# Going without toilet paper: Meet the adults switching to a reusable cloth **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 29, 2014, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-without-toilet-paper-meet-the-adults-switching-to-a-reusable-cloth/680033 "2014-01-29T14:28:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![gracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@gracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracer)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-without-toilet-paper-meet-the-adults-switching-to-a-reusable-cloth/680033/81 "2014-01-31T10:22:41Z")
> [@SerafinaPekala](#): > > No actually I dont want your Diva Cup … :rolleyes: I’m… pretty sure she wasn’t trying to give hers to you. 😕 I also don’t see how it’s the same\* at all\*. It’s putting used tampons in the bin that’s the same: you have the bodily waste sitting next to you, all saved up in one spot. With a cup you rinse it off and it’s non-absorbent. More like a bidet than anything else. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-without-toilet-paper-meet-the-adults-switching-to-a-reusable-cloth/680033/82 "2014-01-31T11:52:59Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > I do wonder what happens when guests come over, though. “Awwwwwwwww, Christ, how was I supposed to know those were their curtains!” ---
**Author:** ![SerafinaPekala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@SerafinaPekala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SerafinaPekala)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-without-toilet-paper-meet-the-adults-switching-to-a-reusable-cloth/680033/83 "2014-01-31T13:31:26Z")
Yes, Ive seen the Diva Cup. And where does one “rinse off” the cup? Not in MY sink if you’re visiting! :eek::eek: And hopefully not at the next sink in a public washroom! I do not want to see that thing. Too many bloodborne diseases around to have someone rinsing off a bloody device and not sanitizing the sink and toilet with a bleach solution afterward. If you want to empty it at home thats entirely your call - enjoy. Eta: we take our bodily waste directly out to the outside bins. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-without-toilet-paper-meet-the-adults-switching-to-a-reusable-cloth/680033/84 "2014-01-31T15:29:19Z")
> [@SerafinaPekala](#): > > Yes, Ive seen the Diva Cup. And where does one “rinse off” the cup? Not in MY sink if you’re visiting! :eek::eek: And hopefully not at the next sink in a public washroom! I do not want to see that thing. > > Too many bloodborne diseases around to have someone rinsing off a bloody device and not sanitizing the sink and toilet with a bleach solution afterward. If you want to empty it at home thats entirely your call - enjoy. > > Eta: we take our bodily waste directly out to the outside bins. Can you show me on the doll where the filthy vagina touched you? Seriously, you have blood in your sink all the time. Brush your teeth, spit in the sink - there’s blood in there. Rinse off a cut - there’s blood in there. Unless you’re tossing a salad in your sink there’s no reason for you to touch its surface, then your person w/o soap getting in the middle. Anyway, most Diva/Luna cup users dump the contents, use the toilet, flush and then dip and rinse their cup a second time in the fresh toilet water. Not typically the sink. But thanks for the mental image of a woman running through their house w/ a bloody tampon to throw it outside in the trash, yelling “DON’T LOOK AT ME I’M A DISGUSTING VAGINA MONSTER!!” ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-without-toilet-paper-meet-the-adults-switching-to-a-reusable-cloth/680033/85 "2014-01-31T15:33:51Z")
> [@Martian Bigfoot](#): > > A cat will do in a pinch, but what you really want, according to the experts, is a goose. I GOT that reference. Gargantua and Pantagruel! Do I get a cookie? ---
**Author:** ![SerafinaPekala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@SerafinaPekala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SerafinaPekala)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-without-toilet-paper-meet-the-adults-switching-to-a-reusable-cloth/680033/86 "2014-01-31T15:40:09Z")
> [@Nawth\_Chucka](#): > > Can you show me on the doll where the filthy vagina touched you? > Seriously, you have blood in your sink all the time. Brush your teeth, spit in the sink - there’s blood in there. Rinse off a cut - there’s blood in there. Unless you’re tossing a salad in your sink there’s no reason for you to touch its surface, then your person w/o soap getting in the middle. > Anyway, most Diva/Luna cup users dump the contents, use the toilet, flush and then dip and rinse their cup a second time in the fresh toilet water. Not typically the sink. > But thanks for the mental image of a woman running through their house w/ a bloody tampon to throw it outside in the trash, yelling “DON’T LOOK AT ME I’M A DISGUSTING VAGINA MONSTER!!” Dramatic much? :rolleyes: FYI: We wrap our garbage before carrying it outside but that concept might escape you too. Let me get this straight: the Diva cup is rinsed out IN THE TOILET and then inserted BACK INTO THE VAGINA. Is that really what you meant to say? Do you see the absurdity of that not to mention the disgustingness? Lord! and you _eat_ with that vagina??? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-without-toilet-paper-meet-the-adults-switching-to-a-reusable-cloth/680033/87 "2014-01-31T15:50:18Z")
