To ask why would someone use washable toilet wipes?

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I was reading an article this morning about a women who has made the switch to use washable toilet wipes instead of toilet roll. I honestly had no idea this was a thing, but from googling it looks like there are companies which make and sell these wipes.

The women claimed they were more environmentally friendly which I just don't understand. Surely you recycle the loo roll tubes and the paper disintegrates. Using wipes that you have to wash would be worse for the environment wouldn't it?

I cannot see why anyone would use such wipes am I missing something? Or is it as I suspect a new-fangled look at me and how environmentally aware I am statement?

They're meant to be used instead of wipes, not loo roll, so after loo roll. Unfortunately I can't use loo roll, so need to use wipes, so I've gone for the environmentally friendly option of these cloths. I cut one cloth into four pieces, each piece is washable up to 80 times and it isn't going down the loo. There's only me using them and I was them after every use and at the end of the day they go in a small bucket of milton and then in the wash with everything else. It is definitely more environmentally friendly than bunging wipes down the loo.

Shitty buckets of arse rags, no thanks

A very evocative phrase

I saw a video on fb from a woman whose family use ‘family cloth’ but just for wee, not poo. I wouldn’t mind that so much, but the thought of a poo-stained cloth marinading in a bucket for a couple of days and then being washed on a 30 degree cycle makes me want to die.

Oh yuck yuck yuck yuck yuck

I used mostly cloth nappies for babies, but the idea of adult washable bum wipes makes me boke :( It's like old geezers who use cloth hankies - whenever I see them I think "some woman has to wash the snot out of those" It's always women.

When I was little we used to chant
In days of old when knights were bold
And paper had not been invented
You wiped your arse with a bunch of grass
And walk away contented

At least nobody expected women to wash the grass.

Reading this with my top lip curled. Eurgh..
I try to be environmental friendly, but the idea of having a pile of shitty cloths accumulating in a bathroom is just making me squeam.
Japanese toilet the way to go I think.

I quite fancy switching to one of those fancy Japanese style toilets eventually where they use water to clean you.

Tried one of these out in Tokyo airport. Couldn't get the fecker to stop. Was left with a cold, wet bum in a cold draught.

Haha a wet cloth is much better at getting rid of poo than dry toilet roll... for a messy poo you might need a lot of loo roll but could get away with just one or two wipes.
STILL COULDN'T DO IT THOUGH!

Is this washable toilet roll so to speak or a washable wet wipe?

Flushable wet wipes don't break down and are a massive contribution to fat bergs in sewers and overflows (they set like concrete into the fat berg).

Even toilet paper doesn't break down properly and the bleaching of it during production has a massive environmental impact.

I'd use a washable substitute for wet wipes but not for toilet paper in shared households because I can't get past the risk of cross contamination and general yuk. I wish I had the space for a bidet but I might, yet again, look into retro-fitting a bidet kit.

Expensive retrofits of conversions here if you don't know what I mean: www.bidet-shower.co.uk/why-purchase-your-electronic-bidet-shower-toilet-from-us-/electronic-bidet-toilet-seats/

Budget version here (several models of Eureka bidet kit available on Ebay for between £36-50):

I also think there are MANY less grim ways of lessening our environmental impact, like becoming vegetarian or having a few meat-free meals a week, or carpooling, or lowering the heating by a couple of degrees, or walking / cycling instead of driving or shopping local or reducing plastic use etc etc etc. Most people don’t do all of those, which would be much more impactful than reusable loo cloths!

They're meant to be used instead of wipes, not loo roll, so after loo roll.

Maybe we should contact her and explain that, she is definitely using them instead of loo roll!

and then in the wash with everything else.

😕

I don't even wash knickers and pyjamas with anything else.

You know how humanity and society evolve over time? Well that's why we no longer use shit rags like it's the middle ages! No. Just no.

Most people don’t do all of those, which would be much more impactful than reusable loo cloths!

