Toilet Paper And After

[Swing]

One of the most Icky subjects that come up when talking about Prepping for the after of any major disaster that will disrupt the flow of products being at the store is Toilet paper. What do you do AFTER it runs out.

Most of the time it ends up being a conversation about personal cloths to clean with. And a bucket of Clorox water for rinsing them in if 1, but soaking in if two.

Have you ever thought of that and had conversations about it?

I think soft flannel with serged or pinking sheered edges would be best choice.

(don't forget the rubber gloves for while you are cleaning the cloths).

 

[Weedygarden]

I used cloth diapers when my daughter was an infant. I think that some of the strategies I used for them would work for t.p. cloths.

I had a 5 gallon bucket for dirty diapers. I kept some water in it, and at the time, I used a smaller box of a product called BIZ in the water. It was non-chlorine bleach. The diapers soaked and when I was low on clean diapers, I emptied the water, and then dumped the diapers into the washing machine where I washed them. Soaking any dirty cloth helps to loosen the dirt, using either soap, bleach or just water. I would suggest keeping a lid on the 5 gallon bucket.

I would suggest sewing the edges of the cloth so that they don't fall apart as quickly. I have a set of flannel sheets that tore last spring that would work for t.p. cloths.

 

[SheepDog]

We, too, used cloth diapers for the kids. You don't need gloves to clean them just good soap and water, soaking them in enzymatic detergent works well to remove the stains and washing with a little bleach disinfects them. The dirty water is great for worm farms and mushroom mats. Just wash your hands with soap and water after handling them. I prefer cleaning dirty diapers to cleaning vomit. "Wipe cloths" and "cotton packs" were used almost universally before paper products were available for wiping and feminine hygiene. You can store acres of paper products but sooner or later you are going to run out.

 

[Weedygarden]

We, too, used cloth diapers for the kids. You don't need gloves to clean them just good soap and water, soaking them in enzymatic detergent works well to remove the stains and washing with a little bleach disinfects them. The dirty water is great for worm farms and mushroom mats. Just wash your hands with soap and water after handling them. I prefer cleaning dirty diapers to cleaning vomit. "Wipe cloths" and "cotton packs" were used almost universally before paper products were available for wiping and feminine hygiene. You can store acres of paper products but sooner or later you are going to run out.

Cloth feminine products are used in many third world countries. It is not a bad idea to have some of those made up. I have some started, just need to finish them up.

 

[Sewingcreations15]

We save all of our towelling old tea towels, old worn out flannel sheets, old cotton clothing etc and put them in a rag bag in the kitchen.

These have multiple uses around here being yes can be used for an alternative to toilet paper, as cleaning cloths and as rags for the shed for equipment etc. We rarely buy or use any paper towel around here.

 

[backlash]

I installed a bidet on the toilet.
I did that to save on TP going into the septic tank.
I hate septic problems.
As long as we have water we can get clean and then just need a small amount of TP to dry.
If we don't have water it will be a difficult transition.
Worth every penny at $35.
https://www.amazon.com/Luxe-Bidet-N...=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B00A0RHSJO

 

[hiwall]

Like most on here we stock up. My wife says she does not want to run out of TP.....EVER!
We do still have some of the cloth diapers we used with the kids.

 

[Sentry18]

We stock us well, both full size TP and the compact stuff. After that it's Roman era wash rags for us followed by pine cones and corn cobs.

 

[zoomzoom]

I too stay stocked up on TP.

A couple other things I also do.
Baby wipes - I buy them by the case mainly for hand cleaning in the shop where I don't have a sink. I buy Huggies brand as I like their quality and it's about $14 for 650 sheets.

Center pull paper towels like what you see in businesses.
Each sheet is pretty big so you don't need many to do your business. The cases are relatively small so they store easier than TP.
You can get 3600 sheets for about $27. Something like this
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0040ZOMLE/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
The dispensers are also relatively cheap (About $15 each)

 

[Meerkat]

We stock us well, both full size TP and the compact stuff. After that it's Roman era wash rags for us followed by pine cones and corn cobs.

Being from the country as a child and having the privilege of a modern privy aka outhouse complete with half moon and a 3 seater fro kids. When power went off and no water from well it was there.
Tissue was used but when it run out we always had Sears Roebuck and JCPenny catalogs. I still save old phone books now just incase. Just crinkle and rub them together and you have toilet paper. They don't call it paper for nothing.

We when

Cloth feminine products are used in many third world countries. It is not a bad idea to have some of those made up. I have some started, just need to finish them up.

Hi Weedy, good idea also can use them for gauze in first aid.Cut according to size.

We stock us well, both full size TP and the compact stuff. After that it's Roman era wash rags for us followed by pine cones and corn cobs.

