This is a stack of soft cotton pieces zig-zag stitched around the edges so they don't ravel when washed. I guess if a person can use cloth diapers for a baby... why not washable cloths for adults? Think about it. What if these were only used for #1 then put into a bucket to soak before washing like cloth diapers used to be? Saving the paper for when needed for #2. Eeewww again!
Hee, hee, hee. Ok, no more grossing you out. Those are actually some basic, no frills, hankies I made. Between my grandaughter and myself with a constant runny nose lately; I found I often run out of tissues. It's not convenient to bundle her up to catch a bus for a box of tissues and my daughter can't bring me any until she picks up the baby. That's when I begin to use toilet paper to wipe noses. Which is where I came up with the title of reusable toilet paper. Had you going there for a minute didn't I?
Seriously, have you seen the price of tissues and toilet paper lately? The same size boxes contain fewer and the price is higher too. Even from Big Lots and the Dollar Store they are getting expensive. While these things are getting higher, my budget isn't. When I was young; no respectible lady would ever leave home without her hankie. She carried several hankies in her purse if she had children with runny noses.
So when did we become convinced that paper hankies were better? When the manufacturers wanted us to start spending, spending, spending of course. They wanted to convert us to convenience living and to being a throw it away society. Paper hankies certainly were more convenient. Just use and throw away. Then along came paper dishes, paper feminine products, paper diapers..... and on and on. There is also plastic throw away stuff too. You only need look around you to see all the throw away convenience stuff you use everyday.
I know there are people who will be grossed out by the thought of some reusable items; but, if you have absolutely no money to buy.... what's the alternative? Do without? Well yes; but how can you do without diapers or feminine pads? Or maybe you have a little money and you must make a choice between baby formula and feminine pads. What do you do then? You see my point? When you absolutely can't buy a convenience item.... there are alternatives. In my youth we didn't have disposable feminine pads. We used rags. Where do you think the phrase "on the rag" came from? Do an internet search for directions to make feminine pads and you will find a bunch of them. I'm not the only person thinking like this.
How much you want to cut from your budget by using reusable items will depend on how grossed out you're willing to be. You will only be grossed out because you are convinced that it's gross by the spend for convenience mentality. In my youth we didn't think of cloth diapers as gross.... it was just what it was. Well, ok, back then, none of us liked putting our hands into the soak bucket to rinse out a doo doo diaper but we did it anyway. Our family didn't have inside plumbing.... we had an outhouse. We couldn't use the toilet to rinse before soaking.
You don't have to go this far to save money unless you just want to or need to. You can cut out paper plates and learn to wash dishes. You can make cloth hankies or cloth dinner napkins or use cloths instead of paper towels. Hmm.... so maybe you aren't a sewing person and you don't have a stash of fabrics? Two possibilities. Go to a thrift store and look for some reusable items there. Or ask a quilter friend to help you make some. Lots of quilters are looking for ways to "bust" their over abundant fabric stash. I'm sure they would be very happy to help you.
Ok now, for those readers who actually decide to try using resuable items.... it's a good idea to make them look different. For example hankies in one color and size, feminine rags another color, cloth towels another color and size, etc. And wash them separately. That way you won't end up using a feminine rag to wipe a nose or kitchen counter. Eeewww!
P.S.
You know how these days many products will have a statement written on them about how much is recycled materials? Ok, so have I. So how about this? Have you ever wondered why some packages of toilet paper have this written on it? ..... composed of 50% post consumer waste .... think about it a minute.... you'll get it. Hee, hee, hee
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