The Necessity of Toilet Paper
by Kellene Bishop
Do you have enough toilet paper in your storage? photo c/o scrapetv.com/
Yesterday I came across an “emergency preparedness blog” that was alarmingly incorrect. It was a basic topic, but it was addressed in a very misguided manner. The author wrote about what she plans to use in an emergency for her toilet hygiene—rags instead of toilet paper. So as not to risk educating anyone incorrectly, rather than providing a link to the article I will instead provide a few summations of the article which she posted on this national “preppers” site.
First of all, she was a big advocate of NOT using toilet paper during an occasion in which you had to rely on an outhouse, a hole in the ground, or some other such scenario. She labeled such a premise as useless, expensive, and unrealistic. Instead she offered up a suggestion of using old rags and then storing the “used rages” in a lidded bucket filled with borax, bleach, water and laundry detergent. She believes that such an option is “more eco-friendly” than toilet paper is.
While I read the article, I could sense the enthusiasm that this person had for sharing her knowledge with the rest of the world. I believe she was also trying to make the alternative solution as easy as possible for others. I certainly don’t believe that she was attempting to mislead anyone. However, I physically cringed while I was reading it, realizing that she was setting up herself and anyone else who bought into her instructions, for a major sanitation problem—even a deadly one.
To understand why planning on using a rag as opposed to TP or another like product, I think I should first point out a few things about feces and urine that some folks may not realize. First of all, sewer treatment employees receive HAZARD PAY because of the danger of their work. In fact, sewer treatment employees receive more “disaster prevention training” annually than police officers do to improve their firearm skills. In other words, working with urine and feces is not a task to be taken lightly. The hazard in working with sewage isn’t just about the chemicals used to treat the sewers, but it’s also about working with the unavoidable—the waste itself.
Sanitation...a necessary preparedenss topic! photo c/o www.corecentre.co.in/
Urine contains compounded amounts of toxins, nitrogen, nitrates, and ammonia. As such, it is NOT recommended that it is simply thrown out somewhere uncontained or unprotected. For those of you who are considering having two containers for solid and liquid waste in a worst case scenario, I beg you to rethink that plan. Solid matter actually needs the liquid to help it break down. Plus, it’s simply not realistic from a physiological standpoint to perfectly separate the two while someone is heeding a call from Mother Nature. Separating the two compounds will only create more problems which I don’t have room to address in this post.
As urine and feces sit—especially in a heated environment—it develops deadly pathogens, dangerous combinations of microbes, bacteria, and viruses—including the well-known e-coli. This compound attracts flies which feed on it and then spread it from one location to another. The point being that handling such a compound in any way is not a wise decision. Staying away from it and disposing of it in all cases is critical.
Ye Old Outhouse photo c/o www.thegreenestdollar.com
Let’s also understand that a scenario that’s accompanied by the symptom of limited access toilet comforts that we’re presently used to is indicative of a serious scenario. Think about what would have to take place in order for a rationing of toilet paper to take place. (Other than the toilet paper shortage caused in 1973 by Johnny Carson jokingly telling his audience that there was a TP shortage. As a result, he actually CAUSED a shortage because millions of people cleaned off the shelves of TP that night. *grin*) Perhaps a natural disaster, a financial collapse, or act of war would cause such consequences. Any of these scenarios would mean that we could no longer take our present state of sanitation for granted.
One of most important aspects of establishing a society is to provide a community with reliable sanitation solutions. The reason is because poor sanitation can literally kill an entire community within a 50 meter radius in as little as 30 days. Bacteria, disease, and viruses are no respecter of persons, borders, or bank accounts. Thus preventing the spread of such must be diligently practiced at the root of its origins. If sanitation is not practiced with the utmost of our capabilities during everyday or dire circumstances, then disease and death will speedily run rampant. Remember disease is not easily curtailed to a specific environment. Disease is no respecter of persons, boundaries, or social positions Keep in mind that due to our easy methods of travel, disease can spread faster than it ever has in history. That’s a significant statement considering that the Spanish Flu spread to over one-third of the earth in a matter of only three months—this prior to the availability of speedy international travel.
Anyone want a corn husk? Anyone? photo c/o thefuntimesguide.com
Preparing for alternative sanitation solutions can be practical, comfortable, and realistic. The use of toilet paper should not be viewed as a luxury that can be easily dismissed. While we should be aware of alternative options such as corn husks, phone book pages, or newspapers, it’s important that we recognize the need to provide us with a safe distance, minimal exposure, and safe disposal of our hazardous waste. Seaweed is also a good alternative as it’s got healing properties with it as well. The fact of the matter is ALL of these aforementioned alternative options are much safer options for you versus you planning on using rags and cleaning them as you go.