LOL, I'll stick to the phone book ,thank you.

 

[Meerkat]

I too stay stocked up on TP.

A couple other things I also do.
Baby wipes - I buy them by the case mainly for hand cleaning in the shop where I don't have a sink. I buy Huggies brand as I like their quality and it's about $14 for 650 sheets.

Center pull paper towels like what you see in businesses.
Each sheet is pretty big so you don't need many to do your business. The cases are relatively small so they store easier than TP.
You can get 3600 sheets for about $27. Something like this
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0040ZOMLE/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
The dispensers are also relatively cheap (About $15 each)

Be careful with the wipes getting old. Once the air hits anything packaged it will collect bacteria. Keep them well sealed and store lots of 91% alcohol. I keep lots of it and peroxide. Water can be one of the most dangerous things once it sits.

 

[Caribou]

I'll be the last person on the block to run out of TP. I like the flannel idea and I have one that has been relegated to the rag bag. What size do you cut them to?

 

[zoomzoom]

Be careful with the wipes getting old. Once the air hits anything packaged it will collect bacteria. Keep them well sealed and store lots of 91% alcohol. I keep lots of it and peroxide. Water can be one of the most dangerous things once it sits.

Interesting. Never thought of bacteria. Most of the wipes are kept in their airtight OEM packaging until needed. What I have found is if I open a package and leave it in one of their quick access containers, they dry out in a month or 2.

I have about 500 gallons of alcohol (and 2oo gallons of hand sanitizer) but not sure I want to wipe my butt with something that strong unless it's seriously diluted. I just use the alcohol for starting fires and such.

 

[Meerkat]

Interesting. Never thought of bacteria. Most of the wipes are kept in their airtight OEM packaging until needed. What I have found is if I open a package and leave it in one of their quick access containers, they dry out in a month or 2.

I have about 500 gallons of alcohol (and 2oo gallons of hand sanitizer) but not sure I want to wipe my butt with something that strong unless it's seriously diluted. I just use the alcohol for starting fires and such.

Well maybe not on the butt. Also I read not to use antibiotic soap or wipes too often. It can enter bloodstream and cause infection it it meant to protect from. We use it when one of us is sick on door nobs, faucets,etc,. But they say [ whoever 'they' is ] it can cause immunity to antibiotics when you need them. don't know if it is true or not.
I'm a germ fanatic and habitual hand washer. Rub alcohol on my hands and in my nose soon as I unload buggy or leave public places. And if somebody coughs on a grocer or store ailse I get wheel getting away.

 

[Meerkat]

The way I see it if shtf wiping will be my last concern. But I do save phone books just in case,they are free and heavier than 12 rolls of tissue. So they will last and take up little storage.

 

[The Lazy L]

... Prepping for the after of any major disaster that will disrupt the flow of products being at the store is Toilet paper. What do you do AFTER it runs out...

We don't even have a disaster and we still tun out of TP! Two or three times a year I'll find a box of Kleenex on the stool lid. Wife put the box there until she goes to the store the next day to buy TP. Next day there is a different box of Kleenex on the stool. She forgot to get TP and is scrounging around the house for more tissues.

So one time when this cycle was repeating I went to Walmart during my lunch break and picked out the largest package of TP I could find. Bumped into the wife on my way to the cash register. Wife wanted to know what I was doing? "Buying toilet paper!" I answered. "That's not the right brand" she replied. I put the TP in her cart for her to return and I went back to work.

I'll try a different solution to the problem of running g out of TP. Next time I was a Walmart I bought several packages of TP. Took them home and hid them in the basement. The next time we ran out of TP and was almost down to the last tissue that had been cut into quarters I mysteriously "found" a roll that could carried us to the wife's next trip to Walmart.

 

[Terri9630]

Interesting. Never thought of bacteria. Most of the wipes are kept in their airtight OEM packaging until needed. What I have found is if I open a package and leave it in one of their quick access containers, they dry out in a month or 2.

I have about 500 gallons of alcohol (and 2oo gallons of hand sanitizer) but not sure I want to wipe my butt with something that strong unless it's seriously diluted. I just use the alcohol for starting fires and such.

Just add a bit of water to the wipes and they'll be good to go. That's a common problem out here in the desert.

 

[Terri9630]

The way I see it if shtf wiping will be my last concern. But I do save phone books just in case,they are free and heavier than 12 rolls of tissue. So they will last and take up little storage.

Right up until you get sick from poor sanitation.

 

[Terri9630]

Well maybe not on the butt. Also I read not to use antibiotic soap or wipes too often. It can enter bloodstream and cause infection it it meant to protect from. We use it when one of us is sick on door nobs, faucets,etc,. But they say [ whoever 'they' is ] it can cause immunity to antibiotics when you need them. don't know if it is true or not.
I'm a germ fanatic and habitual hand washer. Rub alcohol on my hands and in my nose soon as I unload buggy or leave public places. And if somebody coughs on a grocer or store ailse I get wheel getting away.

