Reusable Toilet Paper Swap! (Handmade)

If it were April 1st...

All I can say is ewwwwww

oh my... I think I do TRY to be as "green" as possible and I am into recycling and the repurposing of things, but toilet paper is probably going to be last on my list of things to give up... sorry

I thought this was a joke :O

I'm not sure I'm convinced of the idea. Going green is great, but I hate laundry enough as it without poop and urine covered towels. I'm curious about the idea though. I'm just wondering how you go about cleaning them without it being really gross.

Come on! This isn't any more unthinkable than cloth diapers. Ever heard of those? Cheap, recyclable, comfortable, reliable. And used for dust rags long after the kids are grown.

I love to recycle, but I have to agree: toilette paper is one of the things I cannot- will not- wont give up! I think if you called it "reusable cleaning rags" and gave a size requirement and they have to be flannel, you could use them for... well, what ever you wanted and maybe people would join... I think you have to be commended though for your initiative towards the environment. Not many would go that far.

ok.. I have been thinking about this! I think you should be supported in your endeavour! I will join! I don't have to use mine as toilette paper. I can use them for dustrags! :) I think it is a riot to be able to say "I joined a TP swap!" (yes, I AM that juvenile!)

Alright, I just want you all to know that I hate laundry more than your average person and when I first heard about reusable toilet paper I was completely grossed out! But I am already washing cloth diapers so adding a few more squares of flannel to that load should not be a big deal. I have been using cloth menstrual pads for a few years now and LOVE THEM! I think flannel toilet paper is going to feel wonderful... Every time I wipe with something that soft I will feel just a little bit like I am living the lifestyles of the rich and famous! lol!

So recycled toilet paper is a new thing for me... Will I stop purchasing TP all together? Nope. I'll keep it on hand for myself and my toddlers but I doubt I can talk my husband into using it... and I sure don't want my guests using it! But this is going to have an impact on the amount of money I spend each month and the number of trees that need to be cut down. Perhaps those trees can now do something more noble than be used to wipe my derriere!

I guess I wanted to say too, that this swap is going to be great for anyone who wants to try reusable toilet paper out as an experiment. It doesn't cost much (in time or money) to make and the swap has been set up so that each participant will very quickly have a variety of colors and patterns in their collection!

And no... These cloths don't have to be used for toilet paper... They can be used for facecloths, diaper wipes, dust cloths, whatever! :) The swap guidelines state that the cloths should be made using 9" squares of flannel... this results in an 8" square. A very handy size for all sorts of things!

There are only 4 days to make and send the little things! I don't have a sewing machine and by hand I will never get 18 done in that short time (I can't start now already, since I have a few things I have to finish first) That is just not enough time for me... bummer...I was looking forward now...

I would join if it was international and there was more time to complete it. Personally I don't see the difference between this and using 'normal' TP other than normal TP has a greater impact on the environment. We do loads of laundry anyway, and with a toilet training toddler in the house, a lot of it is wet or soiled too, so why not just throw in an extra bag of wipes in each wash? Heck, I might just make some of these for myself anyway.

I have no doubt my husband would be rolling his eyes though...it took me long enough to get him to agree to cloth nappies (diapers).

As an aside, and a personal mission of mine, if you are grossed out by the idea of cloth menstrual pads why not do your purse, your health and the environment a favour and check out the mooncup.

So if you are increasing the amount of laundry, isn't that just as bad as the toilet paper - I mean all the detergent that is used and all...

Well, I'm just going to toss mine into the load of cloth diapers that I do already anyway. So it shouldn't increase our water or detergent consumption. We will probably just use them for potty and not for anything dirty or nasty.

By the way, you have all inspired me to do a bit of research... Toilet paper as we know has only been around since the late 1800's so this isn't such a new and far-out idea! In ancient Rome they used sponges on the end of sticks that they left soaking in salt water... Hmmm... anyone want to start a sponge-on-a-stick swap? (Just kidding!)

I think these would make great cloth diaper wipes (just spray with water from a small spray bottle) and use with cloth diapers/nappies.

I'm sorry, but throwing poop covered cloth in the washing machine with my other clothing doesn't sound pleasant. Just buy toilet paper that's 100% recycled if you wanna be green, that's what I do.

It's no different than doing cloth diapers. I have a sprayer attached to my toilet so I spray off the solids into the toilet before tossing it into the diaper pail. No biggie. My cloth diapers are an independent load. Plus, if the toilet paper thing weirds you out, then use them as napkins, soft cloths to wipe messy toddler faces, dust rags.

I want to join this swap, but I don't know if I can really get everything sewn in time. If you do choose to do another swap, please consider having more time between sign up deadline and send out deadline.

i think i feel sick. i just ate lunch. oops. sorry, i am all for green but this is a bit off. i would be interested in seeing what you all com e up with though, will someone post the entries on flickr or blog somewhere?

I would join this swap, but there is just not enough time for me to get everything done that I need to.

If you have another I would like to be a part of it. I think it's a wonderful idea and anyone who has had little ones knows, you go through a lot of baby wipes... This size is perfect for those.

I can think of a lot of uses for these. It's a GREAT Idea.

ok i've been thinking about it and i read one of the links you gave and i've decided it's not that bad of an idea... honestly it was the picture you gave that got me, they look so pretty! but anyway, just to all you other people, while i was reading about them, before jumping to conclusions, i read that most people don't use them 100% of the time if they are not aleady doing cloth diapers, if you know what i mean, and they throw them in with the towels. i'd probably join if i had a sewing machine, just to try them out and if i didn't like it i might just use them for face clothes or hair drying, you aren't supposed to use terry cloth for those things anyway, too rough... but no sewing machine, and i can't imagine explaining this to my grandmother to borrow hers, lol

also, it's definitly changed my whole outlook on diapering btw, not that i'll be doing that right away. but i'll def start throwing the idea of cloth diapers and wipes out to my husband now, before we get pregnant!