To be blunt, planning on using cloth or rags is not an ideal “plan B.” Just by nature of the rag method you are more prone to come into contact with the fecal matter. The longer it “hangs around,” being stored in buckets, being washed, etc, the more likely that contact is. Additionally, the rag method requires storage of the fecal covered rags until you wash them. The storage—especially with any heat involved, will compound the hazardous toxins as the bucket of used rags sit. Something else I think we underestimate is that smells, especially unpleasant ones, strongly affect our morale. Unpleasant smells are not simply an affront on the senses. They are also an inhalation of dangerous microbes and airborne bacteria. If you’re storing the used rags, the smell lingers throughout your entire living environment. Instead it should be burned or broken down with something like Chemisan. It would definitely stink (excuse the pun) if you couldn’t enjoy the smells of sautéed garlic and onion because the wafting aroma of the outhouse overpowered it.
Use Thieves essential oil, or other essential oils instead of chemicals. photo c/o www.ylessentialoils.com
Lastly, in order to use rags for this particular hygiene care, most believe they need to use heavy chemicals such as borax or chlorine—neither of which are eco-friendly. Where can you safely dispose of those chemicals?? If you absolutely HAVE to use rags, consider instead using essential oils to clean the rags with such as lavender, Thieves, and tea tree oil. Exposing yourself to potential contact with fecal matter is such a bad idea, that even the reusable toilet wipe companies don’t recommend their product for use for anything else except straight urine. Additionally, it requires much more physical energy and water to take care of than does TP. You can never underestimate the importance of conserving physical energy and maintaining as much “normalcy” as possible during a crisis scenario.
On the other side of the debate, toilet paper can easily be broken down or safely disposed of. It can easily be burned or buried. My favorite method of breaking down fecal matter and TP is the use of Chemisan. Chemisan eliminates a great deal of the smell, deadly pathogens and breaks it down completely in as little as two weeks leaving behind the equivalent of a soil.
Portable toilets use Chemisan photo c/o www.fivestarpreparedness.com
Contrary to some opinions, toilet paper does not have to be expensive. For over a year now, thanks to coupons, I have put my mandatory price point on toilet paper at 25 cents a roll. I don’t pay any more than that, ever. But when I get it at that price, I do purchase as much as my budget that week will permit me. I also use that same strategy on anything else I purchase and bring into my home. I set a price point and stick to it. This means that I don’t have to choose BETWEEN having wheat or toilet paper. I get to have what I and my loved ones need for every anticipated event. Planning well everyday means that you don’t have to choose between one vital necessity and another. Knowing you have all of the bases covered means more mental strength for you to deal with the other aspects of a survival scenario which may test you.
Also as an alternative view of the blog I’m referencing, toilet paper is a multi-purpose product. It’s often used by cost conscious individuals in lieu of facial tissue. It’s also used by some as a source of cooking fuel (along with isopropyl alcohol)—a waste to me considering so many other cooking alternatives, but to each his own. And hey, TP has even been used by the US. Military as camouflage during the Gulf War!
The comfort factor of toilet paper should not be underestimated either. Promoting familiarity during a crisis scenario is as important as your medical supplies. This is why a survey two years ago revealed that over half of all of the respondents said that they would choose food first, then water, and then toilet paper as their supplies on a deserted island. In other words, it’s more important to peoples psyche and comfort than perhaps this author realized. I suspect more people didn’t mention toilet paper simply because it was off their radar. Perhaps a gorgeous companion and their favorite rock band made the list instead. When there is any kind of an “ick” factor involved, it’s much harder to expect persons to change their habits, even in a survival scenario. Trying to do so will inevitably bring about stress. If you’re using moss and leaves right now everyday, then you won’t have any problem with those items in the future—unless you don’t stock up. Otherwise, having what you’re familiar with for such an inevitable part of life is critical to your mental health.
Bottom line, in the event of true emergency scenario, having ample toilet paper will NOT be the least of your concerns. It falls in line with the Physical and Medical aspects of preparedness which puts it in the position of priority number 3 and 4 out of the Ten Areas of Preparedness. So, watch for the sales, know how much your family uses in a week, and plan accordingly.
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I thought that this was a well needed entry. And I’m going to purchase more tp as soon as I can. I can see where this misguided person kinda went with a cloth diaper analogy of putting the used rags in a bucket with cleaner. Like you said this would be very labor intensive and dangerous. I just wanted to mention, being from an area where people still use “honeybuckets” indoor buckets for toilets, that with a large family these fill up quickly and the use of chemeicals to control odor can not be overstated. Also when possible an outhouse is a huge improvement.
