! I have a chamber pot that will be perfect for used cloth.

I have made the #1 change but been wanting to jump in all the way, so thank you, the spray bottle makes sense, thanks

OMG. I have some old flannel sheets, I’m going to make some tomorrow. Thank you.

I don't bother hemming the 4" x 6"rags that i use for tp. I have a waste basket with a swinging lid next to the toilet. I put some bleach in water in the bucket. I have a bidet toilet seat. I'm very happy with the switch.

Thank You I've just done my first ones and made them out of washing up drying cloths, as ages ago did do washing up cloths after seeing your video. It's the same really. Getting my mind set right.

Smart lady!! Thank you for more great ideas and mostly, confidence in doing what we can do. Regardless of someone’s opinion. 😎😎

I love your channel!! But I’m rather certain I’m not doing this one but very cool idea

Think I’m going to start this. 🙌 I’ll get colloidal silver to make that spray.

Thank you so much for this video. At first I thought, "I couldn't do that!" but then you mentioned it is just like the cloth diapers you used on your children and I was sold! I cut up an old flannel queen sheet but there were just too much fraying so did not use them. Hope to get them edged sometime. Another blog suggested using old t-shirts! These work great and I do not need to worry about fraying. We have been using the cloth wipes for about 4 months now and my daughter and I love them. We put them in a small bucket and there is no odor. I wash about once a week in hot water, vinegar and extra rinse. I use a spray bottle with silver for cleaning off when needed. I have rectocele condition and the wipes are perfect for that. Cloth does clean much better.

I am always searching for ways to live a simpler life. I am so happy that I recently found your channel! This is the absolute best helpful idea when trying to get away from being so dependent on the retail market. Prices are out of this world! I was a cloth diaper mom so this is something that appeals to me. After the shutdown of so many things a few years back while working in retail and seeing the madness that occurred, it made me rethink so many things. Though I could never go off grid because my husband would never be on board with living that life at our age, I am so thankful for those I can turn to that help me live a more sustainable life. Thank you for sharing your ways! I appreciate the opportunity to learn how to return to the 'better times', as I call them. God bless all of you! 🙏

I use old tube socks and cotton t-shirts too. And I wash my clothes normally but do add 1 cup vinegar&1/2 of baking soda. They smell so much better

Great idea, doesn't gross me out at all, I did cloth diapers too. the spray bottle is an excellent idea as well. Good job!!!

I started making and using them after seeing your last video.

Thank you so much for putting this information out. It's going to be so helpful. When I did cloth diapers I used bleach for soaking. I like the idea of colloidal silver .

Thank you so much to everyone who's posted their routines here! Already such great info from the video, but the added and alternative tips have made me more confident in finding the right jumping off point for me (and hopefully my family!).

I ordered my garbage can thank you Heidi.

I started using cloth wipes out of necessity during the pandemic when TP was scarce. I am still using them, because when you have your gallbladder removed everything goes through you and TP can add up fast. My son installed a bidet, so we have TP only for the rare visitor.

When growing up my mother asked us to just simply rinse with water and a bit of soap when a bm. . It was easy and it felt great.

Good video, love the different methods you show, lots to chose from! You asked for our methods and thought I would mention my urine cloth method that's a bit different. I have simply been rinsing the urine cloth after each use and hanging it up for next use. Since there's only two of us, rinsing (without soap) and hanging it back up has worked well. But I do admit it's difficult to stay with this method at times and think I will add a bucket to the bathroom for when I'm lazy or in a hurry. Started with old cotton diapers and changed to old cotton towels that I find are more absorbent. Have not graduated to cloth for the bigger jobs, but you have planted the seed:) Thanks Heidi!

We have been using a bidet now for about a week and I have to say, I love it! My only thing is, I still use toilet paper to dry (not sure if that's what others do or not), so for me I do not see how it eliminates the need for TP, but I now really really want to use cloth wipes in conjunction with the bidet. I love the bidet for its cleaning effect and I know I would love the cloth wipes for the frugality and sustainability of it. The best of both worlds 😁

I wash our family cloth with our cloth diapers. As a result I'm doing a few loads a week but that's to help keep my diaper supply clean at all times! I do a pre wash with a heavy duty wash afterwards. Sometimes it's even just a rinse followed by a heavy duty wash, it depends on how heavily accord they are. I don't use a trash can to store mine before washing, I actually use a laundry bag made from PUL that clips over the shower rod. I originally got them from Buttons Diapers for the diapers. However, we fell in love with the design for the bathrooms and family cloth. It keeps it up out of the way. Keeping the babies and animals from digging into it. It's easily accessible and open enough to help keep the smell down because the more aerated it is the less bacteria. We also have a shower handheld bidet that I used to spray out really heavy soils. Also during times of illness we do a light spray down before using the family cloth. I sun dry all cloth and it kills any remaining bacteria.

Thank you for sharing. I switched to all cloth and really like them way more. I wash mine when needed using a soak method as I have a top loading agitorless high efficiency washer. Then use the regular load setting. And hang to dry. Seems to be working well for me. 🇨🇦🙏

Ok, now I get it, Use the bidet to clean and cloth to dry.