I think that's a very fair point twotailed. That's why I took it to be a way of signalling how amazing she was. No one would care or pay too much attention if she walked, was a vegetarian and reduced her plastic usage as lots of people do those things.

We use them for the baby, instead of wet wipes and they are so much better. I'd like to use them for myself as they are more environmentally friendly (for landfill and manufacturing if nothing else) and they do clean an awful lot better than loo roll, but I just can't do it! The idea of my poo in the washing machine is just so much worse than DSs for some reason!

I’m very into reuseable stuff in general- Mooncups, washable makeup wipes, cloth pads. All work well and definitely save money as the stuff that’s needs washed takes up v little space and goes in a load that would otherwise already be going on anyway.

I absolutely draw the line at reuseable loo roll. It would need to be washed and dried on its own, and at least every other day- imagine wee and poo covered rags festering in the bathroom until you had enough to warrant a wash.

We use cheeky wipes for the baby. What do you think people used before toilet roll? Did they just shuffle their arse across the grass?

Bidets were invented to wash your arse and bits in. Every house should have one. Toilet roll is an american ideal and was intended to dry your arse after washing yet morphed in to shit wiping.

If you only use toilet roll to wipe your backside then you're pretty bloody grim IMO.

I would be ok with this for wee but continue with paper for poo. We already use cloth nappies so would wash with them - wouldn't be keen once that stopped.

As to this:

"It's like old geezers who use cloth hankies - whenever I see them I think "some woman has to wash the snot out of those" envy It's always women"

Husband and I both use cotton hankies. We're young(ish) and he's not much of a geezer. He washes them - or rather he sticks them in the machine. It's much nicer than using a little bit of tissue that goes all hard and always makes my nose hurt after a couple of days with a bad cold.

I don't think I could bring myself to do this BUT having used reusable wipes for our baby and seeing just how much cleaner they get him than wet wipes (which themselves have got to be a lot cleaner than just loo roll) I can see the argument. When you stop and think about it loo roll after a poo is pretty disgusting - if I got poo on my hand I wouldn't wipe it off with a dry tissue and consider that clean now.

Maybe they are intended for use in places in the world where the sewer system can't handle normal loo paper ?

www.express.co.uk/travel/articles/780533/countries-flush-toilet-paper

I think I'd rather have something washable, than a bin for used paper.

The idea of my poo in the washing machine is just so much worse than DSs for some reason!

I feel like this too - but then my baby isn't weaned, so his poo isn't like adult poo. But I guess we'll carry on using the reusable wipes when he is, so at that point I'll have to admit that it's a purely psychological rather than rational barrier that stops me doing this!

If you only use toilet roll to wipe your backside then you're pretty bloody grim IMO.

Seriously I don't know how to respond to that.

They're meant to be used instead of wipes, not loo roll, so after loo roll

This isn’t true at all, where did you get this from? It’s instead of loo roll. And it’s not about recycling/biodegradableness, it’s about not cutting down loads of trees to make loo roll in the first place.

I have friends who use washable cloths and get along just fine. It’s much less wasteful and more environmentally friendly even factoring in the washing when you consider the effects of so much deforestation. I’ve considered it myself, but only for wee’s, I couldn’t do it with poo. I have a bladder issue and get through a loo roll roughly everybody 2.5 days just for me.

If you only use toilet roll to wipe your backside then you're pretty bloody grim IMO.
Totally agree.

We very nearly started using washable wipes instead of loo roll. We both agreed we would much prefer it to loo roll, but the washing of them put us off. We have compromised with Who Gives A Crap loo roll instead for now. I use washable sanitary towels though.

I spent a lot of time travelling. I miss miss the bum gun - surely the most environmentally friendly, as well as feeling much cleaner than loo roll.

Seriously I don't know how to respond to that

Grew up in a country with bidets and was shocked when we moved here to find people only used paper to wipe poo away. Have now normalised it and wouldn't know how to wash my arse without splattering myself, and probably wouldn't want to either. Objectively though, washing with water has to be cleaner that wiping with dry paper.

It's all what you've been brought up with and think is normal, isn't it?