This is 1 area I wory the most about. I have studied up on it and I’m prepared. But I can’t control what other folks will do out of ignorance. The idea of human waste along with bleach and Borox going into rivers and streams or getting into the water table is truly frightening.
Do you know if Chemisan can be used in RVs?
yes, it can
Thank you, Great I got some other folks looking for a solution I’ll get them the the Fivestar website.
That cardboard portable toilet shown in your article looks very unstable. I would be afraid to park myself on it, let alone my 200+ lb. husband. I have visions of it collapsing or teetering. What other suggestion do you have for a portable toilet? What do you think of composting toilets?
It does look unstable, doesn’t it. Actually I love that product and I’m over 200 pounds, but it’s not the answer for long-term displacement. An outhouse will need to be considered for sure. But also, you can get one of those Luggable Loo lids that go on top of a 5 or 6 gallon bucket. Those are much better for long term.
What a fantastic entry. I learned something else new and actually have sent off an e-mail to the company who makes ChemiSan. I think it would be fantastic for a lot of things, septic tanks, outhouses and all that. I enjoy this site very much. Thank you.
This was a very important and informative blog tonight. Thank you for essential information for all of us. Would you also comment on how women should prepare for supplies for their menstrual cycle. I think people will run out of pads and tampons at some point in an emergency.
You can buy a “menstrual cup” which is reusable. My daughter tried one out once and it was a bit uncomfortable to take out but they are washable and reusable. For sanitary pads, I would a supply as big as t.p.
Yes, if you do a search on this site for “menses” you will see an article that I wrote specifically for that. (I think it’s called Menses Preparedness). Anyway, the solution is actually ideal for today as well as during rougher times. I store lots of pads, but for medical purposes, not menses.
A few questions:
1. I’m assuming it’s one chemisan application per bag. Do they tell you what constitutes a “full” bag?
2. What do you do with the bag when it is full? bury it? wait for it to decompose and throw it in your garden?
3. If you wanted to “test” it now…would you flush it? throw it out with your trash? Is that legal?
Anything else to consider?
Thanks
1) after your first use, you add the littel bad of Chemisan. Then when it’s about 2/3rd full you’ll discard the bag.
2) You will want to bury the bag. It decomposes in a matter of weeks in soil. But will take forever to decompose in gravel.
3) If you wanted to become familiar with the Chemisan process now, yes, you could simply throw it in the trash. It’s more biodegradable than diapers and wipes.
The ChemiSan toilets are intended for a couple of months of use. The company is currently creating a more long-term solution using PVC for scenarios such as what Haiti is experiencing. The present method is water proof, but it is merely a strengthened and treated cardboard, so you would need a few of them if you were going to rely on them long-term.
TP has always been high on my list. I have 24-packs of big-rolls under my bed. Hearing the newspaper-in-the-loo stories of my parents from World War II has made me never want to go there!
Personally, I feel a bit emotionally scarred having to use a “peanut butter” bucket at night when I was kid on the farm. So I’m all about averting any discomfort in this regard.
Great post. I’m all about using TP. But what about diapers for babies?
I’ve used cloth diapers with my two children. I currently wash out solids in the toilet, store in a closed pail, then launder with non-chlorine bleach and laundry detergent. We’ve liked them because they don’t leak nearly as much and our children’s skin has done better. Cloth wipes are much easier for cleaning up breastfed diapers than disposable wipes or even toilet paper, and we’ve found the kids get cleaner with them (the disposable ones are often too moist). But I definitely prefer TP for myself.
I’ve seen other prep sites recommend cloth diapers because you can continue to use them. I’ve even seen cloth menstrual pads (but the cup definitely sounds better).
How do you recommend handling diapers if we’re in a “no TP / sewer” situation?
I don’t see a lot of alternative options for diapers. I’m planning on using cloth. But using cloth diapers for one or two family members is a heck of a lot less hazardous than intending on a whole family, let alone a community to use rags. Fortunately, physiologically, their little bodies are not as full of toxins like the adult bodies are. If I were you, I’d still plan on using them, but I’d look for an essential oils option for cleaning them rather than harsh chemicals. I also would have plenty of “food handling gloves” on hand, just in case.
Glad you took the time to correct, at least in my mind, the info from that other article. This whole winter I have worried what it would be like to throw on hat, gloves and snowboots to tromp through the snow to a cold outhouse(and for me that means 2-3 times after dark & before midnight)so I asked my granny…she said the chamber pot was her friend. Or honey-dew bucket and the rule was “no #2, just dew in the dew bucket”. They were dumped on the way out to do chores in the morning before breakfast. I was always intrigued by her stories of the great depression, guess things are soon to come full circle.
