Frugal, stingy, penny pincher...all of those terms could be used to describe me. I don't like to part with my money, but at the same time I like to get good value for my money, too. However, sometimes I come across an idea that is even too frugal for me. Case in point: reusable toilet wipes.
Reusable toilet wipes are being promoted as a way of reducing the need for paper, and an economical alternative to toilet paper. Basically, it's a wash cloth. You do your business, wipe yourself with the soft, damp cloth, and then toss it into something that looks like the diaper bucket my mom used to toss my sister's cloth diapers into back in the 1960s.
Companies like Wallypop sell these cloths for about $11 for a dozen. I'm sure if you wanted to go this route you could buy some basic wash cloths at the local dollar store. Personally, this idea isn't for me.
First of all, when I...er, wipe...I don't ever want to see that wipe again. I have no problem flushing it away, never to be seen (or smelled) again. Also, with this method, you'll need to wash these cloths in you washing machine. I don't want something like this being washed in the same machine as my dress shirts and khakis. Eww.
At my house, we purchase the double roll-sized toilet paper. Scott makes a good double-roll toilet tissue, and it lasts a long time. I also buy baby wipes for my nether regions. If they are soft enough for a baby, I figure they should be just fine for me.
What did people do before the glorious invention of toilet tissue? Well, they made do. They used leaves, corn cobs, and pages from newspapers and catalogs (seriously). In some countries, toilet tissue is considered to be disgusting and unsanitary. In India for example, a cloth and some water is considered to be the way to go for many. In Middle Eastern countries, a cloth and/or the left hand is the acceptable means of cleaning after a Number Two. In those countries, the left hand is for wiping, the right hand is for eating, and those two are not interchangeable.
I will stick with my baby wipes.
Extreme Frugality: Reusable Toilet Wipes
Posted by T | 5:43 PM | Frugal Living Frugal Tips | 3 comments »
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
I use toilet paper and then a baby wipe for #2 as well.
I dislike the idea of these wipes...it is just too gross for me to think of reusable wipes and washing them as well.
Of course I live in an apartment complex so if I have e neighbor who uses these then I am in trouble...but that is why I wash everything on HOT and use color safe bleach in all loads.
Way too frugal for me.
I'm with you. I did cloth diapers for my twins. This time around, I'm doing disposables. I do not want to every wash anything like that again. :)
Jenn in Michigan
At some point, you just have to determine how far you are willing to go to save money. For some people, it is dumpster-diving. For me, it's reusable toilet wipes.