Post by Gaz on Aug 31, 2016 11:12:29 GMT 10
Alternatives to Toilet Paper!
Test results: water best alternative for toilet paper
For 10 days I tried several alternatives for toilet paper. Partly because Wilma would not have used toilet paper. But also because it felt like a waist, and I wanted to see if it is possible to do something different. In an earlier post you can read how much trees an average person uses for toilet paper.
Alternative methods
I ended up trying four methods:
-water
-leaves
-cloths
These were the criteria for the test:
history Historical accuracy: how likely is it that we used this method in the Paleolithic era?
eco friendlyEco-friendly: Is it more eco-friendly than toilet paper?
Thumbs_up Success: How well does it wipe? Is it friendly for my skin!
1. water
it turned out most easy to put the water in a small plastic bottle. Not the jug that I tried the first time. After doing your business, remain seated at the toilet. With your right hand, poor the water down your bum. With your left hand, you wash.
history Historical correctness. It’s likely that we used water if there was a river or sea nearby, and usually there was as sapiens tended to live close to water – at least that’s where most remains have been found. I suppose we didn’t bring water to a place to do our business, but we might have just jumped in it afterwards.
eco friendly Eco friendly. I thought water wouldn’t be eco-friendly, as I assumed one might use a lot every time. Turns out I used 250 ml when I had to do a number 2. That’s like a glass of beer. Not a lot at all! Obviously it depends on your stool, the better it is, the less you need – that goes for toilet paper as well.
Thumbs_up Success. Also a pleasant surprise. I expected that my hands would get dirty, but somehow they didn’t. My Indian friend recommended to first poor a bit of water before you touch your skin. That works. Afterwards, I felt VERY clean. It works great, it felt better than toilet paper to me.
2. Leaves
history Historical accuracy. Since this was the first thing readers came up with, I suppose our ancestors must have come up with this too. Obviously we don’t know for sure.
eco friendly Eco-friendly. Depends. If we all tear down trees for their leaves, it has the same effect as toilet paper. But I found even in summer there’s enough leaves on the ground. So getting the material is eco-friendly. But how about disposing? I threw a little in the toilet. Heard it might get clogged. Threw the rest in the garbage. I’m not sure how to calculate the environmental impact of garbage. I used two leaves every time I went. I suppose one could compost it or throw it back into nature, but for me, those two options seem quite inconvenient.
Thumbs_up Success. Again, I was surprised how well this alternative worked. Leaves are soft, flexible and strong. I needed only two. I tested if I was clean by wiping with a bit of white toilet paper to check. Nothing on it! The younger the leaves, the nicer they feel.
Convenience. It took me 5 minutes to get a bunch of nice leaves right behind my house. I picked them from the ground. It was enough to last for a week I think. Still, it’s not as convenient to get as water. Also, to bring it to someone else’s place is very inconvenient. It feels odd to bring a stack of leaves in your bag :-)
3. Cloths
history Historical accuracy. Very incorrect. I don’t think early sapiens would use animal skin or something for this.
eco friendlyEco-friendly. A little less good than all the other options. One needs to wash the cloths after using or throw them away. Both options cost more energy or waist than all the other alternatives. But if you compare it to toilet paper, I think the cloths win. Toilet paper is not only made from trees, it is also chemically treated, wrapped in plastic, and shipped across continents. If you use and old cotton sheet, or like me, old socks, it’s only the washing that is less eco friendly. If there is any one who knows a good way of properly comparing the environmental impact of cloths and toilet paper, I’d love to hear it.
Thumbs_up Success. As you can imagine this works fine, kinda like toilet paper, but softer. I think the thinner the cloth, the easier it works. I must say, however, that after using water, this option felt less clean.
Convenience. It’s easy to get. I was advised to put a bucket with a lit in the toilet, in which you can soak the used cloths. It didn’t smell at all. Somehow it feels less weird to bring cloths than leaves to public toilets, I suppose cuz they are manmade. But then: what do you do with used ones? Throw them away or bring them? Both options don’t seem ideal.
Conclusion
I think water is the best option no matter what criteria one finds most important. It’s most convenient, cheap, and works well. The only thing I’d like to see at long-term, is how the being less dry works out. For now, I’ll stick to using water till the end of these 100 days.