Or whatever you want to call it. Essentially, it’s cloth toilet paper and this is my first Tightwad Tuesday post ever.

Not all that long ago (I think it was within B’s first year of life) I made the switch from paper toilet paper to cloth tp. When I first heard of the practice in the forums at MDC I’ll admit that I was pretty grossed out. I had wrapped my head around using cloth diapers on my son and I cloth-diapered him part-time (at home) for awhile but I didn’t wash and re-use his wipes. Really though, there isn’t much difference and once I realized that, I was willing to give family cloth a try. As yet, however, I have not been able to bring myself to use it for anything other than pee but I’m happy with the way things are. It’s just me and B in the house so I’m the only one who uses it but I have noticed a HUGE difference in the rate that we go through paper tp. I buy Charmin double rolls (used to buy the jumbos but can’t find those anymore) in a 12-pack and they last me forever. Almost literally. I now buy toilet paper a few times a year instead of every few weeks even with being a pretty regular pooper.

My system is pretty simple and frugal too. I used an old flannel flat sheet that had been patched along one edge near the bottom. I cut it into 5.5x7.5-inch rectangles and then folded them in half into 5.5x3.75-inch pieces and serged along all four edges. As I was serging I wondered if they’d be too small but I find that I fold them all in half again just before I wipe so for me, the size is perfect. The flannel is so nice and soft and gentle on the girly bits too and no more lint balls where they don’t belong. Some people use old t-shirts torn up or other cotton fabric but I had this old sheet just sitting there and it felt good to re-purpose it.

A sheet re-born. Poor thing.

I have a tiny bathroom with no space out in the open to store the wipes. I had thought of putting them on the back of the toilet but nixed that idea because we do still use tissues and that’s where they were located and also because it seemed a little awkward to have to spin around to get a wipe. I suppose I could have picked one up before sitting down but… Instead, the wipes have found a home in the cabinet, which is immediately beside the toilet. I just have to open the door, lean over, and grab one. My rear never has to leave the seat even just a little.

All nestled in.

After being used, the wipes get tossed into a lidded crock that I picked up from Value Village for $2. I just throw them in with my regular towel load each time I run one. I’ve been using homemade laundry detergent (post tomorrow) for a few years now and it’s working out wonderfully. Some of the wipes are getting a slight stained look to them in spots but I figure a) they’re still clean, b) no one sees them, and c) they’re still in great shape so I leave them as is. I do have another 20 or so wipes cut out (left over from this batch’s first days) but not serged that will eventually find their way into the stash.

From grossed out to flannel toilet paper. Who would ever have thought. Not me, that’s for sure. It’s just part of me now. It’s what I do. And my boyfriend loves me anyway.

That’s my Tightwad Tuesday contribution.