Okay so I am a little late getting this going this year. Last year I heard of people using clothe wipes instead of toilet paper which really intrigued me. Why you may ask? I spend a lot of money on toilet paper because there are five females living under one roof. My poor husband! My girls think they need a couple miles of toilet paper just to wipe their tiny butts. So while they were watching a movie I took a old flannel sheet and cut it up into squares. No sewing or anything. Just a rough cut was all that was needed.
Once their movie was over I called them over to me and explained that we would no longer be needing toilet paper to wipe when they go potty. I thought this was going to be a pain in the butt to get across but it wasn't. They wanted to go pee right that second. My oldest daughter who was 11 at the time, was not happy about it. But she did do it. You will never ever hear about her doing it, talk about it, or even claim to know what I am talking about. But she does it.
And this is why I started my annual Clothe Wipe Challenge! I was inspired by Deanna Duke who writes the blog The Crunchy Chicken. She is famous for her awesome challenges.She started the The Clothe Wipe Challenge back in 2007. My personal favorite challenge of hers is the Freeze Yer Buns Challenge . There are many more of them some of which I have yet to try and some I have tried. Sometimes I come through with flying colors and sometimes I fail miserably. Isn't that what a challenge is all about? Instead of doing it for a month I decided to try it out for a year.
You will need:
Heavy cotton fabric
Scissors
Something to put your fabric squares in
Where to find fabric
-Thrift shops. Remember your just wiping yourself with them so don't get too personal.
-Old sheet in your closet.
-Maybe old fabric you never used
-Maybe you have old flannels in your closet
-Just get creative
Instructions
It's pretty easy. No rulers or measuring tape needed. Just cut your fabric into squares about 12 inches by 12 inches. You could make them a bit smaller if you want. Once you cut them just throw them into a small container that will fit on the back of your toilet or on a nearby counter. One sheet should get you at least two dozen squares. That should be enough for a family of 4-5 people.
Care
Once you have used your clothe wipe toss it into the laundry basket. If you use them #1 and #2 I recommend washing each day because they might start to smell or your smaller kids might wander in there and you don't need that. Some people have even kept a small bucket with a lid in their bathroom just for the #2 wipes. This will keep them wet so it's easier for you to wash them. Simply toss the water and wipes into the washer. Since we use them only for #1 We can go a few days without washing them. I was afraid at first they would smell but they didn't. An added bonus is that I can just wash mine with the rest of our clothes. And no we don't smell like pee.
Once washed they will fray slightly. This will stop after a wash or two. I have been using ours for a year now with no problems at all. Although I will need to make some more because a few have been flushed. My squares a a tad smaller and these did not clog our toilets.
If you don't want to make your own then you can find them at etsy. They have some nice ones here or fancy ones here. I have yet to see these in any stores though.
Now remember to have fun with this. The whole point of this is to reduce our tree consumption and save some money along the way. If you are having a problem getting your children to use them maybe try finding a fun character sheet ( like Disney etc) at a thrift shop and everyone get's their own. It's more fun that way and I bit they would use them.
Guess how much money I saved last year alone by doing this clothe wipe challenge? $47.88
I spend $3.99 for a 12pk of recycled toilet paper from Trader Joe's. It's the cheapest place I can find recycled toilet paper. Now I know there are some of you who spend way over $5 per 12 pack of toilet paper so your savings will be much higher than mine.
So whose in? Leave a comment below and tell us if its for #1, #2 or both. DONT BE SHY!
No comments:
Post a Comment