Blog Update!
For those of you not following me on Facebook, as of the Summer of 2019 I've moved to Central WA, to a tiny mountain town of less than 1,000 people.

I will be covering my exploits here in the Cascades, as I try to further reduce my impact on the environment. With the same attitude, just at a higher altitude!

Sunday, September 16, 2007

The poop on cloth wipes

Don't forget to wipe!Regarding the subject title of this post - I've been wanting to say that ever since I started the Cloth Wipe Challenge! Anyway, welcome to the first day of the Challenge!

For those of you who have been tuning in:

20 comments:

Jane said...

I would do it but at the cost of $1.25 for a load of wash, I am not doing anything to add to laundry yet. As it is I own over 30 pairs of undies and use several beach towels on a rotating basis to keep the laundry to a min. If we bought a house with a washer dryer, I would be all for it.

Oldnovice said...

Where's the "flat out just not interested in doing this" option? :-) If I lived alone, I'd probably do it, but my husband is VERY private when it comes to toileting - his AND mine. He thinks it's too much information if I ask him to stop a DVD so I can go pee. He's aware that y'all are doin' it and he knows that I hang with y'all sometimes. He's very grateful that I haven't included this in my envirowackiness. So, we can stay married. :-)

Ashley // Our Little Apartment said...

i started!! yay :) i am already amazed at 1) how comfortable, 2) how much TP i usually use! i'm saving SO MUCH.

jane, i have no washer or dryer in my apartment... but i figure i'll be saving money on toilet paper. plus, it's really not THAT much extra to the wash :)

UrbanHippieMama said...

we started last night, because after making all our wipes my DD was just waaaaay too excited to wait til morning. :) we are just using one layer of flannel, cut in various shapes (a 6 year old was helping me..ha ha). Our system, thus far, is to have a stack of clean, dry wipes next to the toilet, a spray bottle or squirt bottle (we are trying both to see which we like best) with water, witch hazel, lavender, and TTO in it, and then a clean yogurt container to put the dirty wipes in. So far I have learned: I would rather spray/squirt the water onto the wipe before using it (for #2), instead of squirting myself and wiping with a dry wipe, and I am going to fill the containers with water and bac-out and cover with a lid, so that the dirty (stinky) wipes are soaking until they get washed, and so that guests don't see our poopy wipes sitting in there. lol

crstn85 said...

I started yesterday and I'm shocked how small the pieces of fabric can be. I ended up cutting mine in half after I made them.

p.s. is commenting here how I sign up?

Chile said...

Okay, I admit I tried again with the washing myself and I think I'll go with that. I just cannot deal with the concept of poop ON wipes. Nope, can't do it. BUT, I can handle washing with a little water and then drying with a wipe.

So, question for other washers: how do you deal with the washing hand dripping water while drying or do you dry with that hand so the wipe is keeping the drips at bay?

Sheesh, I can't believe I'm actually discussing this publicly....

Crunchy Chicken said...

oldnovice - sounds like you would need the "family/household would freak" option. Staying married is a good thing :)

ashley - my biggest aha! moment was how much TP I use. So cutting that down has reduced my TP purchases immensely.

bred - nice job!

crstn85 - consider yerself sign up.

chile - you never cease to amaze me with your creativity :)

Anonymous said...

sign me up! I'm making my wipes (on the cheap to start) tomorrow while my daughter is at preschool. Ill make better wipes when my husband is back from his business trip. Is it bad that I started this without consulting him, and while he's away? ;-)

Oh well, he went to Spain for a week and left me with the kids. It's what he gets!

Trina said...

Chile, I use my dry hand to get a cloth, dry the wet hand, then dry the rest. I don't know who is craizier...you for asking or me for answering.

Anonymous said...

I got a great flannel babay blanket from the thrift shop. it is pink with poodles, *wink* how cute is that!

This is really not that big of a deal, I know it sounds crazy, but it really isn't!

Anonymous said...

so I e-mailed my husband to tell him I'd made an executive decision about his toilet habits. He wasn't very thrilled (understatement), so it'll probably just be me and the kiddo doing the challenge. Do we still get to sign up?

The best part so far (other than no scratchy TP on my bum) was when I went to Wal-MArt (I know, but you work with what you've got) to buy the flannel. The woman cutting the fabric asked what I was making. Without thinking, I replied "reusable cloth toilet paper"

Boy did that get an interesting look! To her credit, her only verbal reply (she was trying *really* hard not to laugh) was "well, this is sure soft enough, then"

Isle Dance said...

I'm doing it. Again, thank so you much for the prompting. It's so simple, I feel like a dork for ever fretting. Here's my update: http://isledance.blogspot.com/2007/09/cloth-wipe-challenge.html

Anonymous said...

Okay. Maybe other wimps can do what I'm going to try. I pledge to use cloth wipes in the morning on my laundry days. I will keep the wipes in a yogurt container, as suggested by Bred.

I know this is totally only getting my toe in, but as I become less squeamish, I'll progressively add more days.

Crunchy Chicken said...

sue - I signed you up. I love your Walmart experience!

raw vegan mama - I know. Once you try it out, it's so simple you wonder what the fuss is all about.

stella - I'm signing you up. Just for encouragement.

Anonymous said...

Crunchy, I have discovered the real reason you are running this blog. You just couldn't live without an outlet for your tremendous Post Titles.
Keep up the good work. Sorry, got to leave right now, the captain is calling us all to the poop deck.

Anonymous said...

I'll sign up. I started on saturday just to try it out, well the number two part, because I have been doing the number one part for awhile. The first day I was grossed out just seeing the poop on the wipe. The next day there was hardly any on the wipe. Cats don't use toilet paper. Maybe if you eat the right stuff you don't have too much to wipe off? I made my wipes from an old towel. Works really well but their is a lot of linty stuff where they fray. It is also a real pain to hang them all out on the clothes line. I'm sticking with it, although I'm the only one in the household doing it.

Olive said...

everyone told me that when i suggested this to my husband that he would never be on board with it. his response? "im surprised it took us this long to get on board with this idea"

haha. im sure we'll be cloth-lifers

Anonymous said...

I'm a little late posting a comment on this one, but I have another suggestion for wipes: we've always used cheap baby washcloths for our cloth-diapered babies' bums, so that's what I'm using, also. Although the flannel wipes sound really comfy-soft, this can be an easier option for those of us who are sewing-challenged.

Jacob Alex Dyer said...

A thought...

I did not use cloth OR paper for four years while living in Africa in the Peace Corps. I used water for all processes in the bathroom. It requires more attention to hand-washing, and can seem awkward on a modern toilet, but is by no means impossible. I have not continued with this here, but I have Peace Corps friends who have. Seeing this issue on the web is an inspiration to go back to water.

As one of them has remarked to me, wiping is not cleaning, using water to actually clean down there leaves you...cleaner, and waste/washing cloths is a nonissue.

-Queens, NY

Anonymous said...

I started the 'no paper' route last weekend, and I'm finding it quite easy to use a cloth, then just wash it in the sink with Dr Bronner's and let it air dry for next time. Much nicer than having dirty cloths in a bucket, imho. I'm also trying out a homemade bidet, reusing a contact solution bottle with water, to squirt down the area before wiping. Very enjoyable.