In 10 years, I’ve never once had to rinse my cup in a public restroom. In most cases, it only needs tending in the AM and PM. I usually rinse mine in the shower, which is touched by dread period blood in normal use, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-without-toilet-paper-meet-the-adults-switching-to-a-reusable-cloth/680033/88 "2014-01-31T15:52:01Z")
> [@SerafinaPekala](#): > > Dramatic much? :rolleyes: > > FYI: We wrap our garbage before carrying it outside but that concept might escape you too. > > Let me get this straight: the Diva cup is rinsed out IN THE TOILET and then inserted BACK INTO THE VAGINA. Is that really what you meant to say? Do you see the absurdity of that not to mention the disgustingness? Lord! and you _eat_ with that vagina??? 😃 Oh good, you caught my satirical take on your own needless drama. Well done you. Yes, before being reinserted into the vagina to be coated by and filled w/ menstrual shedding once again, the emptied cup is dipped into and rinsed at least once w/ a fresh bowl of the same potable water that runs into the sinks a few feet away that’s good enough to wash your hands and the drinking fountains if you’re in a commercial building. At least that’s how it works here in the States. We pee on and flush away water better than what many people are given to drink. I see on edit that even sven is a cup user who doesn’t dip. Good for her not wasting water. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-without-toilet-paper-meet-the-adults-switching-to-a-reusable-cloth/680033/89 "2014-01-31T15:56:01Z")
n/m \*\*even sven \*\*answered my question. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-without-toilet-paper-meet-the-adults-switching-to-a-reusable-cloth/680033/90 "2014-01-31T17:09:01Z")
You know, in countries with indoor yet less reliable plumbing it’s totally normal to put your toilet paper in a trash can next to the toilet. (I saw it everywhere in Mexico, for example.) They empty it every day. It’s not really a big deal. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-without-toilet-paper-meet-the-adults-switching-to-a-reusable-cloth/680033/91 "2014-01-31T17:15:54Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > Hey, I actually have a real answer for this one. 🙂 > > You herd their chicks by canoe into a net corral with a ramp into the back of a cube van. They follow the chicks. (It’s how our municipality gets rid of Canada Goose.) > [@SerafinaPekala](#): > > Yes, Ive seen the Diva Cup. And where does one “rinse off” the cup? Not in MY sink if you’re visiting! :eek::eek: And hopefully not at the next sink in a public washroom! I do not want to see that thing. > > Too many bloodborne diseases around to have someone rinsing off a bloody device and not sanitizing the sink and toilet with a bleach solution afterward. If you want to empty it at home thats entirely your call - enjoy. > > Eta: we take our bodily waste directly out to the outside bins. You dump the contents in the toilet, and use soap and water to wash the actual cup off. Sheesh, what do you do if you cut your hand in the kitchen, run around panicing and waving it around so the blood spatters everywhere? What do you think women do when they have to change out a tampon? They get blood on their hands and need to wash them at that point in time also … and basic soap and water will do for sanitizing pretty much anything - and there are way more germs in fecal matter than menstrual fluid. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-without-toilet-paper-meet-the-adults-switching-to-a-reusable-cloth/680033/92 "2014-01-31T17:41:56Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > Hey, I actually have a real answer for this one. 🙂 > > You herd their chicks by canoe into a net corral with a ramp into the back of a cube van. They follow the chicks. (It’s how our municipality gets rid of Canada Goose.) > [@aruvqan](#): > > You dump the contents in the toilet, and use soap and water to wash the actual cup off. Sheesh, what do you do if you cut your hand in the kitchen, run around panicing and waving it around so the blood spatters everywhere? What do you think women do when they have to change out a tampon? They get blood on their hands and need to wash them at that point in time also … and basic soap and water will do for sanitizing pretty much anything - and there are way more germs in fecal matter than menstrual fluid. The corral method is bloodless. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-without-toilet-paper-meet-the-adults-switching-to-a-reusable-cloth/680033/93 "2014-01-31T18:08:06Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > You know, in countries with indoor yet less reliable plumbing it’s totally normal to put your toilet paper in a trash can next to the toilet. (I saw it everywhere in Mexico, for example.) They empty it every day. It’s not really a big deal. Um, yeah, it certainly can be a big deal - especially in hotter climes and away from the tourist areas. Stench, flies and lots of both - even if emptied every day. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-without-toilet-paper-meet-the-adults-switching-to-a-reusable-cloth/680033/94 "2014-01-31T18:38:33Z")