I ve been thinking about this paper free toilet paper for a long time and finally discovered your video even though I found you last year after looking up treadle sewing machines and some other subjects. I decided to take the plunge and ordered the bronze garbage can from Amazon. Then I cut up flannel, found a basket and prepared for its arrival. Unfortunately it took a few extra days. I loved the way it looked but I was sad that for all that money it was not quiet close. However, after many experiments, and an inspection of soft close garbage cans at Walmart, I took a chance and bought this mainstays 1.3 gallon stainless steel step can (it doesn’t even say quiet close) but I played around with some of them and found this. At The store where I live it cost $8.97. I did not expect it to work but after unscrewing the screws on both cans, I found the piston and removed it, and it fit perfectly in a little groove in the bronze garbage can hinge area! Like it was made for it!! I can still use the other one (minus the piston)somewhere else and it is still not as noisy as the original. I was so excited I wanted to share this simple fix with you. I also added a step in the family cloth idea for myself by using a clear condiment bottle, ($1) @ Walmart, with warm water to rinse before using the flannel to pat dry. I feel much cleaner and my cloth pail doesnt smell at all. I bought a bunch of bottles for everyone to have their own. I thought I may iron the little cloth pieces just in case my water isn’t hot enough or if the power goes out and I have to plunger /hand wash. Just a thought. Hope this will help someone. I haven’t scrolled down to see if anyone else told you this already, so sorry if this is duplicated info. Thanks for all the great ideas! Here’s the link to the trash can with the piston. It costs more online than in the store. www.walmart.com/ip/Totti-1-3-Gallon-Stainless-Steel-Matte-Finish-Round-Trash-Can-w-Soft-Closing-Lid/168580676

I LOVE THIS VIDEO !!!!

I used a blanket stitch for my wipes

Thank you so very much ❤️

OMG didn't know this was a thing. I have been doing this for me for years. My daughter uses toilet paper as well as I do for the big jobs. I just figured it was like using baby diapers. I grew up in a situation where we didn't use pampers for diapers. Can still see the the cloths line full of them.

Heidi; I remember my mom taken the cloth dippers and rinsing them out in the toilet water with there was number 2 in it. She keep flushing the toilet. More good ideas from you Heidi

Most excellent, thank you!!!

If I need to clean myself after using the toilet , I use a bowl of warm water and a sponge and I saturate a sponge with the warm water with a little liquid soap added and I bathe myself by squeezing out the water where it is required back and front areas whilst still sitting on the loo it is easy to do and then I dry myself with a flannel.I am fortunate to have a sink very near to the toilet so it is easy for my to get warm water. To me this method is the next best thing to having a bidet.

Thanks for sharing. Certain toilet papers can cause allergic reactions or leave paper residue, this sounds like a great alternative.

I have the bucket with a couple inches of water and a little colloidal copper or silver. My washer has a setting for a tiny load. Dump the bucket in the washer, run a rinse only cycle, then a regular wash. Hang to dry and put the 'wet wipe' ones back in my covered tupperware container; I do put the freshly cleaned ones on the bottom, so no wet rags are sitting in the bottom of the container for months. I also pour a half cup of water with a few drops of colloidal copper or silver over my wet wipes.

Cut to fit diapers might be great to use feminine napkins and TP use

Visiting an aunt, she threw in the diapers with regular wash and everything came out fine. I quit waiting for a full load of diapers after that. (shook out the poopy ones as they happened) Later, wet underwear went in with everything else too. No problem. Put your washer between bathroom and the rest of the house, just throw everything in as it occurs. When enough gathered, turn it on and wash all at once. Barn jeans vs whites get their own loads to keep the white stuff white. So just throw in the "un-paper" wipes as they happen.

Been using cloth wipes for liquid waste for a couple of years now with homemade flannel wipes that are two layers sewn together. Used wipes are put in a draw string fabric back until full. I've waiting as long as two week to wash the cloths with no strange smells. Hot water wash, no presoak. No stains, no smells, no problems. I use toilet paper for solid waste and average one toilet paper roll every couple of month or six rolls a year saving money and storage space. What a blessing when toilet paper was scarce.

Be blessed

Bidet + reusable bidet wipes are all I use now. I don't know if I would have made the switch without the bidet. Baking soda is used in the "disposal" can and in the wash and they always come out smelling clean. I tried the reusable pads back when you made this video but they kept moving around so I got rid of them and am thinking of trying to make my own this time around.

I have a potty learning toddler so I seem to always have a yucky load going in the washer so I just throw wipes in then. If I only had a few wipes I'd probably just wash by hand. A small plastic washboard and a bar of laundry soap and wash them right in the collection bucket in the bathroom. Pour off the dirty water into the toilet. Rinse, ring out and hang dry overnight. Do it each night and it should only take a few minutes. Plus washing right in the bucket would keep the bucket itself clean and fresh.

