Toilet Paper Conservation In the Age of Covid-19

Is this happening to you?

Are you afraid you cannot buy more?

Are the paper goods aisles empty of TP?

Yikes! What are we all gonna do?

Where I live there simply isn't any toilet paper to be had in the stores. And, it is a rare commodity online. I haven't yet been able to order any, but due to my slightly "survivalist" proclivities and LDS upbringing (year's supply of food, etc.) I've always kept a supply of needful things on hand at all times.

If you have some TP and want to conserve it, I may be able to help you extend the supply you do have with the following suggestion:

Use a minimal amount - three to five squares - for the "big" jobs...you know...#2 (aka pooping).

For peeing don't use any.

Instead, use a personal rag or old, clean washcloth - each member of the family being assigned their own. Rinse and hang for the next pee. After a couple of days sling all the cloths into the washer and wash them. Be sure to have backup cloths for every fanny in your family while the current batch is being laundered.

This idea probably won't work with young kids unless you do the wiping for them. The danger with kids is that they'll toss the rag in the toilet and FLUSH. This leads to BIG TROUBLE of the plumbing variety. This is not the time for a clogged loo.

Will the days of toilet paper abundance return any time soon?

Another possibility is the installation of a bidet. It's eco-friendly and will vastly reduce the amount of toilet paper used to very little or none, leaving your tush feeling as clean and as fresh as those of the majority of Europeans that swear by this modality.

Bidet and toilet arrangement

If your bathroom has room, a bidet is generally installed next to the existing toilet. If not, Amazon sells an attachment for your toilet that enables its use as both toilet and bidet. The price runs from $30 to over $300 for a variety of types and models. These are likely found online from plumbing suppliers, as well. Supposedly you don't have to be a plumber to easily and fret-free install it yourself...

Bidet conversion kit on a conventional toilet. A small hose hooks into the water supply coming out of the wall that fills the toilet tank. You aren't being cleansed by water from the tank or bowl...a comforting thought.

The only downside of going the toilet-into-bidet route is that you'll be "douching" with cold water. Perhaps this is the reason for that "fresh" feeling bidet users refer to?

I'm sure there's some way around the cold water issue...perhaps hooking into the hot water line of the wash basin and possibly having to wait for the water to warm up? Well, where there's a will, there's always a way.

I haven't done much researching on the bidet-conversion kit, so it's likely that the manufacturers have solved the cold water issue.

A cautionary note to the National toilet paper woe is to secure your supply from toilet paper vandals. They're usually furry and scamper about on four paws. Don't be taken in by their cuteness or the fact that they're members of your household.