4 Not-So Surprising Alternatives To Toilet Paper

So all the groceries and stores are out of toilet paper. Don't panic! Check out these alternatives to toilet paper that will do the job, too!

4 Alternatives to Toilet Paper

When emergency conditions arise, it’s common to see holes on store shelves. The average American knows to stock up on canned goods when the power could go out from a big storm. Bottled water is always a big seller if the threat of unsafe tap water lurks.

But, the coronavirus pandemic cleared the shelves of an entirely different good: toilet paper.

Faced with the possibility of being quarantined for 30+ days, panic buyers filled their carts with toilet paper, tissues, and paper towels. Baby wipes and other common toilet paper alternatives also disappeared from shelves.

So what happens if you were late to the TP party, and now you’re in a pickle?

Luckily, there are alternatives out there that will do the same job while your toilet tissue is on backorder. And no, you don’t need to resort to newspapers or leaves just yet.

1. Install a Bidet

In a departure from rubbing your bottom at all, bidets are a great sanitary and environmentally friendly option that can be easily added to your toilet.

If you’ve traveled to Europe, you will likely have seen a separate bidet installed next to the toilet. Bidets are available for as little as $20, can be affixed to the toilet you have and tied into your existing plumbing.

An added benefit of bidets is that you aren’t throwing anything into your toilet that could clog it (like those wipes, tissues, and paper towels some people bought up).

RELATED: How to Make Commercial Grade Hand Sanitizer

2. Towel Scraps = DIY Wipes

Go through your linen closets and pick out the towels and washcloths you no longer need. Cut them into smaller squares to use as toilet paper. These will be washable in hot water the same way that cloth diapers are.

To get the most out of your towel scraps, turn them into DIY wipes. Soak them in a solution of water, liquid soap, and baby oil. Prior to use, you can store them in Ziploc bags or wipe containers that you have on hand.

3. Repurpose Other Paper Products

Maybe you’re low on toilet paper but had just stocked up on tissues or napkins.

Our homes are full of paper products other than toilet paper if you look around. Some people have even resorted to using coffee filters.

Be sure not to throw paper alternatives in your toilet! You will end up spending your entire TP budget and more on a plumber.

4. Take a Shower

If you are truly out of options, hop in the shower after using the restroom. An extendable showerhead will get the job done much more efficiently than toilet paper ever did.

Just be sure to give your shower a good scrub after using it as a makeshift bidet. After all, nothing works better as an alternative to toilet paper than washing with water and antibacterial soap.

Keep in mind that only Western societies commonly use toilet papers; the majority of the world gets by without it on a daily basis! In fact, an estimated 4.2 billion people live without toilets at all.

So as you ration your squares or resort to wiping with that coffee filter, remember that this is indeed a First World Problem.

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