We started using cloth tp sometime after my first was out of diapers. He is 7, so 6.5 ish years ago. I had homemade cloth wipes for him (upcycled, but top stitch, turn, and top stitch again style squares) so I repurposed them for tp. My 7 and 6 year old prefer cloth. It's easier for little hands. I just cut my husband off from paper tp because we're down to just a few rolls and I don't want to buy it right now (my state just started a mask mandate and I'm a rebel and don't want to shop while that is going on) it's easy and cleans better IMO anyway! For wash, since I'm doing cloth diapers too and our machine doesn't seem to do a great job... I rinse in cold, then 2 hot cycles. I've been using biokleen detergent. Then usually just throw them in the dryer because I can't seem to time it out to have them washed in time to put them in the sun 🤦🏻‍♀️

Recycle a bottle with a flip top that can fit comfortably that you can squirt yourself with clean water for every job. Everyone has their own bottle. Then use your cloth wipes, very little smell for either job. I keep them in small container like Heidi's with a lid. I wash ours in hot water and regular laundry detergent every 5-6 days. Never noticed any smell. No frantic panic about TP. 😊

These babies rock, I put them dry in a recycled lysol wipes container (gosh, now I don't recall when I last bought those =) and wash when it is full and presto! I am going to be using that portable bidet and when that arrives, I may transition to the "large job" wipes. I now have a portable, manual Wonder Washer from The Laundry Alternatives ($58) and this eliminates my having to worry about the load size. Honestly, this is the absolutely the best idea ever!!! I have shared it on every single social media I know and showed pictures on your facebook page of my set up. May God richly bless you for sharing your considerable genius and time.

Very nice

Took longer than I anticipated to get to my worn out flannel to do this.....so it’s only been about a week....so far, using them for only #1 and for my “Kleenex”....need to do up some more though , kind of ran out since I’m using them for Kleenex as well....loving it, though I’m finding that since it’s only been a week that periodically I still reach for the regular t.p. out of habit. So wish I had done this 7/8 years ago when first heard/saw videos about it! Hubby has some in the bathroom he uses as well....only thing is, that while he agreed and liked the idea for #1 and for Kleenex, with the injuries he has had, he deals with short term memory loss, so he keeps forgetting to use it! 😕 I’ll get him there eventually! Once I have more of the family cloth...need to do it for the paper towels!

Pre wash soak of water , laundry detergent and sudsy ammonia. Concentrated for laundry spot treatment 1:1:1 in a spray bottle

This mess, no pun intended, made me decide to stretch our tp out as far as it would go, just in case. I have used flannel before and just got a bit lazy. This reminded me of how much more comfortable flannel is; your finger is not going through it because you're being stingy with the tp. I have before and after containers like you. I wash mine once a week. I put a couple inches of water and small bit of my liquid laundry soap in the bucket. I use a lid and never open it more than the crack it takes to slip a used cloth inside. I don't have an odor problem. My washer has a mini load setting. I dump the bucket water and all into the machine, set it on rinse and let it do that short cycle, then I wash it as a small load just like it was anything else color fast and sturdy. Work out a plan that meets your needs and enjoy the luxury. As you said they are not a smidgen of the trouble of washing diapers and well worth it.

I was just rewatching this video. Heidi mentioned turning baking soda to washing soda. I just want to mention that washing soda (sodium carbonate) and sodium bicarbonate also can be bought in larger quantities at swimming pool supply shops. In pools, they are used to regulate the pH balance of the water. Perhaps you can get food grade in large sizes where you are but I’ve found no such avenue here and purchasing 1 lb boxes is pretty costly when you use a lot of it. Also, when we went to metric, it was a wonderful excuse to boost the price.I’ve been using flannel (and wash cloths dedicated to the cause) for some years also but just for light duty bathroom chores. I’ve found that well used flannel sheets work a lot better than brand new flannel. I made some 4 x 4 inch ones which work a treat to clean glasses. And I’ve been using these squares to replace facial tissues. Have cats = allergies. Thanks for these videos. I was thinking I have become very eccentric and now I’m feeling pretty good about the “stupid” stuff I do: making laundry soap, cleaning supplies and stuff.

I was thinking of getting a used diaper genie at a garage sale with foot pedal to hold the used cloths until washing?

If using wipes for urine only I think it's fine to throw them in with a load of washing, and usually throw mine in with towels or sheets. I wouldn't throw them in with kitchen towels. I use a dry bucket then after about 3 days put the wipes into one or two mesh bags - this makes them easier to retrieve at the end of the load, otherwise they can get entangled with other items. I add about 8 - 10 drops of eucalyptus oil to the wash. I hang them in the sun or by the fire to dry.

thanks

Thanks for the reminder. I watched the one you put out in 2020 when we had all the toilet paper craze going on … then that subsided … and recently, i realized I had never considered how bad for you bleached toilet paper is. The chemicals go straight into your system😞 So, I will be switching to cloth!😆

nice video! with all those views you might have done a lot to preserve forests, preven water contamination (making paper is very polluting with bleaches and glues) and save people money and preventing people from spreading this new virus. ive used cloth towels for years from mid spring to fall when i have enough solar to run the washing machine, they are still going ! making cloth diapers was an uphill battle i gave up on. they either leaked or gave the kids rashes. but we do the best we can.

8 years of washable tp but i still keep a paper tp on the holder for guests and bm's i just dooo