Antibacterial soaps don't allow you to become exposed to the germs you need to strengthen your immune system.

 

[Meerkat]

Antibacterial soaps don't allow you to become exposed to the germs you need to strengthen your immune system.

Mainly I use this when we go into stores, dr. offices etc.. We are exposed to everything the world has to offer now. Some surface contacted,some airborn .

 

[Meerkat]

Right up until you get sick from poor sanitation.

You mean phone books are poor sanitation? Well where do you think your toilet paper comes from? Probably China . There is a lot of ass wiping in this nation now and not many trees going down so that Charmin may not be too charming.

 

[Meerkat]

Just add a bit of water to the wipes and they'll be good to go. That's a common problem out here in the desert.

Yea then call 911, just kidding I know 911 won't be there for us.

 

[Sewingcreations15]

@Caribou for cleaning I cut the flannel (flannelette) into 30 x 30cm (12") square and for TP you could make them smaller about 20 x 20 cm (8-9"). You can also cut two pieces of flannel the same size and place the right sides facing and sew round the outside, turn right side out tuck in opening and topstitch with your sewing machine and these make good soft tissues, baby nappy liners or feminine pads or breastfeeding pads (about 3 - 4 layers), extra thick toilet paper and in an emergency as a wound dressing pad to soak up blood from gunshot wounds etc if you have run out of dressings.

 

[The Innkeeper]

Several medical doctors I know are strongly opposed to hand sanitizers. They are primarily alcohol based and alcohol takes up to 10 minutes to kill many forms of bacteria and the sanitizers are evaporated long before 10 minutes. They tell me we are fooling ourselves anD building alcohol resistant bacteria. Can’t quote their sources just sharing what they have shared with me.

 

[Terri9630]

You mean phone books are poor sanitation? Well where do you think your toilet paper comes from? Probably China . There is a lot of ass wiping in this nation now and not many trees going down so that Charmin may not be too charming.

I was talking about the first sentence, not the phone book bit.

The way I see it if shtf wiping will be my last concern. But I do save phone books just in case,they are free and heavier than 12 rolls of tissue. So they will last and take up little storage.

 

[Weedygarden]

@Caribou for cleaning I cut the flannel (flannelette) into 30 x 30cm (12") square and for TP you could make them smaller about 20 x 20 cm (8-9"). You can also cut two pieces of flannel the same size and place the right sides facing and sew round the outside, turn right side out tuck in opening and topstitch with your sewing machine and these make good soft tissues, baby nappy liners or feminine pads or breastfeeding pads (about 3 - 4 layers), extra thick toilet paper and in an emergency as a wound dressing pad to soak up blood from gunshot wounds etc if you have run out of dressings.

Thanks for this. I have been wondering as well what would be a good size.

 

[bkt]

+1 on the phone books here. You can't beat the wipes per square footage.

 

[Weedygarden]

+1 on the phone books here. You can't beat the wipes per square footage.

We never had phone books in our out house (Jones house) when I was a kid, we always had t.p. I did read that if you ever get to the point that you are using a page or two out of the phone book, you want to soften it up. You can do that by crumpling it up, flattening it out, and re-crumpling it again, a few times. The more times you do it, the softer it will get.

 

[DrPrepper]

Well maybe not on the butt. Also I read not to use antibiotic soap or wipes too often. It can enter bloodstream and cause infection it it meant to protect from. We use it when one of us is sick on door nobs, faucets,etc,. But they say [ whoever 'they' is ] it can cause immunity to antibiotics when you need them. don't know if it is true or not.

Meerkat, The problem with antibacterial soaps is that they can cause the bacteria that are naturally in and on your body to become resistant to antibiotics. Then, if you get infected with one of these resistant bugs, it can make treating the infection very difficult. Alcohol gel (as long as it is more than 60% alcohol) is perfectly safe to use and does not contribute to resistance. They make some gels that are not perfumed and have additional lotions and emollients that are so gentle, you probably could use them on your butt (although I'm really not sure I want to know why you would want to!!! )

 

[Meerkat]

Meerkat, The problem with antibacterial soaps is that they can cause the bacteria that are naturally in and on your body to become resistant to antibiotics. Then, if you get infected with one of these resistant bugs, it can make treating the infection very difficult. Alcohol gel (as long as it is more than 60% alcohol) is perfectly safe to use and does not contribute to resistance. They make some gels that are not perfumed and have additional lotions and emollients that are so gentle, you probably could use them on your butt (although I'm really not sure I want to know why you would want to!!! )

:green man:Thanks and I agree.