Even cloth diapers weren't so much fun for me, but adult poop is different.... Unless every person who wipes his tush, washes the cloth completely out by hand before putting it in a wet bucket. Still....Maybe better to use a leaf and then put it in the composting toilet or something.

I still use reusable menstrual pads. If I were younger, I would be using the new Diva Cup, but I have used the soft cotton and flannel menstrual pads since I found them back in 1991. I have made my own and have used the newer GladRags. Making your own TP is a wonderful idea.

PS> If you use the gladrags or something like it, make sure you save you first rinse water, before you add soap. Plants love the extra minerals once a month. My plants thrive on it more than they did on Miracle Grow!

At first I said YUK!!! That is until I read that lady's blog. As long as they aren't used for anything other than urine, I think this is a cool idea:))) I used cloth diapers on all 3 of my kids when they were babies, ofcourse they're grown now. But this certainly WILL NOT be as gross as soaked and pooped in cloth diapers!!! I'm gonna have to get to making some of these and give them a try!!!

I'm not joining the swap though. Send date is WAY to close for me! If we had a month to make them I might consider it, but already have alot of swaps to get sent out, much less another crafted swap and 18 to make at that, lol.

Thanks for posting the blog though:)) I might be interested at a later date, or possibly if the send date was extended into Aug:))

I can't join but I read all the comments and they are a hoot!!! I did fabric diapers for twins and I'm all diapered out by now.

Are we still doing this swap??

Ok, due to several emails I have received, I have extended the "send by" date into August and extended signups for another week to allow people to participate who otherwise wouldn't be able to. Hope this helps everyone!

I think the TP squares in the picture are so pretty too! That's what caught my attention about this whole reusable-toilet-paper thing! :)

My husband and I had a chat about the merits of reusable toilet paper. He doesn't mind the rest of us using it... but he is going to go to the bathroom at work from now on if I stop buying toilet paper altogether! lol!

Wiccan3, Thanks for the idea of reusing the water menstrual pads soak in... Great idea! We just had a baby and we used the placenta to fertilize a tree. It's kind of the same thing. :)

Plumtoothpaste... I laughed about you borrowing your grandmother's sewing machine to make these! I totally understand. My grandmother was so MAD when our local city introduced the recycling program. Her comment was, "Do they think I don't have anything better to do than sort through my garbage?" She didn't really get the concept of not throwing certain items away. :) (She also threw a stink when they passed seatbelt laws, by the way!)

Saulute... We have decided on a "system" for our house... Each of the children will have a specific pattern on the fabric of their toilet wipes. So when we do laundry we will know exactly which wipes belong to which bottom. My daughter chose flannel with frogs and hearts on it, my son chose race cars. That makes my husband feel better. I'm not making any for him because he's already told me he won't use it. And I will probably use the wipes that I get in the swap. Fun!

This is one of those ideas that people automatically say EWW to, but really isn't that gross. I don't have time to join the swap but I am going to whip some up one of these days!

You are absolutely right cakemaker... It was just in the news yesterday that something like 86% of women admit to wearing underwear that they have fished out of the laundry hamper... Then the article went on to say that there are various microorganisms and fecal matter in underwear after they have been worn once that makes it really gross to wear the same underwear again! Now THAT is far more disgusting than this!

Sadly I don't have the time ( since I got more work in) to join even with the extended dates! I do hope though that you do it again! And host it under the same name! I love the discussion that broke out here!

I have to add though: The diva/moon cups do nothing for me. Tried them and found it really gross to handle. Just a personal thing though, I don't think THEM gross! I just don't like the way they handle when... um... full... I switched to reusable pads and it never occured to me to think that gross...since I am the one doing the laundry.... ;)

Yea, I don't like the idea of being so intimate with the moon cup contents either but when I'm off mirena I for sure want to try fabric pads. My hubby isn't for the fabric idea either but I'm up for it!

Are any of you old enough to remember NOT having throwaway baby wipes? Well,I do. We had to use rags, or washclothes to wash babies bottoms and then launder them. I dont see how this is much different. At my house we used white washclothes for the babies bottoms so we ccould bleach them and sometimes they even got clean.

I'm not old enough to remember those days, but you are absolutely right.... I've been using cloth wipes on my babies for 5 years now. The same wipes are on baby #3 and they are as good as new! I prefer reusable wipes because I find the BABY gets cleaner with an actual cloth than with a disposable wipe. And isn't the point to get the BABY as clean as possible? :) Then I just pop the wipes into the diaper bin and clean them with the diapers! (And nobody seems to think cloth diapers are disgusting) ;)

I am just PRAYING my darn sewing machine gets fixed in time! How can a new machine break??? Er.. not ever work?

If you have a new machine, I wouldn't bother getting it fixed. I'd return it and get another. Hope that works out!

How is the sewing going for the rest of you? I have bought and washed, pressed and cut my fabric. I just need to sew them up now!

UGH. I'm taking it back tomorrow... Otherwise I'm hand sewing!

I bought a computerized Brother sewing machine at Walmart for $350 (7 years ago). I saw the same machine at a Brother store for $850 (7 years ago). I love my machine... never had any problems with it. The only thing was that I had to go to a Brother dealership to get the correct size bobbins for it.

I'm all for being as green as possible. I'm intrigued by the idea of reuseable toilet paper. I agree that we, as Americans, consume more than our 'fair share' in the global environment.

I just want to encourage people to examine all of the facts of an issue. Trees are a renewable resource. 'Virgin paper/wood' and 'virgin forests' are not the same. Here is another link that provides information on how toilet paper is made: toilet paper

Are we still doing this swap??

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