Selfsufficientish.com

den_the_cat wrote: that may be the environmentally sound answer but I can't imagine the BF's mums face when they come to stay and I explain she needs to wipe her bum on that bit of material and then drop it in a bucket

It's true, the first time I was at my friend's cottage where their septic tank could not handle TP (particularly when there was a large number of people there to party for a long weekend) it was weird to throw TP into the garbage. They didn't even have a covered can. And I didn't want to be the person to empty that garbage (I do believe there was a grocery bag to easily toss the contents out).

I'm putting off using FBWs for another year or so - that is, until we have a baby and I'm already washing cloth diapers and baby wipes. OH had no problem switching to flannel nose-tissues - in fact, he loves them and promotes them to his friends and family now - but I expect he'll be more hesitant with the FBWs. He's not as "radical" as me. I figure, once I am washing baby stuff it is simple to demonstrate that what's good enough for baby's bum is good enough for ours! Plus I'll just be able to add them all to one load, so FBWs won't have to sit around in a bin for long before I have a load to wash. That should help in getting started. If I tried to start now I'd face resistance, likely setting myself up for failure... and OH is stubborn so I probably only have one chance

yeah, I'm thinking that cotton hankies are a lot easier to adapt to than flannel wipes . Although to be honest I'd rather have a nappy bucket by the loo than just use a bin european fashion so perhaps its not the worst idea in the world.

But..... back to the spirit of the thread.....with no baby in the house is it not worse to be putting frequent flannel washes at a hot half load on than getting through a recycled loo roll a week?

den_the_cat wrote:yeah, I'm thinking that cotton hankies are a lot easier to adapt to than flannel wipes . Although to be honest I'd rather have a nappy bucket by the loo than just use a bin european fashion so perhaps its not the worst idea in the world.

But..... back to the spirit of the thread.....with no baby in the house is it not worse to be putting frequent flannel washes at a hot half load on than getting through a recycled loo roll a week?

Or how about a handful of sphagnum moss and a composting toilet?

Oh, and did you know that Americans make up 7% of the world's population but use 50% of the toilet tissues?

But...
But...
But.......

I mean... flannel bum wipe... bucket of water... You mean using the same... using other people's......... EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW.
EEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWW.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

I do wholeheartedly agree!
Sphagnum moss, no probs - but other people's - ooooooooohhh no!

Muddypause wrote:But...
But...
But.......

I mean... flannel bum wipe... bucket of water... You mean using the same... using other people's......... EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW.
EEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWW.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

You use a fresh one, dump it in the wash bin and then wash the whole lot once or twice a week. You wouldn't believe how trendy it is in parts of the US, with different materials (velour anyone or how about silk?), and different ones for different functions.

Fine if you have the water, but I still think recycled loo paper in small amounts and either a water conservation loo or a composting loo. And if you're in the bush or doing the total back to nature thing, then spahgnum moss and a composting loo (or a suitable pit toilet).

Stonehead wrote: You use a fresh one, dump it in the wash bin and then wash the whole lot once or twice a week. You wouldn't believe how trendy it is in parts of the US, with different materials (velour anyone or how about silk?), and different ones for different functions..

Oh puh-lease. I can mayby get onboard with the idea of a pile of nice fresh flannel cloths and throwing them in with the nappies if it works for you, but washing the *ahem* out of velour and silk? Do they iron them as well?

Stonehead wrote:You use a fresh one, dump it in the wash bin...

Pheww! I was thinking the bucket of water was for rinsing, using the same one over and over, cf. the Romans with their sponges on sticks.

I can get back to me dinner, now.

Personally, I reckon there is a level of, ahem, soiling above which it simply wouldn't be polite to use anything other that flushable tissue. Not that I'm implying any sort of personal experience in that matter. Oh, no.

Maybe I should rethink what I'm having for dinner. And then check my stock of loo roll.

BTW Wikipedia has a thoroughly interesting item on toilet paper. Do you scrunch, or do you fold? And just how did anyone research that?

den_the_cat wrote:Oh puh-lease. I can mayby get onboard with the idea of a pile of nice fresh flannel cloths and throwing them in with the nappies if it works for you, but washing the *ahem* out of velour and silk? Do they iron them as well?

Have a look at this archived four-page thread on Amitymama.com. It's quite representative and should answer a few questions, although it's not as trendy as some.

anybody else remember the horrors of "Bronco" or "Izal" - designed to spread rather than absorb, that could give you paper cuts?

Muddypause wrote:Personally, I reckon there is a level of, ahem, soiling above which it simply wouldn't be polite to use anything other that flushable tissue. Not that I'm implying any sort of personal experience in that matter. Oh, no.

Ah, the curry, 10 pints of lager and a late night dodgy kebab special...

Maybe I should rethink what I'm having for dinner. And then check my stock of loo roll.

Just forget dinner!

BTW Wikipedia has a thoroughly interesting item on toilet paper. Do you scrunch, or do you fold? And just how did anyone research that?

Or scrunch and fold? And which way do you hang your paper? Ah, I've led a sad life!

Or perhaps you'd prefer custom paper? Any fancy designing a Ish roll (100% recycled of course)?

Martin wrote:anybody else remember the horrors of "Bronco" or "Izal" - designed to spread rather than absorb, that could give you paper cuts?

But great for playing a comb-and-paper kazoo with. And for doing tracings.

Actually, I found the 'extra slip' of the hard stuff to be quite an advantage, sometimes.

Muddypause wrote:
BTW Wikipedia has a thoroughly interesting item on toilet paper. Do you scrunch, or do you fold? And just how did anyone research that?

Probably as a result of a conversation like this one

Strangely enough I have no qualms about jiggling scraping and examining my ds's FBW's contents (he is still in cloth nappies, and I use washable wipes), but I would definitely draw the line at doing the same with dh's (forget the examine bit - he can tell me if he feels unwell). Strange that but i have no desire to pick up the aftermath of his thunderbox dwellings, or any other adult. i do have to encounter other children's poop during a working day, (bless their thoughtful parents, using dispicables so we can just throw it "away" heavy sarcasm), but doing the same with an adult? Non merci...

Susan

Stonehead wrote: Have a look at this archived four-page thread on Amitymama.com. It's quite representative and should answer a few questions, although it's not as trendy as some.

y'know what? far more unsettling than the general idea of using cloth wipes is the idea that some people won't use them because they can't figure out a way to get them to body temperature before use....