What To Do If You Run Out of Toilet Paper

What Can I Use If I Have No Toilet Paper?

Although most of us consider toilet paper to be essential, it actually is not.  Sure, it might be the easiest and most comfortable option, but what about when you can’t get your hands on a roll? Especially during the coronavirus disease outbreak, toilet paper has become scarce. As people see more empty toilet paper shelves, they buy more, and more, and more, and the shelves grow emptier and emptier. You may find yourself in a situation where you struggle to find toilet paper for a day or even a week. Luckily, people have been surviving and thriving long before the invention of our modern idea of toilet paper. We have gathered ten ideas of ways to clean yourself when toilet paper has run out.

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10 Items To Use Instead Of Toilet Paper

Water

In most Asian countries, toilet paper hardly even exists. Many people use water, especially in the form of a bidet, to clean themselves. You can buy a bidet off of Amazon here, which squirts water after you “go,” as you sit on the toilet. You can also create a portable one by filling a cleansing, or Peri Bottle, with warm water. If you don’t have either of these options, rinse yourself in a shower with soap and water, or pour water from a cup over the area needing cleaning.

Baby Wipes

Before doing anything drastic, check around the house for any wet wipes or baby wipes to use as an alternative to toilet paper. Consider even buying them at the store in a pinch, as it is a much easier option than some of the following. They make an easy, great, and effective option when you run out of the real thing. Make sure to throw away the wipes instead of flushing them, unless of course, they are flushable wipes. Even then, be aware that you are only supposed to flush one at a time. 

Kleenex

Check your storage and your bathroom for an extra box of Kleenex. Although this is similar to toilet paper, it will clog the toilet if you use too much, so be careful or flush often. This option is simple, although you may need to use a bit more than usual because of how thin Kleenex can be. 

Have you ever heard of Coin Tissue? Check it out!!!

Cloth Kinda like cloth diapers, but for adults, any form of cloth can be used to wipe. After this, you can rinse out the cloth, clean it either by hand or in the washer and dryer, and then re-use. It may be a good idea to store some soft flannel squares in your emergency preparedness in case of toilet paper running out long-term.

Paper

If you are a book-lover like me, you may be almost incapable of tearing up a book and using the pages as toilet paper. But in dire times, we must do dire things. Try newspaper, scrap paper, or pages from a book. Get creative: maybe try using old store receipts that you don’t need anymore, or old catalogs, or even old school assignments. Make sure to immediately throw the paper away and take it outside to limit the indoor smell.

Pro-Tip: If it ever does come to using paper, crumple it up a few times before use. This will get rid of the slippery surface and make it easier to use. 

Sponge

The ancient Romans actually used this method to wipe. If it worked for them, it can work for us! Although they would attach a sponge to the end of a stick for wiping purposes, you can just use the sponge. After using the sponge to wipe, boil the sponge or soak it in bleach, rinse it out, and then reuse if you’d like.

Leaves

If you are out of toilet paper and you are in the wilderness or have access to the wilderness, find a large plant leaf as a substitute. Leaves are nature’s great toilet paper! The following are usable options:

• Maple Leaves: Maple leaves are large, have no irritants, and are easy to identify. All of these aspects of maple leaves make them a great option for use when in nature.
• Corn Husks: A popular pioneer version for toilet paper, corn husks are an inexpensive, organic option. Their green leaves are soft, making them a comfortable alternative. If they have been dried out, you can soak them in water to soften them up again before use.
• Mullein Leaves: You may recognize these leaves because of the soft fuzz covering them. They grow low to the ground in sandy, dry soils. Because the fuzz may irritate especially sensitive skin, use with caution.
• Cottonwood Leaves: These multi-purpose, thick leaves can be used for bandages because of their medicinal qualities. In addition, they are thick enough to not tear during their use as toilet paper.
• Large Leaved Aster: These plants can be found in many different climates. Their heart-shaped, smooth, large leaves are perfect for toilet paper use. In fact, this leaf is called “lumberjack toilet paper.”
• Bolted Lettuce: If you have a garden, many of the plant leaves will work for toilet paper. Bolted Lettuce, for example, is a great alternative, once the leaves grow large enough for use.

Snow

If you are out of toilet paper in a cold climate, snow can be used to clean after using the bathroom.

Your Hand

I know, I know, cringe. But when you are fresh out of options, using your hand would be better than getting a red, irritated infection!

Rocks

First things first: find a smooth rock, (it’s important to find one with no sharpness) and scrape to clean. You will probably want to follow this method with squirting your butt with water. And, of course, make sure to sanitize the rock with soap and water after use.

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Will We Run Out of Toilet Paper During A Pandemic?

Although there is no way to know for sure, running completely out of toilet paper is unlikely. But if we continue to buy much more than we need, the shelves will continue to empty. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Right now, people are collectively panicking, which causes more buying than necessary. Read more about the psychology of panic here, and try to make decisions consciously instead of in a panicked state, for the sake of yourself and others around you. Making responsible choices for the sake of the global community instead of just yourself is one way to contribute to the solution instead of the problem.

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From a business perspective, toilet paper companies are going to want to keep producing their product, because of the massive consumer market. Although some stores may be out of toilet paper some of the time, as people continue to buy, toilet paper will continue to be produced. Simply buy as you need during this pandemic, stay calm, and start to keep your extra receipts, sponges, and baby wipes! Once all of these lockdowns are over, you can start to buy extra TP, so you have it on hand for any future pandemics.