not a problem. here Fido. ---
**Author:** ![MikeF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-without-toilet-paper-meet-the-adults-switching-to-a-reusable-cloth/680033/95 "2014-01-31T20:30:27Z")
I avoided looking at this thread for a couple of days now but couldn’t resist any longer. Anyway, there was a replica of some famous very old sailing ship docked nearby a few years ago. Below deck up near the front was, if I recall correctly, a tube or some sort of hole in the hull. Hanging down from above it was a length of rope maybe 1 1/2" across and long enough to reach the deck. It may even have been hanging inside the hole. The hole was the toilet and the rope was the “paper”. Shared by the whole crew. BTW, the location of the toilet was at the “head” of the boat (wave action flushed it). Hence the reason toilets on boats are called heads. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-without-toilet-paper-meet-the-adults-switching-to-a-reusable-cloth/680033/96 "2014-01-31T21:03:11Z")
> [@SerafinaPekala](#): > > Backing up to the bidet thing … how do you dry off then? In a public place you would still need the TP right? > > And if someone’s using the bidet at MY house (when I get one), how do I keep the guests from patting their fannies dry on my hand towels? First World Problem I know.:rolleyes: [The Numi](http://www.kohler.com/numi/#), not only comes equiped with a bidet, but it also comes with a heat blow drier. And a heated seat! I can see myself spending 7k for this toilet. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-without-toilet-paper-meet-the-adults-switching-to-a-reusable-cloth/680033/97 "2014-01-31T21:35:32Z")
How does the can work? I can’t imagine anything bigger than a small can (7 gallon?). In “normal” bathrooms, the paper-only cans often get full because they’re rarely emptied, even if daily it’s often not enough. I can’t imagine that many third world bathrooms are exceptionally staffed and cleaned. > [@Shakes](#): > > [The Numi](http://www.kohler.com/numi/#), not only comes equiped with a bidet, but it also comes with a heat blow drier. And a heated seat! > I can see myself spending 7k for this toilet. The cold water or blow dryer hits you in the wrong place when you’re not expecting it, and you’d go “maya hee!” as well. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-without-toilet-paper-meet-the-adults-switching-to-a-reusable-cloth/680033/98 "2014-01-31T21:36:58Z")
> [@Doctor\_Jackson](#): > > Um, yeah, it certainly can be a big deal - especially in hotter climes and away from the tourist areas. Stench, flies and lots of both - even if emptied every day. Have you done it? It gets gross at poorly maintained public rest stops and places that never get cleaned, but those places are going to be gross anyway. A private home will have a small tightly covered container (like a kitchen compost bin) that is regularly changed out. I’ve done it in a few climates and never had a smell or flies. With ladies, 90% of TP is spent on drip control after urination, so it’s really not a ton of offensive material. It’s not awesome and I wouldn’t do it voluntarily, but on the scale of "things that suck about third world housing ", this doesn’t really rate. ---
**Author:** ![SerafinaPekala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@SerafinaPekala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SerafinaPekala)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-without-toilet-paper-meet-the-adults-switching-to-a-reusable-cloth/680033/99 "2014-01-31T21:50:20Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > You dump the contents in the toilet, and use soap and water to wash the actual cup off. Sheesh, what do you do if you cut your hand in the kitchen, run around panicing and waving it around so the blood spatters everywhere? What do you think women do when they have to change out a tampon? They get blood on their hands and need to wash them at that point in time also … and basic soap and water will do for sanitizing pretty much anything - and there are way more germs in fecal matter than menstrual fluid. “Prancing and waving it around so the blood spatters everywhere”? Is that something you do? because thats not something I do. Sheesh. :rolleyes: Tampons have a string to remove them. No blood on my hands! 🙂 “WAY more germs in fecal matter than menstrual blood”? Ever hear of AIDS and hepatitis? I have a healthy respect for blood - I do not touch nor do I WANT to touch other people’s blood. Universal Precautions are ingrained in me. AnywaYYYYY … back to our regularly scheduled program. Its your vagina, do what you want but do not ever change out your Diva Cup in MY bathroom! ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-without-toilet-paper-meet-the-adults-switching-to-a-reusable-cloth/680033/100 "2014-01-31T22:27:37Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > I GOT that reference. Gargantua and Pantagruel! > > Do I get a cookie? Just to keep with our bathroom theme, I’ll give you a urinal cookie. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-without-toilet-paper-meet-the-adults-switching-to-a-reusable-cloth/680033.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-without-toilet-paper-meet-the-adults-switching-to-a-reusable-cloth/680033.md?page=6)