Another thing when it comes to toilet paper. Lessons on conserving,wipe/fold/wipe, used kleenex goes back in the pocket for next trip to outhouse…stuff like that, will be the job of the moms to teach because kids(everyone really) need to be conserving now in so many ways and not just in the bathroom, so the culture shock is an easy transition.
Great post! The lady who suggested using rags instead of toilet paper was full of crap… (okay, sorry; I couldn’t resist…) Seriously, it’s the everyday items that we sometimes forget to stock up on – deodorant, toothpaste , toothbrushes, q-tips, floss, TP, etc. I have a year supply of toilet paper in storage but I think I’ll kick it up to 2+ years. (Does TP ever deteriorate or otherwise go bad?) It would no doubt make a great barter item as well.
Scott, TP does not go bad. Obviously you do need to prevent it from getting wet though, or it begins to break down immediately.
I have seen tp start to break down without getting wet. It is made of paper. I’ve seen tp that is at least 10 years old and it was very “flakey”. As it was unrolled, it didn’t stay together as well as new tp does. fyi
Great article! I just got a years supply of TP for my family, thanks to coupons! I have a question though. 2 actually. I don’t know a lot about the chemisan but I think its fairly expensive, am I right? And if so then it is not the solution for anything longer than a week or two at the most? So I guess anything longer would require an outhouse. Would something like chemisan be needed in an outhouse? My next question is what do we do when we are surrounded by neighbors a lot closer than 50 meters, who are not going to be prepared with most things let alone sanitaion needs. How on earth can we avoid getting sick because of so many people being unprepared. Trying to educate/motivate them only goes so far(unfortunately), as you well know.
Loved your article. Wondered WHERE you are able to find TP at 25 cents a roll. That sounds outstanding.
Nola, it’s always a combination of store specials on TP and existing TP coupons. I’ve gotten TP at this price at Walgreens, Wal-Mart, Smiths (which is like Krogers) and Macey’s which is an Associated Foods chain. I could do even better if I lived in the mid west where there are Krogers and in other areas of the country where there are CVS Pharmacies. It’s not about the strenght of the coupon. It’s about what it does in combination with a store promotion as well.
Right now FiveStarPreparedness has a group buy on these items this month. I believe that 30 applications of the ChemiSan for 35.45 (which should last you a month), and 14 of the small ChemiSan bags are 13.95. I think for a month that’s quite attractive personally given the serious nature. I think that group buy starts Monday the 8th of March.
Yes, I would also use the ChemiSan for the outhouse. I will also be using the diatomaceous earth.
Kellene is there a min. ammount you have to buy for the group buy discount?
I’ve already got the DE from Five Star. Great service from that store.
Mom and I have several RV’s we’d like to buy for but the budget only stretches so far.
Do you know if Chemisan has any effect on Septic Tanks? Good, bad or indifferent
Mom and I are prepping the rest of the family not so much. But we know who’s doorstep they will show up at if things go bad.
In terms of limits and such, those are Five Star questions, so you’ll need to contact them. Sorry. Other than letting you guys in on what sales I see, I try to keep myself separate from that business.
I do know that Chemisan is perfectly fine for septic tanks.
What it is a “Group buy” We’ll probably buy any way but I like specifics before I commit other folks. Well we will get this all worked out. I hope they will post it Monday the 8th.. Hint
A little work I’m sure they at fivestar will prove to be a faboo company to deal with. I’m already very pleased with them.
Thanks again for the info on septics
I know of many families who use “family cloth” (as they call it) instead of toilet paper. Are you saying that family cloth is never safe, or only if washers/hot water aren’t available? I agree that in a situation where there are no washers with water from hot water heaters, that wouldn’t be a good idea.
What kind of rolls are you talking about with respect to your 25 cent price point? Macey’s has 24 rolls of regular TP on sale for $3.98 right now (comes out to 17 cents per roll).
Katie, what I’m saying is that there are a LOT of alternative methods that would be more sanitary and convenient before one must resort to a cloth.
I have purchase all kinds of brands of toilet paper for 25 cents a roll–everything from Charmin, Angel Soft, and Scott. That’s what happens when you use coupons.
Oops, one more question —
How many regular sized rolls do you consider to be enough for 1 year? I need to pay attention to what my family uses, but what is an average?
Katie, I don’t know what the average is as that’s a…um…rather private issue.
However, I prepare for my hubby and I to go through 2 rolls a week. A bit on the conservative side, but I’d rather be safe than sorry.