Innovative Alternatives to Toilet Paper

Toilet paper is something we use every single day. It’s something we don’t question. It’s a given in our culture. We take it for granted. We even hoard it!

But are there alternatives to toilet paper?

Bidets

A bidet is a bathroom fixture much like an additional toilet, used for washing your ‘bathroom’ areas. “The classic bidet is a miniature, bathtub-like fixture situated next to the toilet, with taps on one end. Its tub is filled with water, and the user straddles themselves over it to wash below the belt,” an article in The Atlantic described.¹ Bidets have adjustable water pressure, temperature, and sometimes a drying function. They are considered very hygienic and they are eco-friendly alternatives to toilet paper. But bidets are more popular in Europe, Japan, and Venezuela than in North America. 

Does the use of a bidet reduce toilet paper consumption, and hence save trees? Yes, according to an article in Scientific American, they save trees and also they save water, from the production of toilet paper!²

I’d love to try this but there is just no room in our small bathroom. But in a future residence, perhaps!

Wipes

First, do not buy disposable wipes – even if they use words like ‘flushable’ or ‘septic-safe’ or ‘biodegradable’ on the packaging. They might even be sold in green packaging, like the example above. They are most likely made of plastic, are not biodegradable, and cause major damage to sewer systems. “Once flushed, the wipes glom together with any fat from food waste and can form what are called “fatbergs”—iceberg-style blockages that can clog a whole system.”³ They are expensive to extract and it is costly to repair the damage they cause. Disposable wipes also end up in waterways, the ocean, and beaches.

If you must buy these, please throw them in the trash can – even if they are advertised as ‘flushable.’

Cloth wipes, sometimes referred to as family cloths or reusable toilet paper, are reusable cloth wipes that you launder after each use. I had a family member who made her own to use while she was pregnant because she was peeing so frequently – brilliant! Many people have strong opinions for and against this process.⁴ I sewed some family cloths for our home to use instead of disposable wet wipes. I simply took cotton flannel scraps and old t-shirt fabric and made two-layer rectangular wipes. We have found them very useful as a supplement. We rinse them out after use and wash them in the washing machine.

Paper Scraps

I’ve never tried this, but in a pinch, why not? Especially paper already bound for the trash or recycling. Just don’t flush the paper scraps – throw them in the trash!

Leaves

This is a classic, reliable option for camping or hiking. Many of us have had to do it at one time or another. However, I don’t recommend this one for home use. And definitely don’t flush them. I’ve seen how leaves clog up my gutters, so I can’t imagine what they’d do to my drainage pipes.

Tree-Free Toilet Paper

This is my favorite! I first wrote about plastic-free, recycled toilet paper in 2018, specifically about the company Who Gives A Crap. They make both recycled and bamboo-sourced toilet paper. You can read all about it here.

Other Ideas?

Have you tried one of these alternatives, or another that I did not cover? I’d love to know if you’ve thought of something else, leave me a comment! Thank you for reading, and please share and subscribe.

Note: Portions of this article were previously part of my 2018 article on plastic-free, recycled toilet paper. It eventually made sense to move this information to its own space.

Footnotes:

1. Article, “The Bidet’s Revival,” The Atlantic, accessed March 18, 2018. ↩︎
2. Article, “Wipe or Wash? Do Bidets Save Forest and Water Resources?“ Scientific American, December 16, 2009. ↩︎
3. Article, “The Bidet’s Revival,” The Atlantic, accessed March 18, 2018. ↩︎
4. Article, “What Is “The Family Cloth” And Why Do People Use It? An Explainer,” Buzzfeed, March 8, 2018. ↩︎